[Ads-l] Has prescriptivism won one?

[Wilson Gray]

Heard:

"Is that the consensus?"

and not

"Is that the consensus of opinion?"

During the '40's and '50's - in StL, at least - there was much made of the
phrase, "consensus _of opinion_." We were taught that this phrase was
"redundant nonsense," because there exists only *one* "consensus," that of
opinion, the use of simple "consensus" is sufficient and proper. One may as
well speak of "cold ice."

As it happens, though I've never heard anyone speak of "cold ice," I have
heard "hot ice" spoken of a myriad of times. IME, it's the ordinary term
for "dry ice" amongst the boyz in the 'hood.

-- 
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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