On Fri, 2 Dec 2005 20:44:41 -0600, millereric wrote:

Compulsive workers are "workaholics", even though there is
no such thing as "workahol".

OK, you got me on that one.

Shouldn't. "aholic" started as a suffix to describe the alky
that's addicted to the stuff. Even though it's kinda stupid to
append "aholic" to those addicted to "work", we do it because people
"get" the connection, and what it's trying to convey. Same thing
with "gate" being appended to all sorts of scandals that have
nothing to do with the Watergate Hotel. People hear the word "gate"
and "get" the connection to a "scandal" of some sort. KoreaGate,
MonicaGate, PlameGate, etc.


The English language changes. It is very flexible and adaptive and that is
one reason IMHO that it is such a great language. Usage is just a form of
continuous democratic reform of the language. Words are invented and
used if the practitioners of the language find them useful. When words
are no longer useful, they are retired. You might not like the term
"workaholic" (I really don't either) but it is very descriptive and when used,
most instantly recognize what it means. Anyone could toss out a made up
term like "photograpoholic" and if used in an analogous fashion to
"workaholic" there would be little question as to what the writer or speaker
means. Some words are ugly but are good communication tools nonetheless.

Hey! You did get it!!! But "photograpoholic"? No way. Way
too long. Snapaholoc, maybe.


Some made up words and phrases are just silly. Like "chicken fried chicken."

Maybe that's why I never heard of it until now. But I've heard of
"chicken fried steak" many times. Do people really talk of "chicken
fried chicken"? How does it differ from fried chicken?


So let's say what is right. When we mean "through the lens", let's
say so; "TTL" works. If we mean an electronic viewfinder, then "EVF"
is perfectly clear. A fixed lens is a non-interchangeable lens, and
let's say one of those, even if there isn't an established
abbreviation. This term "ZLR" is crap to be flushed.

Amen.

Pray tell, what is so clear about a "fixed lens"? Some might
think it refers to a fixed (non-zoom) focal length lens. Many
photographers call them "primes", but that term irks others. Come
to think of it, fixed focus, or non-focusing cameras were followed
by "rangefinders". Not the most apt term, but I guess most people
knew what it meant from associations with gunners dialing in the
range or elevation before firing the shot. But the SLRs that
followed didn't exactly do away with focusing, so why weren't they
called SLR Rangefinders? We're fortunate to have advanced beyond
pinhole cameras, otherwise we'd risk being called "pinheads".