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Originally Posted by Fluribus
I enjoyed it. I do not, however, use smilies. Not for you, nor Mr. Magoo. Not even for the monkeys down at the zoo.
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Aww. That makes me
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The definition that you posted is the same as the one in my Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 6th edition. The Oxford dictionaries, as with the vast majority of current dictionaries, have a descriptive philosophy. The language is defined by how it's used, not how a minority thinks it ought to be used.
With great hope and much fortitude, I arrogate the authority to ignore the dictionaries when I disagree with them.
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Ok...but then by what standard does anyone claim to know "what a word means?" What informs your disagreement?
I'm all for resisting letting blatant misuses become standard, but Oxford cites that usage back to the early 1700's. How much more time does a living language need?