It's such a mine field or mined field?

[glasjam]

I have heard people calling it a mind field too. So which is it? Am just reading a Doris Lessing novel and she has just referred to it as a mined field. I thought it was mine field.

I always thought Mine Field- ie unexploded bombs await you randomly, rather than something that's been done to death. Context would generally back this up.

Yes I would lean towards Mine Field but then I sometimes hear people saying what I thought was Mind Field but maybe I am just hearing that and they are actually saying Mined Field? Doris Lessing can't be wrong surely ??!!

how old is a Doris Lessing book?

a Minefield is technically a mined field, as it is a field that has mines placed in it (mined), but if you were to say a mined field, then it sounds more like a field that has been mined (as in stuff taken out of it).

it's definitely minefield in general usage.

i don';t think it's a mined field. i think it's a field of mines. like a corn field. but who am I to argue with Doris Lessing. (although her tendency to use ironical, which i had always thought was a made up word, has been driving me mad.)

But you also get mine fields at sea when it obviously wouldn't be a mined field, which would make me lean towards mine field.

Personally I am convinced (doesn't mean I'm right though) that it should be a single word, minefield.

You would really be arguing with Doris Lessing's proofreader I would suspect.....

Of course it's a mine field.

A mind field would be something set up by people experimenting with ESP or suchlike.