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well, you don't have to have that impression! ;¬ )
formerly known as etaoin...
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I tell ya, man. Drop the whole threshold metaphor for this sort of thing. It just ain't working. I'm with Buffy on the rejection of undershot.
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The word "threshold" is commonly understood in computer science (and probably throughout engineering). I suspect it has a formal definition in technical dictionaries that has no relation and probably no reference to its etymology. In that field, I don't think it's a metaphor - any more than "semaphore," "key," or "web" - at least not in the minds of those who use it in this technical sense.
The audience of my writing is generally technical - engineers mostly, hard scientists, but occasionally a non-technical person who is otherwise surrounded by technical people. My guess is that even this person would understand the word threshold in the context I have described. I don't know for sure, but I strongly suspect that none of them (or only a very few) would be aware of the etymology, let alone be confused by the use of the term.
Of course I could (and often do) use the terms "upper limit" and "lower limit." But it makes otherwise dry text less monotonous, if I mix up the vocabulary a little. Also there are some few cases when I need to refer collectively to upper and lower limits.
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Carpal Tunnel
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So if it's commonly used but you still can't think of a way of saying what you want to say, I'd say that there's still a sense of 'getting over' in the minds of those using the term.. If you want to spice up your language maybe something like "under the bar'.
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sounds like we're in limbo....
formerly known as etaoin...
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