Oxford U. Press ba or bah

[Bill]

In a legitimate news story on World News Tonight with Charles Gibson, Oxford University Press has announced the liberalization of spelling of certain words in its latest Dictionary, based solely on popular usage rather than meaning or origins.

Examples included rein and reign, bate and bait, and several others.  Geez, gives new meaning to the "Queen reined...."

How utterly preposterous! 

Bill

[Ace]

I can't tell you how long it's been since I searched the etymology of a word in the OED.  What in the world is "Bate" referring to, if not Norman?  I don't want to know who reined in the queen, but it sure sounds kinky.

"Giddyap, Queen!  Whoa, Nellie!"

Ace; utterly, the cow was milked.

[Bill]

And just so we're clear, "Bate" is the root word for Offensive offsides.

Bill

[Ace]

Really.  We've had offensive asides in the poast office, but I'm still struggling with that one.  Like bate and switch?  You rebate when the worm falls off, I know that.

Wait till kids are allowed to text message their homework and papers.  Gonna be hard to do a "1000 word essay on...".

Ace; that'll be the day I'm "clear."