Re: in or on the lists

Mike Stevens wrote:
Blue Sow wrote:

But if it was an abusage, why pretend it was something else, just to
avoid making the decision?

I think that you could quite easily distinguish between a spelling
error and 'current usage' if you really try. I am not sure what you
seek to prove by pretending not to have that ability.

Of course I can distinguish between a spelling error and a regular usage. But I wouldn't call a spelling error (or a typing error, which is subtly different and what my slip actually was) "abusage". I really react very much against the implicit value-judgement in the term "abusage".


We had agreed on the typing error, or rather we had never differed. That does not affect my examples.

I have noted your reaction against 'value-judgements' but you offer no alternative, given that the reader may not, and may never, know what the writer had in mind, if anything.

One cannot tell, without additional knowledge, if a spelling variance (I avoid the word 'error') is intentional or unintentional, and if the latter, if it was 'an accident' or borne of ignorance of the accepted spelling. One may not therefore decide it is an idiosyncrasy or an accident as one does not have the data needed to make such a decision.

Please do tell your non-value-judgemental word for such a circumstance. I will continue to use the word 'abusage' or perhaps, for variety, 'misusage'. In any event, and returning to topic, it is not 'current usage'.


--
Blue Sow
.