re: Lexicographic Capitalization page 3

As a matter of update, I can't remember hearing "biro" ... time that I hadn't recently heard it used that way.

Feel free to come and take over the stationery ordering in myoffice. I am often asked to order biros for people. They get ball-pointpens.

Interesting: maybe it's just not something I have conversations about. The unreliability of human testimony strikes again.

Mike.

And if you can't tell Coke from Pepsi, we pity you.

Good God! Why?

Mike.

(Re discussion of "capitalization of proprietary words in various dictionaries")

They're like Xerox and Coke they threaten you if you misuse "Realtor" in print.

I'm sure they could try it!

The big difference here is whether "you" are Padraic Brown, individual poster, or a major dictionary publisher. A trademark holder could have a lot to lose if a big dictionary implies that the word is longstanding or generic. Therefore it is worth his or her while to give the dictionary grief about it, and it is worth the dictionary's while to find a way of listing and labeling the words that makes everyone happy.

Best Donna Richoux

As a matter of update, I can't remember hearing "biro" used generically in Br since about 1967. It ... recently heard it used that way. I think most people just say "pen", attaching "ball-point" if the distinction is important.

Yerse. And I suspect ball-points are now a pretty small share of the market.

John Dean
Oxford

When I was at I.U., a common phrase was "coke date". If you had a "coke date" with a girl, ... students from all over Indiana came to I.U., I have to assume that "coke" was generic to all of us.

Was that even true of the students from up north, from "Da Region"? I'd expect that they'd use the standard Upper Midwestern term (heard, for example, in ErkE), "paap".

I still think of "coke" as the generic even though I generally choose Pepsi at one of those multiple-choice beverage dispensers.

Even I think of coke as a sort of quasi-generic term for a cola beverage. It's more like, I'm aware that it's a brand, but if you want to have a generic term for cola you say "coke" and not "cola".

I repeat: Erk, this can't be!

When I was at I.U., a common phrase was "coke ... to assume that "coke" was generic to all of us.

Was that even true of the students from up north, from "Da Region"? I'd expect that they'd use the standard Upper Midwestern term (heard, for example, in ErkE), "paap".

Yes to the general question, and a raised eyebrow to the unheard "paap". You should also understand that students immediately pick up the terminology of the setting. Whatever they called a "coke date" in East Chicago or Gary, it became "coke date" by the time they unpacked their bags. (Pronounced "bags" by regionites and indistinguishable from the "bags" pronunciation of ridge-runners from southern Indiana)

Incidentally, it should be "Duh Region" if you wish to actually represent something as it is actually spoken by the people involved.

Tony Cooper
Orlando FL

And if you can't tell Coke from Pepsi, we pity you.

Good God! Why?

Because their flavors differ considerably.

Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)

Good God! Why?

Because their flavors differ considerably.

I just can't get the hang of fizzy pop, especially cola, as a grown-up drink. I know it's cultural, not innate, but I can't rid myself of a sense that it's unnatural.

Mike.

Because their flavors differ considerably.

I just can't get the hang of fizzy pop, especially cola, as a grown-up drink. I know it's cultural, not innate, but I can't rid myself of a sense that it's unnatural.

And that would be relevant to being able to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi because ...?

Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)