I dont mind being called Tom, Dennis, or Klutz. My kids called me: Da. My
students called me: Coach. My shell friends call me Ep-Man. My Mother calls me
Doctor. But she's 99. What does she know!
    Art

dennis moir wrote:

> Dear Andrew,  I like Tom's answer, but I'd rather be called Dennis.
> Seriously, Tom I think Tom has the right idea.  Dennis Moir
>
> >From: "Andrew K. Rindsberg" <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Private collectors
> >Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 17:47:47 -0500
> >
> >We had a discussion awhile back on what to call the person who collects
> >shells without having a degree or license to do so. They aren't
> >'professional malacologists' and they aren't 'shell dealers'. We used to
> >call them 'amateur collectors' but for some reason that term is going out
> >of
> >favor these days. 'Hobbyist' is inadequate to describe some of these
> >people,
> >who may be extremely knowledgeable and sometimes have very large
> >collections. 'Conchologist' may be uncomfortably formal for collectors at
> >the other end of the spectrum, who may be very un-knowledgeable and have no
> >desire to study (ology) their shells (conch). 'Non-professional' is
> >negative
> >and sounds like an insult ('unprofessional').
> >
> >Paleontologist Earl Manning (Tulane University) suggests the phrase
> >'private
> >collector' as a generic term. That is apt, since there are private art
> >collectors, and they buy and sell art occasionally like most shell
> >collectors without losing their 'amateur' status. Once in a long while,
> >indeed, an art collector is admiringly called an 'amaTEUR' with the
> >cultivated French pronunciation emphasizing the original meaning, 'lover
> >(of
> >the arts)', but no one considers this an insult. Flattery, perhaps.
> >
> >So, how about it, Conchlers? Would you like to be called 'private
> >collectors', and occasionally, if you're really good at it, 'amaTEURS'?
> >
> >Andrew K. Rindsberg
> >Geological Survey of Alabama
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com