This thread reminds me of the topic of a past popular book, "Cultural
Literacy." The author's premise, if I recall it correctly, was that
jargon was inclusionary rather than exclusionary. For the educated, it
formed a shorthand which allowed people to communicate complicated ideas
with the speed of thought rather than the speed of words. The example
given was one I hadn't heard, but have often since thought of... "There
comes a tide..." (Shakespeare), which, in 4 simple words, conveys the
thought that certain opportunities arise only once, and once missed,
cannot be ever recaptured.
-- Deb Gunther Debbie Gunther <gungazo@execpc.com>