> Altogether, I'd like to see more references on that page. He cites the OED a few times, but most of his examples are completely unsupported. It would be trivial for me to make a contradictory page that seems equally sensible. Not that I'm going to, mind - my point is simply that some student from WSU is not exactly an authouritative figure, and it would be foolish to accept his arguments out of hand. I come out of it with the feeling not that he's made some important and well-researched point, but rather that he got sick of his English professors marking his essays down over sticky little things like that, and made a "vent" page about it.


Actually, he's a professor. Just to be horribly nitpicky and difficult about it.

One of the funnest things about language is the neverending, ever-changing tension between sloppiness and stodginess, and the fierce, bloody battles that go on over the line. I go with tradition on some things and common usage on others, but I always enjoy the fight.

Lire"feeling rather sanguinary tonight, it seems"lyn