>Us lazy ?
>
>its our language to use and abuse as we like :-) helps keeps the pedants on their toes.

OK... define abuse. Or should we rename the thread into "language rants for the whole week"?

The reason for this particular drift of the thread is the difference (that I make) between "child abuse" and "substance abuse", which look like the same construct, yet the meaning somehow eludes me. How does one abuse a substance? Cuff a piece of iron to the bed frame? Lock a spoon of sugar in the basement?