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Conference thebay::joyoflex

Title:The Joy of Lex
Notice:A Notes File even your grammar could love
Moderator:THEBAY::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 28 1986
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1192
Total number of notes:42769

194.0. "May I present the chair?" by APTECH::RSTONE () Fri May 30 1986 12:36

     At the risk of reopening an old debate, which I would prefer not to do,
     I would like comments on a new (to me) variation on the "chairman"
     issue.

     At the recent commencement exercises at Worcester State College, the
     printed program and all references from the dais were in the form:

                Mary B. Smith, Chair, Such and such Department

                John Q. Jones, Chair, X Y Z Committee

                I would like to present the chair of the....

                ...was elected chair of the....

     I am tempted to write to an appropriate individual at the college to
     see if they (the college) can give me some background on this usage, 
     but I accidently left my program behind while preparing to run to my
     car in the rain.

     Has anyone in this conference seen this usage before?

     Is it something which has evolved within the academic community or is
     it something more localized?

     With me, it sits a little better than "chairperson" but I have
     difficulty with equating the individual with the piece of furniture.

     Comments?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
194.1Two, or soGRDIAN::BROOMHEADAnn A. BroomheadFri May 30 1986 14:306
    1.  It's been used to refer to me.
    
    2.  I do expect another syllable or two.
    
    3.  How do you feel about Chairthing?  (Used by the head of a
    science fiction convention.)
194.2DSSDEV::TABERIt mattered onceFri May 30 1986 14:329
Please, oh PLEASE, not again!!!

Yes, "chair" is proper useage.  Has been for hundreds of years.  It's 
most often seen in academic circles or on arts committees.  It's even
in the stinking Random House Dictionary.  

	Let's not start another potboiling session....

					>>>==>PStJTT
194.3BEING::POSTPISCHILAlways mount a scratch monkey.Fri May 30 1986 15:468
    Re .0:
    
    > Has anyone in this conference seen this usage before?
    
    Indeed, you have seen the usage before, in 147.89.
    
    
    				-- edp
194.4Sorry I brought it up!APTECH::RSTONEFri May 30 1986 17:398
    Re: .2
    
    My apologies!  It is likewise defined in two of my dictionaries
    (I haven't checked any others).  It was just that I have never 
    seen it used that way in such a formal context.
    
    As far as I'm concerned....case closed!
    
194.5From the desk of Earl WajenbergPROSE::WAJENBERGFri Jun 27 1986 12:373
    Compare using "chair" for the chaircreature with using "bench" for
    the judge, or "throne" for the monarch.  Even if the usage were new,
    it would be in a long tradition of animated lieutenant furniture.
194.6The ChairIOSG::DEMORGANTue May 12 1987 12:404
    I don't know if this casts any light on the subject, but in the
    UK we refer to such things as "the Chair of Computer Science" etc.
    Here "chair" means the position, not the person. Is the same convention
    used in the US?
194.7I'm a bit chary about this one.MLNIT5::FINANCETue May 12 1987 13:2311
    MLNOIS::HARBIG
                  In Italy a University Professor is said to hold 
                  a "Cattedra" which is an old word for a throne 
                  type chair.
                  That's where the English word Cathedral comes
                  from refering to the Bishop's chair or seat.
                  It probably comes from the time when individual
                  chairs were rarities and the top man sat in one
                  while the dogsbodies made do with benches.
    
                                   Max 
194.8thanksARMORY::CHARBONNDTue May 12 1987 16:523
    That explains the phrase 'ex cathedra' , meaning a person
    is speaking his own opinion, rather than as (pope,bishop
    chairman,president etc.)
194.9MYCRFT::PARODIJohn H. ParodiWed May 13 1987 10:197
  Re: .8

  Nope -- 'ex cathedra' means just the opposite.  It means that the speaker
  is using the authority of the office, not personal opinion.

  JP
194.10MLNIT5::FINANCEWed May 13 1987 12:445
    MLNOIS::HARBIG
     Right again. 'ex ' in this case means 'from' an not out of
     as in 'ex libris' = from the library of.
    
                            Max
194.11ex menteIPG::GOODENOUGHJeff Goodenough, IPG Reading-UKThu May 14 1987 08:484
    Presumably, therefore, 'ex cathedra' means the same as 'ex officio',
    but more imposing?
    
    Jeff.
194.12not ex catheter?DEBIT::RANDALLBonnie Randall SchutzmanFri May 15 1987 17:114
    Yes, even more imposing because "cathedra" carries the connotations
    of divine inspiration and not mere authority.
    
    --bonnie
194.13SPMFG1::CHARBONNDMon May 18 1987 07:351
    re .9  Many thanks. And I still hate Latin :-)
194.14populated furnitureTKOV52::DIAMONDFri Feb 16 1990 10:5311
    .5 seems like it should have sprouted a new topic.
    
    If the chaircreature leads a committee, the benchperson is a judge,
    and the throneperson is a monarch, then the rest of the committee
    members might be sofapeople.
    
    The stoolpigeon's rank seems to match as well.
    
    The owner of a brothel could be the bedperson.
    
    What else?
194.15COOKIE::DEVINEBob Devine, CXNFri Feb 16 1990 20:113
    re: .14
    
    Is this an ex cathedra decision?