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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacques Chitte who wrote (52200)	8/19/1999 5:35:00 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Well, when I use the term animal I tend to think of creatures like cows and pigs and horses and elephants and dogs and cats and the like. I don't usually think of insects, at least initially. I think if you asked people on the street to name five animals, very few of them would name an insect. And if you asked "is a wasp an animal" the first reaction of many (if not most) would be no, it's an insect. Scientifically incorrect, I agree. But in common usage, I think. When little kids sing of the animals coming in two by two, they usually don't have moths and dragonflies in their minds! Similarly, I think many people don't think of birds as animals, but as birds. I took a minute and went to the office next door and asked the two people there each to name five animals. They said what I expected -- dogs, cats, lions, tigers, elephants, etc. Then I said "what about wasps" and they both said "they aren't animals, they're insects." After we discussed it they agreed that they were part of the animal kingdom, but they still didn't think of them really as animals. Just shows you what an unscientific bunch of people I share my office floor with! So I agree that scientifically you and Joan are correct. But I think common usage supports my more limited usage.