ihw@hou5e.UUCP (06/03/83)
The American Heritage Dictionary, by no means a "loose" dictionary, has the following definition (among others) of rate: rate n. 1. A measured quantity that occurs or is attained within the limits of a fixed quantity of something else: `` a rate of speed of 60 miles an hour''. Neither the definition quoted above nor the others in the entry for rate refer to change in the quantity being measured; hence, 'rate of speed' does not mean acceleration. As in the example above, it is clear that 'rate of x' means 'the rate (def. 1) which is "x"'. 'Rate of speed' means "the rate which is speed" not "speed's rate". Rate describes a relationship between two quantities; speed defines what (types) those quantities are. Inasmuch as speed is itself a rate, the phrase under discussion *is* redundant. But it is correct; i.e., it means what it meant to mean, viz. speed, not acceleration. (P.S. Until I looked in the dictionary, I thought 'rate of speed' was merely sloppy usage; I certainly didn't think it meant acceleration. ) **** flame on *** I'm sick and tired of reading articles that are so ignorant and uninformed by people who are unwilling or unable to do the least bit verification of what they are writing. If you are unsure - even if you are sure - of what you are saying, consult an authority. Don't clutter up the net with made-up definitions, etc. If you're too uninterested - read lazy and/or stupid - to do a little (very little indeed) research into a linguistic matter, don't post to net.nlang; some of us used to read it to learn something.