OT constraints are categorical For their comments, criticisms, and suggestions, I am grateful to the participants in the UMass phonology seminar and reading group: Michael Becker, Della Chambless, Paul de Lacy, Kathryn Flack, Maria Gouskova, Shigeto Kawahara, Jin-Hyung Kim, John Kingston, Steve Parker, Joe Pater, Lisa Selkirk, Taka Shinya, Monica Sieh, Melissa Svendsen, Anne-Michelle Tessier, Adam Werle, Ellen Woolford and Hosuk Yoon. I am likewise grateful to audiences at the 2nd North American Phonology Conference, especially Paul Boersma, Mary Bradshaw, Stuart Davis, San Duanmu, David Odden and Bert Vaux, and at SWOT 8, especially Diana Archangeli, Mike Hammond, Junko It, K. P. Mohanan, Jaye Padgett, Alan Prince, Paul Smolensky and Adam Ussishkin. I have also received valuable comments on the manuscript from Maria Gouskova, Jane Grimshaw, Linda Lombardi, Nicole Nelson, Orhan Orgun, Alan Prince, Colin Wilson and Ellen Woolford. I owe a special debt to the Phonology associate editor and four anonymous reviewers who provided a total of 30 single-spaced pages of commentary on my initial submission. I hope this article is the better for all this assistance.