[ExI] mysterious observations infer yo mama

[BillK]

On 7/31/09, Jeff Davis wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:55 PM, Damien Broderick wrote:
>  > You know, I'm pretty sure mysterious observations can't infer *anything*.
>
>
> Ok, you got me. My editor, yo mama, inferred she was going on holiday.
>  I shortened the original phrasing --"...could indicate the existence
>  of..."  to "infer" to avoid a clunky subject line.  My bad.
>

Don't surrender that easily, Jeff.  ;)

Imply / infer has been confused ever since they entered the English
language around the 16th Century (and by respected writers).
In fact the personal distinction, 'I imply, you infer' is relatively recent.

The definitive discussion is here:
<http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=471>

To be more cautious and avoid the grammar gestapo, you could say that
these observations 'indicate' ........

BillK