Language pedants hew to an oral tradition of shibboleths that have no basis in logic or style, that have been defied by great writers for centuries, and that have been disavowed by every thoughtful usage manual.
definition from InvestorWords.com: A commodity-product spread involving the purchase of crude oil futures and the sale of gasoline and heating oil futures.
Comments by nuttylichee
nuttylichee commented on the word shibboleth
Steven Pinker in yesterday's NYTimes:
Language pedants hew to an oral tradition of shibboleths that have no basis in logic or style, that have been defied by great writers for centuries, and that have been disavowed by every thoughtful usage manual.
January 23, 2009
nuttylichee commented on the word febrifuge
There was a smell of ammonia, bay rum, rum, brandy, disinfectant, and a variety of febrifuges.
- V.S. Naipaul, A House for Mr. Biswas
September 10, 2008
nuttylichee commented on the word crack spread
definition from InvestorWords.com: A commodity-product spread involving the purchase of crude oil futures and the sale of gasoline and heating oil futures.
May 7, 2008