sometimes my language buttons are really wacky

[zephre]

For some reason this morning I just cannot get past this stupid, ridiculous issue. I know it's probably going to be totally irrelevant because of common usage shifts and things, but damn it!

"Box set" bothers me. It looks wrong, and it sounds wrong. I run into it all the time. It's the frakking standard listing on Wikipedia! Yeaaaargh!
Box: not

Comments

[polkafish]

While I see your point: box is also a noun, so box set would be a compound noun.

[zephre]

This is part of the reason it's a ridiculous thing to be pissy about, but then again...
I think a compound noun would be more likely to have a hyphen or be a compound word as well, but more than that:
a "box set" as a compound noun says to me, "a set of boxes". I bought a box set for my tarot cards, each lid has a different design.
a "boxed set" is a set of something else that has been put in a box, i.e. boxed. I bought a boxed set of the Uglies book series by Scott Westerfeld (which I really did, and they are awesome!).

So it's my Super Power, I guess, to be Ridiculously Picky Linguistics Woman, even when it's a silly point.

(It just sounds weird to me. Maybe I'm the only person in the world who can hear the difference so screamingly?)

[polkafish]

It is LJ linguistic fun day! I did some reading up and confirmed a compound noun can pretty much consist of any two word combination and does not necessarily have to be linked into one word or hyphenated. A good example would be swimming pool which is a verb and noun. Which would make boxed set probably the acceptable compound noun suggesting a set of something in boxes. I agree, box set would indicate a set of boxes. So on further thought: You are right. However, my acknowledging you are right does not really stop this from happening, but I will join you in outrage. Hey, you have to start somewhere.

[zephre]

LOL. I love you, man!
For joining me in outrage, but mostly for being the sort of gal who reads up on the formation of compound nouns in standard English for an LJ discussion.
<3 <3 <3

These are the times that I wish I could afford a subscription to the OED, you know?

(Also, I love that icon.)