Re: use of small kana on the increase?

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 17:00:27 +0900, Ben Bullock wrote:

<jwb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8j5dh.2759$HU.1106@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Paul Blay <blay.paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> dixit:
"Cindy" <cindyduet@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote ..
You got to be careful. Some school girls may want to be your lovers.
What do they call this -- 援助交際？

援交 【えんこう】 (n) (See 援助交際) (abbr) dating with compensation
(payments, financial support, etc.) (sometimes euph. for teen
prostitution)

If you ask me "sometimes" could probably be removed.

Why on earth would anyone ask Paul Blay about that?

Done.

On the basis of Paul Blay's opinion?

Could I ask what knowledge he actually has of this phenomenon, and why we're
supposed to believe that he knows exactly what "enjo kousai" means? This is
the same nincompoop who didn't even know that plant and animal species names
were commonly written in katakana, and went on and on arguing about it,
offering the fact that "I write animal names in hiragana and kanji" as
evidence.

I'm sure Jim did some research on his own. My 2003 edition of contemporary
terms (現代用語の基礎知識) says that in 1996 援助交際 entered the popular language as a
euphemism for teen prostitution - specifically the practice of middle
school girls in their school uniforms establishing a relationship with a
much older man.

Phil Yff
.