Shanks

Thank you for your much better definition. I'm involved in training and spent hours setting the wretched things for NVQs (non-vocational qualifications in England&Wales). I think it was chosen, over say "level of competence" because the key idea in NVQs is that there are no levels (say A+, B-) if you are looking at say, the task of typing a letter to an acceptable level, you either are competent or you are not, like an on-off switch not a scale.

As they say in Human Resources Mangement - I hear what you say .... but .... the word still sounds clumsy, especially, as you say, technical terms tend to filter into everyday language.

I think I'll utter one of Jackie's favourite words (was it demisemihemiquaver) to myself whenever I hear it!