Quote:
Originally Posted by meeera
If you go strictly by that Merriam Webster definition, without a view toward etymology or context or connotation or shared meanings, a poke in the eye with a sharp stick could be a "bonus". I think we all know that words are more complicated than that.
Dictionary.com says "something extra or additional given freely"
Oxford online (free) says "an extra and unexpected advantage".
I guess Oxford really is the best!
eta: Hang on, I just did a Merriam-Webster lookup online - and it says "something good that is more than what was expected or required". Different editions?
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I think most of us would agree that if someone says "you're getting a bonus", there is a reasonable expectation of the part of the listener that it will be something beneficial to them. If we go with the "unexpected extra material" definition we could say that things like advertising in TV programmes are a "bonus", which would, I suspect, be an unpopular viewpoint
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