- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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Smart Talk
by Dr. Viva Palaver
ON LINE: Down here in Underbelly, Texas, we at the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired often wonder why patients from the New York City area stand on line. They've been standing on line since before computerese began interfacing with good English. Why?
Normal people stand in line. As staff psychologist at the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired, I wonder whether this odd use of on betrays a fear of being involved. I can understand a New Yorker having such a fear.
Around here, folks are so involved, they're waitin' on each other rather than for them.
But there's that word on again, so maybe it has some attraction for those whose heads don't have room for more than two or three prepositions. After all, they say they get on the plane rather than into it. Doesn't that sound dangerous?
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