> But independently of this, let's get real
> finally:
> - have you (certainly familiar with NZ documents) seen fortnight
> used in a formal (business) document that was written in the last 
> ten
> years?
> - And if so, was this so often as to classify fortnight as one of 
> the
> words commonly used in such documents that deserve their place in 
> the
> vocabulary of formal (business) language?
> - That's been the question, right?

Yes
Yes
Not necessarily but yes for the purposes of the discussion if wished.

A major problem in this and a number of similar discourses is that you 
tend to seek to find or find meanings in my words which are unintended 
and hard to construe. For example, in this case, you have concluded 
that what you consider to be conditional language on my part indicates 
that I am attempting to convey a false impression.

Avoiding the trap of attempting to answer your question and then 
having you define "formal" or "Business" in some inobvious manner I 
should just suggest that you got to

        www.google.co.nz

Select "pages from New Zealand" and search for fortnight and be 
surprised at what you find.

BUT

Being a sucker for punishment I'll offer a few samples of what you 
could turn up if you did that:

_________

This from our inland revenue department.
More businessy would be hard to find IMHO if not IYHO.
Look just below the second green bar in several places or search on 
the mooted term

        http://www.ird.govt.nz/wff-tax-credits/entitlement/what-is-wfftc/ftc/

A union newsletter

        http://www.aut.ac.nz/resources/staff/tiasa/member_benefit_programme2.pdf

A university application form for consideration for an aegrotat pass

        http://www.engineering.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/fms/default/engineering/undergraduates/docs/aegrotat_consideration.pdf


Retirement village charges information sheet

        http://www.eldernet.co.nz/Facilities/Service/DisplayService/FaStID/1464


This one is worth quoting as it is a legal submission in a law case

    http://www.cpag.org.nz/resources/submissions/res1178517396.pdf

  1.. For example, in terms of rates of payment: according to 
information obtained from the Inland Revenue Department's website for 
the 2005/2006 year minimum CTC payable for families with one child 
(earning an income before tax of up to $34,500), per fortnight, was 
$30. In comparison according information obtained from the Inland 
Revenue Department's website for 2006/2007 year the minimum IWP 
payable for families with one (earning an income before tax of up to 
$53,000), is $120 per fortnight.
And many many many more.

ie it's just part of the vocabulary here. I'm not at all sure why you 
would have doubted that when it was initially stated but I imagine 
that, now you have ample demonstration of it's use, that you'll doubt 
it still :-). No?


        R




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