USAGE: Amateurs (was: Language of saurian/reptilian beings)

 --- John Cowan wrote:

> Mild usage note:  In English, "amateur" implies that one actually
> practices the art mentioned: an "amateur poet" is not merely one who loves
> poetry, but one who actually writes poems, though not for money.  It may
> also suggest incompetence in the art, but by no means necessarily so.
In such a case one would rather call somebody a "dilettant", I believe.

> If, as I suppose, this is not actually the case for either of you,
> you might wish to issue a clarification.
No. Although I was a semi-professional singer for a while, I have definitely
never practiced Tuvan throat-singing. Very difficult to learn if you haven't
done it since early childhood, it seems. I would love to learn it, though.

Jan

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"Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones

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