Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site vaxine.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!wanginst!vaxine!mm
From: mm@vaxine.UUCP (Mark Mudgett)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Vaxen could care less
Message-ID: <570@vaxine.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 09:54:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: vaxine.570
Posted: Mon Jun 10 09:54:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Jun-85 05:48:46 EDT
Organization: Automatix, Inc., Billerica, MA
Lines: 29

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>   zben@umd5.UUCP (Ben Cranston)
>   Note also that to collectively refer to the many VAX computers out there
>   a lot of people use the coined term "VAXEN", probably a derivative of
>   "vixen" or something.  There is probably some language that has contributed
>   to English that uses a suffix "en" to denote a ploural, and subconscious
>   memory supplies the usage.  In any case, we say "on vaxen" rather than
>   "on THE vaxen".
The plural suffix "-en" exists in English:
ox, oxen;
child, children (irregular).
"Vaxen" is a plural noun, not a collective noun.
"Vixen" is a singular noun.
The existence of the "-en" plural form is probably derived from the Germanic
ancestors of Modern English.

>   colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
>   "Fat chance" is ironic, like "I could care less."
Actually, "I could care less" is derived from the saying, "I know little and
could care less."  This refers to a subject about which I am uninformed,
and about which I care even less than I know.  The saying has been confused
with "I couldn't care less," which means that I couldn't care less than I
do about the subject; implying that I care not at all.
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              _TT    /|    |~           Mark C. Mudgett
         >====+++===< |   O|   |~       ??...!decvax!encore!vaxine!mm
            {_|||_}  \|       O|        617-667-7900x2394
------------------------------------------------------------------------