"Bees' nest"?!!! WTF!!!

[Laurence Horn]

On Feb 19, 2012, at 10:55 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> On Feb 19, 2012, at 7:43 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Feb 19, 2012 at 10:41 AM, Jonathan Lighter
>> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Many, many speakers, however, being confident of the distinction,
>>> nevertheless automatically prefer "bee" when the distinction doesn't
>>> matter or when they haven't got a good luck at the buzzing evildoer.
>>
>> But… But… How can there be a situation in which the distinction
>> between a bee and a wasp doesn't matter? And it doesn't take a good
>> look to distinguish a bee from a wasp. A casual look is sufficient.
>>
>> Well, it depends on where you live, I reckon. During the times that
>> I've lived in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Boston, and, now, Wilkes-Barre,
>> I've certainly had no reason even to concern myself with the fact that
>> bees and wasps exist. I have no idea when the last time was that I saw
>> either a bee or a wasp. Very likely, not since I was last in Saint
>> Louis, in 1962.
>>
>> People who've never lived where it truly matters whether it's a bee or
>> a wasp would certainly not have any particular motivation to
>> internalize the distinction.
>
> When I was a kid, we had yellowjackets and other wasps, along with bumblebees and honey bees. I got stung a number of times, but never learned the difference. Even after following this thread, I'm still not convinced it matters, nor do I recall which one is the type with hair. I just don't care.
>
Well, even though I may be a former Rochester Yellowjacket, I'd rather be talking about something else (although I suppose this is a step up from metaphorical bukkake).  But I do recall being informed at some point that a bee will die after it stings you because its stinger will be given up for the pleasure of the act and it can't live without its stinger, while a yellowjacket or other wasp can keep stinging you as long its little heart desires.  This, however, may not be the actual case; like all those grammar rules, it's just what I was taught.

LH

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