Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
date (n., v.)
I made a date [“an appointment”] for lunch with John and his assistant says nothing of any male-female arrangement, unlike My date (“the person I’m escorting or being escorted by”) is the dark-haired one by the piano or George dated (“escorted,” “went about with,” perhaps “went ‘steady’ with,” or even “lived with”) Mary Ann off and on for two years. Yet another sense of the verb occurs in Your ancient jokes and the cut of your jacket date you (“reveal that you’re outmoded,” “show your age”) irretrievably. All these meanings of date are now Standard, although some conservatives would insist that the “the person I’m escorting or seeing” sense is only for Conversational levels.
