[Ads-l] Just heard on a reality show:

[Benjamin Barrett]

This is something I struggle with. Since my mother's husband never 
adopted me, my understanding is that he's not my stepfather even though 
I usually refer to him that way when stating his relationship to me. 
Neither Wiktionary nor the Oxford Dictionary site include the 
requirement of adoption.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA

Learn Ainu! https://sites.google.com/site/aynuitak1/home

> Wilson Gray <mailto:hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> May 12, 2015 at 6:18 PM
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header 
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Just heard on a reality show:
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "My mother and my stepfather. Uh, I mean, my mother and her husband."
>
>
> For some reason, the interviewer didn't ask what the distinction was.
>

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