Remembrances/Ophelia

On Tue, 3 Jan 2006, Cheryl Perkins

Hi Cheryl,

Yes, I agree. I hadn't looked it up before my post. Being "closed-minded" is to have accepted an idea, good or bad, regardless of the facts or the opinions of others and being so dedicated to that idea that one will not even entertain other possibilities. It was the best way I could think of explaining it at the time. Thank you for looking it up and sending your post.

As I read your post, I agreed with your statement of coming to a conclusion etc. Yet, it is not only coming to an independent conclusion. It is also accepting the opinions, views, beliefs of others without question or facts - such as in the influence a parent has over a child or peers have on one another, good or bad.

I checked my dictionary to refresh my memory and check my facts. Mine has the legal definition as the last entry, #4. #1 is "an opinion formed before the facts are known; preconceived; usually unfavorable; #2 an opinion held in disregard of the facts that contradict it; unreasonable bias; #3 hatred or intolerance of other races, creeds, etc."

This dictionary has a copyright date of 1966 (Webster's New World Dictionary, Nashville). So it is 40 years old. (Geez, how time flies!) Using "prejudice" as descriptive of hatred or intolerance of other races, creeds, etc is at least 40 years old.

Although we differ slightly, I think we are on the same page or at least

Yes, that is the way it is used here, too. I wasn't sure how widespread the usage was. It is very common in the Southern US, but I can't recall having heard it from friends or relatives elsewhere. I'm glad to know that it isn't exclusively regional.

I always try to note that something that I hear frequently and is common to me is possibly "Southern". We do have a way of torturing the Queen's English. My "Yankee" family and friends give me all kinds of playful

Elaine, too