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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:34 am
by jingle_jangle
Yep. And the oft-repeated, but never correct phrase, "One of the only...", which makes zero sense. If it's an "only", then it's THE "one", not merely A "one".
"One of the few..." is proper and logical, too, for us Spock fans.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:38 am
by lyle_from_minneapolis
Fascinating.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:58 am
by jingle_jangle
Here's another: The proliferation in the last decade of verbs made from nouns, intended to speed communication by creating visual impressions.
My least favorite, and most irrritating, is the NewVerb, "to partner". "We've partnered up with Sony Music, etc., etc., blah blah blah..." This is HBS NewSpeak and marks a person as a wonk of the most reprehensible variety.
Oh, yeah, and then there's the condensation of terms like "visual impressions", (an adjective appended to a noun), into "visuals" (a new noun with no welcome to wear out...). My least favorite is the condensation of "creative personnel" into "creatives", as in, "Let's get some creatives in here to brainstorm this account."
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:59 am
by jingle_jangle
Maybe I shouldn't have capitalized "newverb".
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:13 am
by charlyg
Yes, I hate newverbs! Although, the new buzzword(s) here is "reach out to" for contacting someone. I refuse to use it in my speech.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:18 am
by lyle_from_minneapolis
I refer to those condensations as "corpspeak" because it belongs in that realm. There are more corporate non-words than I care to remember, and every one of them repulses me.
Orwell would have been interested in this thread.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:40 am
by sharkboy
Calvin, the great two-dimensional 20th century philosopher who often teamed up (yeesh, or "partnered") with his pet tiger said the greatest thing ever about this subject:
"Verbing weirds the language."
I concur.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:26 pm
by ricwidow
HUMOR FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS):
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:15 pm
by jps
I have always found words like 'repair' interesting. Does this imply that something that is in "for repair" was originally 'paired'? Does something have to be plied before it can be replied to?
Is the opposite of 'confused' 'profused'?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:37 pm
by lyle_from_minneapolis
I've got a mind like a steel trapdoor.
When people make mistakes, a common expression lately is to say "sorry, my bad."
I usually reply with "Your bad what?"
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:38 pm
by lyle_from_minneapolis
Hey, wait a minute: WELCOME CRIS! Nice to hear a new face.
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:37 pm
by eatswodo
"my bad" drives me nuts. It's right up there with "how fun".
Not to mention "pundant", and the misuse of "utilize".
Someone mentioned "nu-ku-lar" - what about "jew-ler-ry", or "real-a-tor"?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:41 pm
by lyle_from_minneapolis
"How fun."
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:00 pm
by jps
How about driving a Jag-Wire?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:21 pm
by bassduke49
English is so strange. Anybody have a "vaganza"? No? Apparently you can have too much of it.
And if you "remember," how come you don't "dismember" instead of forget?