They are not alone in using the term. I found about 500 legitimate hits on Google. As I look through the listings, I'm not sure I can detect a definitive pattern. Here are some examples:
- Pre-assorted tattoo ink. The preassorted variety is not random; they explicitly list the colors they include.
- Pre-assorted cupcakes. Same: a preselected variety.
- Pre-assorted pound of taffy. There might be some randomness to the assortment, but if so, it's constrained: "We pick only the most popular flavors."
- Pre Assorted Nylon headbands x 12. Perhaps this gives us a clue: "No duplicates. You do not get to choose colors." It's an assortment, but we're doing the selecting for you.
- Jacqueline du Pre Pre - Assorted Concerts This is a YouTube playlist.
I actually have access to a kind of subject-matter expert; my daughter works at a store that sells chocolates. I asked her whether they sell "preassorted" collections. No, she said; they use the terms pre-packed or just assorted. Both of which make sense to me.
So I'm still a little unclear on what preassorted conveys that preselected doesn't. Any ideas?
4 comments:
I'd guess it's just a conflation of assorted with presorted or preselected.
Or maybe it just contrasts with plain assorted—a box of assorted donuts is one you put together yourself, while a box of preassorted donuts is one that the employees put together.
“Assorted” conveys diversity (≠ unmixed, homogeneous). “Preselected” conveys ready-madeness (≠ DIY). “Preassorted” conveys both.
I've never seen the term "preassorted" here in Australia, but "select, selected and selection" do often have a specific meaning in relation to chocolates here which may explain it. Selection implies a logic or likeness, so you have the "milk selection" "caramel selection" "nut selection" which are all boxes of chocolates with some base attribute in common. So maybe preassorted simply implies that the choice is truly random?
I've never come across the term "preassorted" here in Australia, however there is a specificity of the terms select, selection and selected which may explain its use. Selection (in relation to cakes, chocolates etc.) implies a logic - so you have the "milk selection" "fudge selection" or "nut selection" - the rest of the attributes of the chocolates in these boxes are random but they all have in common that one quality - so it is a random group formed out of a subset. Perhaps preassorted simply means the choice is totally random.
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