G'day Penners, >> Speaking of jargon, Dennis, what's a "punter"? > >A Wall Street professional, a.k.a. stock broker (that restrained, sober >term for silicon highway robbery). Any etymological-minded political >economists out there know if this was originally a Victorian >word or what? Appears in both English and Australian literature, going back towards the turn of the century (and still the term of choice here), as another word for racetrack gambler. In Britain it now refers to anyone who might pay for a service - perhaps implying that *caveat emptor* is insufficient in the purchase of services and information, as, by definition, you can't examine the commodity prior to purchase, and any purchase constitutes a gamble. Implying the exchange of information and services should be regulated rather than deregulated. If this inference is not there, it should be. Cheers, Rob.
