"Jose" wrote in message
. net...
Sorry, wrong answer. The dictionary definition of "biannual" allows for
both the "half" and "every two" interpretation.

Then you need a new dictionary.

lol...

"If you don't like the answer, blame the reference."

Too bad Jose. You don't get to pick and choose my dictionary based on what
YOU think it ought to read.

[...] Perhaps if enough people persist in mangling the language, it will
become accepted by the general educated populace with that meaning

For better or worse, that's exactly how language evolves. Frankly, I don't
like it any more than you do, but I don't have any control over it, nor do
you.

but until that happens, it just ain't right.

Sadly for you, it has already happened to "biannual". It will eventually
happen to other words dear to me (such as "comprise", which some
dictionaries are already starting to acknowledge as a synonym for
"compose"), but this race has already run, and "biannual" lost.

Pete