andrel wrote:
> No, they might be qualified to judge errors in the usage of standard 
> English, but they are not qualified to apply the same rules to 
> international English.

I see what you mean. I misinterpreted what you were trying to say.

> It doesn't mean anything in Dutch and my point is that it is not a 
> mistake. People tend to think it is a mistake, but they are wrong. The 
> only objection you could have is that there is another language where it 
> does have a different meaning and that people who know that will be too 
> occupied by that to listen to what you have to say.

And that would be the mistake I'm referring to. A case of poor communication 
for no reason other than the mistake of not knowing the slang you wouldn't 
be expected to know anyway. Which is why I wouldn't be embarrassed by it.

> I wouldn't refer to Star Wars in a talk at a conference.

Not as anything more than a joke, no.

> The context we were discussion was indeed Biomedical conferences ans such.

Yep. I was agreeing. :-)

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Why is there a chainsaw in DOOM?
   There aren't any trees on Mars.

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