DEAR ABBY: You asked your readers how they would define "elderly." My 4-year-old daughter came to me one day with a question about our neighbor, Fern. "Mom," Katy asked, "is Fern old?"
"Yes," I replied, "Fern is old."
"No, Mom, I mean really old."
Knowing that Fern is 87, I answered "Yes."
"Gosh!" Katy said, her eyes shining. "Is she 30?"
So, Abby, I thought you'd like to know that in my daughter's eyes, "elderly" is synonymous with 30. -- KIM YOSHIHARA, PORTLAND, ORE.
DEAR KIM: Katy is not alone. I remember the '60s, when teen-agers and college students used to say, "Don't trust anyone over 30."