Talk:Safety deposit box

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--NPelf 20:26, 13 March 2007 (PDT)The first line should read, "A safe deposit box, also known incorrectly as a safety deposit box, is a lockable box, drawer, or container usually located in groups inside a bank vault (or SAFE, hence the name SAFE deposit box, where your money, jewels and valuables are kept SAFE) in a bank or post office."

If you check any dictionary, you will find 'safe deposit box', but you will most definitely NOT find 'safety deposit box'. This is another example of a made up word coming into such wide usage that no one realizes it or even thinks about it. But don't feel too badly if you misspeak; One of the answers on Jeopardy was SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX and Alex Trebek didn't catch it (the contestant gave the correct/incorrect question), one of the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune contained SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX and neither Pat Sajac nor Vanna White caught it. In a novel by Isaac Asimov, who was a stickler for correct word usage, etc. used the term 'safety deposit' four or five times in a story (at least he was consistent) and neither he nor his editors caught it.

NPelf 20:26, 13 March 2007 (PDT)


Both "safe deposit box" and "safety deposit box" are valid terms for the same thing. And, incidently, if you check a dictionary, you *will* find "safety deposit box". Behold: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/safety%20deposit%20box --Shodan1138 20:44, 13 March 2007 (PDT)

  • An urban or colloquial online dictionary shouldn't be our reference point. NPelf, if you could give us a more clear citation for your point, we can rename the article. As it is, google is showing approximately an equal number of results for each alternate phrase ("safety deposit box" vs. "safe deposit box"). Thanks. -- C¯ _Santa_ ¯T 22:56, 13 March 2007 (PDT)
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