[Ads-l] by-passer

[Joel Berson]

Could one distinguish the following?

"Passer-by" -- someone who sees or hears an incident.  Thus is close enough to photograph it.

"By-passer" -- someone who avoids an incident -- bypasses it.  Thus does not see and cannot photograph it.  From "by-pass", v.2., sense 1.b (To take an indirect route around, to avoid (a locality, military position, [or riot,] etc.).)
For the -er form ("by-passer"), the OED does not distinguish from "passer-by".

Joel
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From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 8:27 AM
Subject: [ADS-L] by-passer


CNN "Both incidents were caught on camera by a by-passer."

JL

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org