Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 23:09:10 -0800

From: Birrell Walsh birrell[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]WELL.SF.CA.US

Subject: Re: offending idioms



On Thu, 3 Nov 1994, Judith Rascoe wrote:



re use of mangled euphemisms: I notice "homeless" used as a singular noun

"We had a homeless sleeping behind the store" and as a collective without a

preceding 'the': "that estimate includes commuters and shoppers but doesn't

include homeless".





This means it has the same pseudo-partitive usage that is accorded the

word "staff" in social service agencies.