[PW] A plea regarding foreign words

John P. Dyson dyson at indiana.edu
Fri May 26 04:40:16 PDT 2006


Imagine that English is not the native language of most of us on this 
list. Someone posts a query asking the meaning of the word "go." 
Three-hundred pointless reponses later and after repeated requests for 
a context we are told that the querent wants to know the meaning of 
"go" in the expressions, "Go Army," Go Greyhound" and "Go Dodgers!"

Might we consider a policy of not asking this sort of question about 
words in another language without providing context and of not 
answering such a question if it doesn't provide a context?

I will now go seek the meaning of "a second cup."

John Dyson







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