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Re: alot

Subject: Re: alot
From: Randall Young <randallyoung@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 17:34:31 -0700
Cc: "'triumphs@autox.team.net'" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
References: <775985B75591D311A7F900508B2C88A1334D0B@CALNTFS1>
I disagree on two fronts :

First, clearly the word exists.  You've obviously seen it used (else why
the lecture) and know what it means (else why assume it's a misspelling
of "a lot" instead of "allot").

If your argument is that it is not properly part of the English
language, then I would argue that English is a living language, defined
by common usage, not by some dictionary. 50 years ago, the word
"transistor" was nowhere to be found, and the word "computer" meant a
person who did mathematics.  We make up new words and change the meaning
of old ones all the time.  The dictionaries cannot hope to keep up.  In
fact, the entire concept of dictionary is a much newer invention than
English.

MG people don't know this, which is why ...

Anti-grammar police

"Woods, Ed" wrote:
> 
> There is no such word as "alot". There is a word "lot". MG people know this.
> 
>                      7 : a considerable quantity or extent <a lot of money>
> <lots of friends>
> 
> The Grammar Police

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