Word Fugitives
Atlantic, The, July, 2004 by Barbara Wallraff
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When you're standing in line, if you observe that other lines are moving faster than yours, what would you call that observation? A term for it was one of the word fugitives sought in March. A number of readers, however, got sidetracked by the question of whether the perception was grounded in reality: is such an observer delusional or bravely facing the truth? Richard Bagby, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, wrote, "If two persons simultaneously enter lines of equal length, the one in the slower line spends more time there.
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So on average, a significantly greater fraction of the time spent waiting in lines is spent in slow-moving lines than in fast-moving lines." Joe Touch, of Manhattan Beach, California, wrote, "Often thinking the line next to you is moving faster is called statistics . Consider your line, the one to your left, and the one to your right as a ...
