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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread sententious #127336 04/13/2004 2:40 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Wordsmith gives an excellent example of a tragic tendency of English to take a fine complimentary word, and let the meaning drift to a snotty sneer. Der Quibblemeister is shedding great big tears. sententious (sen-TEN-shuhs) adjective 1. Full of pithy expressions. 2. Full of pompous moralizing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Mmmmm.... slanty. #127337 04/13/2004 4:20 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 2,661 Chicago musick Carpal Tunnel musick Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 2,661 Chicago Even if the drift you are speaking of is from "Full of meaning" to "Full of morals" it doesn't seem to (necessarily) be a bad thing... but perhaps the inflection is slanting towards those with less morals who see *it as being pompous. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Mmmmm.... slanty. #127338 04/13/2004 4:28 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 I see a simple transfer of meaning from one who has a lot of short witty sayings to one who has a lot of short sayings that just aren't quite so witty. Polonius in Hamlet had plenty of short sayings. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Mmmmm.... slanty. #127339 04/13/2004 5:02 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Like the pedant who begam a scholar and teacher, to the pedant who is narrow and a bore. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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