Never meanings 7-10? Lucky you!

-- JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com Manager, Technical Development Metrics Department, First Health West Sacramento, California USA

>>> "Dianne Rhodes" <RHODESD1@WESTAT.COM> 09/27/2004 2:01 PM >>> > -----Original Message----- > From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mike Rhoads asked: > Subject: How mean should your IT department be? > "SAS IT Management > Solutions operating on the SAS(r)9 Intelligence Platform give > businesses the power to know how to make their IT departments > lean and mean ..." > > (full press release available at > http://www.sas.com/news/preleases/092204/news1.html) > > Well, I guess I can understand the "lean" (wonder if we also > need to be Atkins-friendly these days), but I'm not as sure > about the "mean". Do you suppose there will be a separate > product for those who prefer "kinder and gentler" IT departments? ;-) >

Mike, maybe it depends on what you "mean" by "mean" ;-)

I've taken to looking up words on dictionary dot com because so much English usage has just gotten sloppy. See the definitions copied below. So I can easily say that I have worked with IT depts that were mean by definitions 1 through 6 below. But perhaps SAS means it in the sense of number 11, slang, As Excellent or skillful. That would be great, don't you think?

Dianne Louise Rhodes Sr. Systems Analyst Westat

mean2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (mn) adj. mean*er, mean*est 1 a Selfish in a petty way; unkind. B Cruel, spiteful, or malicious. 2 Ignoble; base: a mean motive. 3 Miserly; stingy.

4 a Low in quality or grade; inferior. B Low in value or amount; paltry: paid no mean amount for the new shoes.

5 Common or poor in appearance; shabby: "The rowhouses had been darkened by the rain and looked meaner and grimmer than ever" (Anne Tyler). 6 Low in social status; of humble origins. 7 Humiliated or ashamed. 8 In poor physical condition; sick or debilitated. 9 Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable: The meanest storm in years. 10 Informal. Ill-tempered. 11 Slang. a Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome: He throws a mean fast ball. B Excellent; skillful: She plays a mean game of bridge.

> Mike "Lean and Mean" Rhoads > Westat > RhoadsM1@Westat.com >