In article ,
Malcolm writes:
|
| My 1997 copy of the SOED states:
|
| ...
|
| Perhaps you are using a different edition (later or earlier).

Yes. And I am referring to the OED, not any of its abbreviated
versions.

mare's tail, n.

.... Also: any of several horsetails (genus Equisetum), which Hippuris
vulgaris superficially resembles.

"1868 SIR J. HOOKER Addr. in Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. p. lxv,
The existing family of Equisetaceæ..contained previously but one genus,
that of the common mare's tails of our river-banks and woods."

You may have heard of the author in a botanic context.

| I'm not sure how many gardeners use the OED as a reference book. As a
| botanist (and also a gardener), I use Stace's New Flora of the British
| Isles as my reference book. This is what he has to say in his
| introduction to "Equisetaceae - Horsetail family":
|
| "The common name Mare's-tail is often used, but is a misapplication;
| true Mare's-tail is Hippurus...."
|
| I suggest that what he is doing with that statement is much the same as
| me - trying to persuade people to use one vernacular name for each plant

Indeed. Again, from the OED:

propaganda, n.

3. The systematic dissemination of information, esp. in a biased or
misleading way, in order to promote a political cause or point of view.

And his statement is FALSE. If he is unaware of it, he is pontificating
from a position of ignorance; if he is aware of it, that is a low form
of propaganda.

| None at all. But if you want a botanically precise person to know what
| you are talking about, why not use Horsetail and Mare's-tail to indicate
| two completely different plants?

Because, if they are even half-competent, they will perfectly happy
using Equisetum and Hippurus for referring to the genera as such.
Note that Hooker used the words competently, giving the Latin generic
name to specify precisely what he was referring to and the vernacular
when precision was not required.

Why are you so keen on telling users of standard English that they are
wrong and they must change their ways? I don't give a damn if you
want to communicate with Stace and others in Basic English, Sheddi
or Klingon. Why do you object to the use of standard English?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.