New Rant
I haven't had a completely pointless rant in a while, so here is one: Why is it that people are currently so fond of using the word "inferred" when they mean "implied"? Books are being published with this error. It drives me crazy--right up there with "orientated." No need to add syllables, folks. "Oriented" used to be just fine, but the "orientated" camp has become so entrenched that now you can find "orientate" in the dictionary. Sigh.
6 comments:
Did you know that nauseous refers to something that makes you sick, while nauseated means the state of feeling sick -- hence when people say "I feel nauseous today," I am always tempted to say, "yes, you are making me feel ill right now..." Or why does everything have to be utilized? Can't we just use things?
just a couple of my late-night thoughts... (I know there's more but I'm too brain dead now. I'll stop adding to your rant!)
Wow. I'm embarrassed to say that I did not know that, and am sure that I have gone around most of my life talking about how nauseous I am. (Well, I mean, the parts of my life when I wasn't feeling well.) I shall cease and desist immediately. In any case, I'm glad to know someone else gets fed up with the misuse of the English language. Only I thought you were supposed to be the GREEK geek. ;-)
Felt the need to commentate about this--once you broadenate your linguistical understanding of the way human languages evolutionize themselves, you'll no longer feel perturbated when people additionalize syllabification to words.
I am speechlessish. (Try saying that out loud.)
I love your rants on language - my favourite dictionary since childhood was "Chambers' Etymological Dictionary" published in Edinburgh.
And Dave is right about language developing - it's just that I am more comfortable with some changes than others.
Like the word "intuit." I got to the end of your blog and found it. We don't use it here in the UK. We stick to "guess." I intuit that's how Nordamericanos love to play with (and develop) vocabulary. I can't see me introducing "intuit" here!
Yes, Henry, you have found me out: while aware of linguistic alterations, some delight me and some repel me, and I couldn't really tell you why. I'm all good with "intuit," though. ;-)
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