Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#159464 05/06/06 03:09 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
zmjezhd Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Can you believe that there are ignoramuses (aside--since ignoramus is a Latin verb 'we ignore', you cannot form its plural in the Latin mode by using -i, but you knew that) who think that gifted is a proper word? (Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?) Feh! the destruction of our sweet tongue is complete. The past participle gifted pressuposes that disgusting verbed noun to gift. Yeesh! How could anybody utter this abomination? "Suzie Creamcheese is a gifted student." O tempores, o mores. I do not care that gift has been a verb since the 16th century, or that gifted has been around since a century later. This is grammar, damn it!, and not history. Those who use gifted are driving a solecistic stake through the heart of our Mother Tongue.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I couldn't fail to disagree with you less!!!

An aside: If ignoramus is from the Latin for 'we ignore' isn't it already plural? Shouldn't the singular be ignoro?

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
zmjezhd Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
I couldn't fail to disagree with you less!!!

Three excalmation points, and a frownie face. Ma che sciagura.

An aside: If ignoramus is from the Latin for 'we ignore' isn't it already plural? Shouldn't the singular be ignoro?

Ah, you've run rings around me logically! I shall follow your rules ad astera per mingere.

Last edited by zmjezhd; 05/06/06 04:25 PM.

Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Quote:

Can you believe that there are ignoramuses (aside--since ignoramus is a Latin verb 'we ignore', you cannot form its plural in the Latin mode by using -i, but you knew that) who think that gifted is a proper word? (Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?) Feh! the destruction of our sweet tongue is complete. The past participle gifted pressuposes that disgusting verbed noun to gift. Yeesh! How could anybody utter this abomination? "Suzie Creamcheese is a gifted student." O tempores, o mores. I do not care that gift has been a verb since the 16th century, or that gifted has been around since a century later. This is grammar, damn it!, and not history. Those who use gifted are driving a solecistic stake through the heart of our Mother Tongue.




Ah, I come back to the board after a reasonably long absence and find this. Marvellous stuff!


The idiot also known as Capfka ...
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
> ignoro

now that's a moniker for a superhero!


formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
And a stake through the heart of the tongue. WOW! Didst thou mean that the stake through the heart was the solecism or was there some other referrent there?

All seriousness aside, I have to register my disagreement with your screed. Indeed, the use of gifted as meaning endowed with a special talent is well-settled in the English language. I doubt that even an ignoramus, which I do not consider myself, would be unaware of what it means. And I certainly would use it unreservedly.

Does that make me an ignoramus? I think not.


TEd
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500
E
addict
Offline
addict
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500
Like TEd, I have no trouble with the word "gifted" to mean someone who is exceptionally talented. I DO take exception to its use to mean "gave". "Christmas gifting" is a particularly annoying phrase. What the h-e-double-toothpicks was wrong with "giving"?

Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
T
veteran
Offline
veteran
T
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
Quote:

Like TEd, I have no trouble with the word "gifted" to mean someone who is exceptionally talented. I DO take exception to its use to mean "gave". "Christmas gifting" is a particularly annoying phrase. What the h-e-double-toothpicks was wrong with "giving"?




The answer is quite simple. You and tED and Faldage like meaning over structure, and zmjezhd and Capital Kiwi like structure over meaning.

I'm with you and tED and Faldage.

Last edited by themilum; 05/08/06 01:16 AM.
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Was uncle JB serious, or was his surprisingly prescriptivist tirade a little leg-pull?

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
oh, i guess regifted is way beyond the pale..

like "i already had a george forman grill, so i regifted it to my DIL" (its convenient that my birthday comes before mother's day.)

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5