>Hi Alan,
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>I'm curious, in Canada, do you join a group to meet persons or to meet people or to meet [a] people? :o) I see your point of course, but it is more common to use people as the plural for person (in lieu of persons). In fact, it was on one of my English tests I believe because this conversation has brought back memories... Of course, people is also commonly used to refer to a group of persons united as in the people of a nation, etc.
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>You may find this interesting (as may Terry since it is from the British viewpoint):
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>http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/people.htm
>
Interesting article. Says pretty much what I was talking about. It compares original usage to current common usage. I've never argued that common usage is other than what Terry was saying. In fact, I pointed out that I use it that way too (more often than not). My point was about how the words were intended to be used and about their original definitions. There are lots of words that are in common usage as other than what they were intended to be.

My awful unfavourite is using 'goes' for 'said'. I'm not sure why "and he goes, 'how are you'." is easier for some than "and he said, 'how are you'.", but apparently it is. It is, however, one form of common usage into which I have not fallen, and I have left instructions with good friends that if I do, I am to be hauled outside and shot.

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>>>...
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>>>>>>The ones that bug me, and you see them everywhere here, are the signs on express lanes at the grocery store: "15 items or less." 15 items or FEWER!]
>>>>>
>>>>>How many times has that been said, and recently? :-)
>>>>>
>>>>>Trouble is "fewer" is in danger of becoming extinct in our language "There's less and less people using it all the time" :-)
>>>>
>>>>That's the one I've pretty much given up on by now - people vs persons. People is singular, persons is the plural of person. Peoples is the plural of people.
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>>>Easy. Persons is a more intimate term, implying not a large number.
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>>>e.g at a Chinese restaurant: Set meal A for 4 persons. A lift (elevator) rated for max. 8 persons.
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>>>People is more general. "How many people are here today?" But the restauranteur would say "How many persons for the table?"
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>>I'm not sure where you got that, but AFAIK, 'people' is used for a number of persons as a group united by a kinship of some sort - national boundary for example. The Canadian people vs the peoples of the world. Persons is just the plural for person. I've never heard any definition that takes into account a numeric dividing line. By large number, do you mean 100, 10000, 1000000?
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>>There were a half million persons at Woodstock and they were a rock lovin' people.