No Excuse for Expensing


To quote your article: "But such services cannot be expensed with institutional funds or grant money ..."1

Aghhhhh!!!! I expense. You expense. He, she, or it expenses.

But isn't it: I expend. You expend. He, she, or it expends? And thus, shouldn't it then be "expended," not "expensed," and then it doesn't fit as the correct verb in the context of the sentence?

Wouldn't either "paid for," or "funded," or perhaps "financed" have been a better choice, particularly in an article propounding the correct use of the English language? Why make up a word when there are several readily available for use?

Chris Walker, PhD
Biological Research and Imaging Laboratory
New Milton, Hampshire, UK
glomerales@mycetes.biz

1. S. Jaffe, "No excuse for poor English," The Scientist, 17[5]:44-5, March 10, 2003.

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