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Robert Bannister - 13 Jan 2007 21:57 GMT

I was reading an article about why young people are no longer joining
service clubs anymore, and I was struck by the repeated word
"busy-ness". When I re-read the sentences, it was clear that "business"
would have been quite ambiguous, and yet I cannot think of another word
that fits so well. I wonder whether this spelling is already established.

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Rob Bannister

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John Dean - 14 Jan 2007 01:25 GMT

> I was reading an article about why young people are no longer joining
> service clubs anymore, and I was struck by the repeated word
> "busy-ness". When I re-read the sentences, it was clear that
> "business" would have been quite ambiguous, and yet I cannot think of
> another word that fits so well. I wonder whether this spelling is
> already established.

Was it coined by Will Smith in his pursuit of happyness?

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John Dean
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Cece - 15 Jan 2007 22:31 GMT

Robert Bannister ha escrito:

> I was reading an article about why young people are no longer joining
> service clubs anymore, and I was struck by the repeated word
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> --
> Rob Bannister

I've seen it, and used it, for years. Often without the hyphen though.
See American Heritage: http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/B0576700.html
under "Other Forms."

Busyness /'bIz i nEs/ and business /'bIz n@s/, /'bIz nIs/ have very
different meanings.

Cece

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

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