Re: Gutter language

David Perrell (davidp@earthlink.net)
Thu, 4 Jul 1996 16:46:30 -0700 

Message-Id: <01BB69C8.B61AB580@max1-ag-ca-01.earthlink.net>
From: David Perrell <davidp@earthlink.net>
To: "'Hakon Lie'" <howcome@w3.org>
Cc: "'www-style@w3.org'" <www-style@w3.org>,
Subject: RE: Gutter language
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 16:46:30 -0700

Hakon Lie wrote:

>David Perrell writes:
>
>> Gutter:
>>=20
>> The inside margin of the pages in a bound book.
>>=20
>>         Preparing Art for Printing
>>         Bernard Stone and Arthur Eckstein
>>         Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
>>         (c) 1965 Litton Educational Publishing, Inc.
>
>
>Gutter: (1) the gutter margin (2) the space between columns of type,
>as in table, an index, two-column text format etc.
>
>Glossary of Typesetting Terms=20
>University of Chicago Press

I noted another recent source that espouses (2). That doesn't alter my =
argument for the logical interpretation.

The argument was presented elsewhere that (2) above had become common =
usage. Definitions in two collegiate dictionaries (below) indicate that =
the common definition relevant to publishing has remained constant for =
many years, and does not include (2).

Gutter: Printing. The white space formed by the inner margins of two =
facing pages, as of a book.

   The American Heritage Dictionary=20
   of the English Language, Third Edition
   copyright 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.=20

Gutter: a white space formed by the adjoining inside margins of two =
facing pages (as of a book)

   Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
   copyright 1979 by G. & C. Merriam Co.

A few years ago I attended a seminar where the speaker described Bezier =
curves as being named after the Bezier arch in France. When I politely =
suggested otherwise, he insisted I was mistaken as he had found this =
description in a published glossary of computer graphics terms. As far =
as I know he continues to misinform.

If it becomes common knowledge that Bezier curves are named after the =
Bezier Arch, does that constitute evolution of the language?

Do radio operators really say "over and out?"

If the publishing industry uses "gutter" to describe the bound space =
between pages, what purpose is served by redefining the word for the =
WWW, besides confusion?

David Perrell