
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 14, 1993                   TAG: 9311030381
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

UNSPEAKABLE

LANGUAGE is a living thing, changing and expanding with the experiences of the human beings that use it. New words are added that reflect the changes in our lives, enriching the language. Other words, made obsolete by those same changes in society, fall into disuse.

We're cool with that. Maybe not real cool, judging by our use of a '60s phrase, but pretty cool.

And not just the vocabulary, but the grammatical rules of language change, albeit much more slowly. Certain ones are broken so commonly that eventually the rule changes and the masses prevail.

We can come to accept such changes, as well, gradually.

But somewhere a line must be drawn, particularly in regard to that abomination of late-20th century American culture, the noun as verb. We propose drawing it right here: at "office."

To quote a quote from a story in this very newspaper about "just-in-time" offices that appear and disappear as individuals actually need them: " ... we are telling them you can office anywhere you want - if you want to office at home, fine."

Oh, but it is not fine. The employees of Dun & Bradstreet can office however and wherever they want, but we refuse to do so anywhere, at home or at the office. We will continue not to office in our offices, but to work there, for many long years to come. At least, we hope so.

by CNB