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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Come now, tsuwm - there are occasions when we have to make exceptions, you know! 
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
Inflict vs. afflict: Perhaps the following will serve as a mnemonic:
You will read in Professor Schmunk's treatise,
In the words of the famed Epictetus,
The curious lore
That young girls by the score
Are afflicted with athlete's foetus.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
The two words have very similar meanings, and in theory you could use either without losing any quality of meaning. However, usage dictates, for as long as we choose to let it, that you don't afflict things on people, you inflict them.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
Greetings, soojin! And thanks for introducing this intriguing thread! Stick around! So, we can inflict an affliction, but can we afflict an infliction?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear WO'N: "but can we afflict an infliction? "
The usage seems to be that people to not "afflict" things. The devil can do both.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 19
stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 19 |
Dear wwh, whitmanO'Neil, Capital Kiwi,....
Thank you very much.
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