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stranger
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Sorry is this is digging up old graves, but searching for this one yields hundreds of hits describing online sources. I'm looking for comments on the non-internet, adverbial usages related to beginnings. An example might be, "We have a new model coming on line in three weeks." Part of me thinks that this is a questionable use. The other part of me fully understands the speaker and sees it as an efficient use of language. Your thoughts?
Last edited by quiltmaster; 01/20/11 08:26 PM.
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veteran
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veteran
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_and_offlineAccording to wiki, "... online and offline are defined by Federal Standard 1037C." and "To be considered online, one of the following must apply to a device: ... * Functional and ready for service" "In contrast, a device that is offline meets none of these criteria (e.g., its main power source is disconnected or turned off, or it is off-power)." This is for telecommunications usage. Probably others have co-opted the term.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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although OED Online(!) lumps all these usages together under the common headword online (on the route of a railway line or airline, computing, engineering; on line, on-line, online), the earliest usage they have is the following:
1926 Econ. Geogr. 2 15 Approximately two-thirds of the coal handled by the system originated at on-line mines, and one-third was received from connections.
edit: this citation is evidently from the Journal of Economic Geography, a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by Clark University since 1925.
here are some later adverbial cites:
1968 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 28 Nov. 13/6 The Skookumchuck mill recently came on line, but none of the B.C.-produced pulp destined for Japan is in the present cardboard packages.
1975 Nature 9 Oct. 435/3 Domestic uranium reserves will be totally committed to those nuclear reactors which are brought on line in the next 20 years.
1989 Accountancy May 151/2 When it went on-line many considered it the most advanced automated assembly unit in Europe.
2000 T. Clancy Bear & Dragon xil. 580 They'd proven to the tanks of the North Vietnamese just how fearsome a foe a missile-armed chopper could be, and that had been before night-vision systems had come fully on line.
BTW, off-line (or offline) evidently predates on-line.
1919 Jrnl. Polit. Econ. 27 331 Another saving consisted in abolishing the off-line offices and setting the traffic department at other tasks.
Last edited by tsuwm; 01/20/11 10:53 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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----please, draw me a sheep----
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veteran
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veteran
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That's interesting.
I wondered after I posted that last one whether it might have had its origins with the assembly line. The earliest usages listed are shortly after the rise of Ford's assembly lines.
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old hand
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old hand
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I wondered after I posted that last one whether it might have had its origins with the assembly line.
Or Railway Lines for that matter.
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stranger
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OP
stranger
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Amazing responses. Thanks.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quiltie, welcome aBoard. This isn't really in response to your post; just one of my peeves.
Just don't let me hear that anybody is standing on line (at the bank, etc.). You can stand on A line, but you stand or wait IN line! Grr!!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Just don't let me hear that anybody is standing on line (at the bank, etc.). You can stand on A line, but you stand or wait IN line! Grr!!
Mo-o-o-o-meeee! They're using language in a way other than the way I would! Make them stop!!!
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stranger
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stranger
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never came across to "on-line" it always been "online" isn't it?
Last edited by xjustxbellx; 01/31/11 06:52 PM.
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