Describing dictionaries as "descriptive" rather than "prescriptive" reminds me of an excellent article that I read about the "usage wars" in contemporary English language.  Really, it's a review of Bryan Garner's _A Dictionary of Modern American Usage_, but it covers a lot of ground about the English language, how it's changing, what's "correct" usage, etc.  

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1111/1811_302/72732951/print.jhtml

This article is written by David Foster Wallace, who annoys at least a few of my friends (be forewarned), but I happen to enjoy.  If you bother to read this article, skip the long paragraph at the beginning, which is just a list of solecisms that the author has collected.  Also, be sure to read the footnotes, because (as with much of D.F.W.'s writing) there's a lot of humor/information in them.

Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHSU Foundation
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>>> <[log in to unmask]> 07/26/02 11:24AM >>>
<snip>
While dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive, in
their definitions, it might do to consult your dictionary on science as you
did on truth...
</snip>

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