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Pedants' corner

When did 'waitlists' arrive in th UK?

9 replies

clam · 09/06/2014 20:06

Ought it not to be waitING lists? Or am I just an old fart?

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meditrina · 09/06/2014 20:16

It's fairly new (early 1960s in US, in airline context only)

But it had started to spread to other anglophone countries by the 1970s, reaching UK by end of that decade, as an alternative to the earlier established form 'waiting list'

Mintyy · 09/06/2014 20:17

Where have you seen it?

meditrina · 09/06/2014 20:32

Was that to me?

I looked it up in OED.

Mintyy · 09/06/2014 20:34

No Confused. I was responding to the thread title.

clam · 09/06/2014 20:38

On here, for a start! Angry Mainly with regard to school applications, and people being on "waitlists" for specific schools.

OP posts:
Mintyy · 09/06/2014 20:42

Are you sure the people writing about it aren't from the US?

sittingatmydeskagain · 09/06/2014 20:44

I saw it for the first time today, and read it as waistlines. Very confused on a primary education board.

Mintyy · 09/06/2014 20:53

I've just advanced searched it and it has only been used by one particular poster (who seems to use a lot of abbreviations/borderline text speak) so perhaps it hasn't become commonplace on Mumsnet just yet.

clam · 10/06/2014 08:08

OK, so I can stop being annoyed about it for the time being then?

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