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In looking up one word, I noticed on the 'ap' page 'apostatize.' The word was new to me, so I googled it to see the hits: over 17,000. The entries I quickly scanned for about three pages were mostly related to the turning against religious principles, but not always.
I think this is a useful word because there are those times in which we do turn against or cast off our principles, for better or worse. I've never knowingly seen this verb used though it certainly seems to be a fact, an action, of the human condition. And I'm curious about whether many here use it in their own writing and speech.
Edit: For the record, there are no AWAD Board hits here on the search engine, even with Dr. Bill's huculean efforts to bring forth discussion of so many words.
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I've never knowingly seen this verb used ... I'm curious about whether many here use it in their own writing and speech.
I have apostatized this word myself, Wordwind, for no good reason it would seem. It has a religious connation, does it not, at least in its original usage, and perhaps that explains why we don't make a lot of use of it in our writing.
It's not a word anyone would want to use in ordinary speech, is it? I think it would bring a speaker's delivery to a crashing halt in mid-sentence like a power black-out.
[All the lights would go out as people try to figure out what the speaker has just said.]
It reminds me of another similiar word, Wordwind: "evangelize".
"Evangelize" started out with the same religious trappings as "apostatize", but it ended up in the hands of Bill Gates who turned it into a powerful marketing tool.
Microsoft's zeal [some would call it a monopolistic obsession] in maintaining its dominance in the computer software industry is legendary. Obviously, it's a real challenge for Microsoft to keep its sales people running white hot with fervor when the company is so far ahead of everyone else.
So Bill Gates, genius that he is, borrowed from the lexicon of religion.
Now, selling Microsoft is like selling the Christian message. You don't do it for yourself, you do it for your fellow man.
The best Microsoft crusaders do not "sell" the company. They "evangelize" it.
That's the way they get to Microsoft heaven. :)
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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It must be a word used in general context, and not only in the context of religion. Here's the definition from AHD:
To abandon one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause. "
Also, as I mentioned above, it appears on over 17,000 Google hits, not all of which on the first three pages are related to religion.
Could one write, "Apostatizing his once favorite party, Henry voted in support of his instincts." Would that be correct usage of the verb?
Second edit: I should have looked more carefully at the dictionary entry. Dr. Bill just pointed out that it's an intransitive verb, so my sentence sucks.So how could I rewrite this sentence: "Apostatizing his once favorite party, Henry voted in support of his instincts." "Apostatizing, Henry voted in support of his instincts and against his once favorite party." Would that change work?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Henry voted in support of his instincts, apostatizing from his once favorite party.
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Carpal Tunnel
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That's the way they get to Microsoft heaven. :)
So yah finally gets to them Billpearly Gates® an this mechanical droid says
“Please move away from the Gateposts® and state your business”
so yah aks ta get in but the droid goes
“Negative – please enter your 29 digit authorisation code”
an well duh, like you remember things like that at a time like this...
but tries anywho, an then the droid goes
“You have entered an invalid reference – choose an option from Abort/Retry/Fail…”
an you get this grim premonition that this is gonna be an almighty long day…
® Macrosloth Corp Inc: All rights reserved in this and all other worlds
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you get this grim premonition that this is gonna be an almighty long day…
I know exactly what you mean, Maverick.
You also get this grim premonition that you won't be home when they download your entry code.
[Good one, Maverick. Enjoyed that.]
re "All rights reserved in this and all other worlds"
We conquered the world. Why not the next world?
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