In article , NY wrote:
"Robin" wrote in message
...
But I also think you have a perfect right to lobby for a body similar
to the Académie Française with whatever statutory backing you think
fit. Eg. fines for misusing "screw" and "bolt"

Or "plug", "socket" and (the ultimate abomination) "plug socket" ;-)

Language evolves. France has solved the problem with the Académie
Française which tries to fossilise the language and which wants people
to use a French word rather than one borrowed from English if possible
(eg "ordinateur" versus "computer" or "PC"; "mégaoctet" rather than
"megabyte" etc). At least they allow "le weekend" rather than "le fin de
la semaine" ;-)

I can remember reading a French electronic equipment manual " Un
amplificateur du type bootstrap"

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle