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The divorce is often default of the one who makes no effort to stop it, isn't it? 
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addict
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then the decision has been effected for him without any proactive effort on his part.
Was in a rush when I posted earlier on, and it is only on re-reading the original query, I now realise, that Guest's poser is directed at a situation where the outcome is decided by the lack of action on the part of the 'Hamlet'.
In a situation such as this, (the train e.g.,) where an outcome is inevitable, procrastination would result in, 'a fait accompli'. ..?
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I don't know of a definitive term for what you are asking, Guest. What I do in the absence of an allusive term or phrase, is to rework the sentence or paragraph until I have a satisfactory description of what I'm trying to convey.
In your instance of wanting to convey decision by default, I would write something like: Unable to make a commitment to either choice, he relinquished his decision to fate.
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
I encountered in spellingbee list
word "holophrastic" defined as "expressing a complex of ideas in a single word". T think the example the Scripps-Howard people gave is very dubious:
"Holophrastic utternaces are one of the first stages in childrens's acquistion of speech."
I think it's the definition of holophrastic that is at fault, Dr. Bill, because holophrastic is generally used in linguistics to describe the way children just over a year old use single words like "Gone" rather than complete sentences.
Bingley
Bingley
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In reply to:
1. (Logic) A syllogism with three conditional propositions, the major premises of which are disjunctively affirmed in the minor. See Dilemma.~Dictionary.com "Disjunctively affirmed in the minor"--what the hell does that mean?
Major premise: If A is true, then B is true.
Minor premise: A is true
Conclusion: Therefore B is true.
Example:
Major premise:All animals with trunks are elephants (i.e. if an animal has a trunk it is an elephant)
Minor premise: This animal has a trunk
Conclusion: Therefore this animal is an elephant.
I think what they're getting at, WW, would be something like
Major premises:
If A is true Z is true.
If B is true Z is true.
If C is true Z is true.
Minor premise:
Either A is true or B is true or C is true.
Conclusion:
Therefore Z is true.
Can't think of an example, sorry.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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If A is true Z is true.
If B is true Z is true.
If C is true Z is true.
Minor premise:
Either A is true or B is true or C is true.
If you flip the wall switch down, the room will get dark.
If the light bulb blows, the room will get dark.
If the main power is lost, the room will get dark.
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Now, on to the main question. Dilemma is the fork in the road. In a fait accompli the bridge that comes after the right hand fork is already down. Guest is looking for the word that covers the situation where the bridge goes down after the person gets to the fork in the road but hasn't yet decided which road to go down. I don't know a single word for that, but would use the phrase "not to choose is to choose" to describe it.
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a collective thanks for the replies.
oftroy, "default" was probably the word i was searching for ~ thank you!
faldage, your phrase "not to choose is to choose" perfectly describes the situation which catalyzed my query. i like it better than "fate" in that it clearly conveys responsibility on the part of the 'chooser' (who in this case chose by not choosing) for the outcome.
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Welcome Guest!
Coming late to discussion but doesn't procratination come into play here somewhere?
And Consuelo "default of the one who makes no effort"
Have you been writing the headers for segments of "Frasier?"
Honestly, I am gone for a couple of months ......
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