----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- Well, it would now appear that the form "laisser faire" is not per se incorrect and has had a long usage in French as well as in English. However, it also would appear that my original memory, even if I did not have the parties right, that the very first usage was in the "laissez faire" form (or perhaps the "laissez-nous faire" of M. Le Gendre to M. Colbert). Which then raises the question, when did the other form first get used and by whom and why? Barkley Rosser ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]