Re: [Thinkpad] OT: lower 48

> Language works by widespread use.

One often hears this said in the defense of improper usage.

> On reflection, lower 48 is not geographically incorrect. It refers to
> the 48 contiguous states.

No, it refers to the "lower 48 states". There is no sense in which
Hawaii is not lower than many other states.

For that matter, "contiguous" is misleading for the middle 48 states;
"conterminous" is more accurate.

Bruce's "CONUS" is absolutely unobjectionable; though it has a
misleading origin, it is now a legal term defined by Federal statute.

- David R.

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Received on Wed Sep 8 22:47:02 2004