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#4455 07/26/00 12:54 PM
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From contemporary business usage:

1. Why is "impact" used as a verb. Why would someone want to "impact" my profitability (or morale, productivity, efficiency, etc.) instead of improving it? Or perhaps they are going to "negatively impact" (i.e lower) it.

2. Methodology - why not method? (Or, for that matter, technique, procedure, or algorithm?)

3. By the same token at what level of self-importance does a function become a "functionality"?

4. Experience. I didn't complete the speech, I had a successful presentation experience. My colleague does not have a baby sitter, her children have a home-based child care experience.

5. A parameter is a numerical measurement. The "parameters" of a discussion are the number of participants, the amount of time, or even the dimensions of the conference room. The agenda, ground rules, (e.g. questions at the end or questions as we go) and other guidelines for the discussion are not parameters. Is this some sort of confusion with "perimeter"?

6. "Goals and objectives" What is the difference between a goal and an objective?

7. Finally, why do we not exterminate (or at least neuter) any one who says or writes "Reference is made to your communication of Tuesday last." instead of "I read your letter."?


#4456 07/26/00 02:24 PM
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>>Has he been cyber-kidnapped?<<

Perhaps a renegade frivolous word (I hold "gosharootie" as the chief suspect) has managed to crash through the stronghold of worthless words and infiltrate his server (or was that master?)


#4457 07/26/00 02:55 PM
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tsuwm Offline OP
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>>You know, I think just about the only times I have ever seen or heard "irregardless" are when people are complaining about it. Maybe if we all agreed not to mention it, it would just go away.

actually, I have had the misfortune to hear it alot. hopefully, I will hear it less often now that you've disclaimed it.

incidentally, another of my pet peeves is people complaining that the misuse of the word "hopefully" is the end of civilization (as we know it).

>>On a similar note, an article from English Today on the OED Online says that it mentions
pneumonoultramicroscipicsilicovolcanoconiosis as occurring chiefly as an example of a very long word.

the longest word in the first edition of the OED was floccinaucinihilipilification - the categorizing of something as worthless - a very useful word indeed.

#4458 07/26/00 03:17 PM
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tsuwm Offline OP
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more peeves:

mispronouncing et cetera as excetera (and misspelling the abbreviation as 'ect.')

people (typically athletes) who get "flustrated" -- evidently the condition affects the ability to speak sensibly as well.


#4459 07/26/00 03:46 PM
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pleading guilty to ALL the above mentioned peccadilloes, i hereby withdraw from the discussion.
(irregardless of whether i was in it or not)
william


#4460 07/26/00 04:46 PM
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>people (typically athletes) who get "flustrated" -- evidently the condition affects the ability to speak sensibly as well.

You reminded me of one that I'd put back into the nether reaches of my mind. I work with a guy who can't seem to use words right. Some years ago, he was reloading his printer with fan-fold paper. Gosh this seems ANCIENT!!!. Anyway, the box of paper he'd gotten from supplies had the holes on the edges to go through the pinfeed, but did not have the perforations to tear off the strips. He got it loaded into his machine, looked down, and said, "I can't use this, it isn't prohylacted right!"



TEd
#4461 07/27/00 05:54 AM
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these are my current peeves:

1) 'notoriety' used to mean 'fame'. as in athletes gaining 'notoriety' when they first win a medal at the olympics - have heard it FAR TOO MANY TIMES recently on the radio to be a coincidence - AAARRRRRRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
2) 'begs the question' to mean 'raises the question' or 'suggests the question' etc - drives me BONKERS!!!!
3)using 'in terms of' ALL THE TIME when it is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. for example, 'in terms of it's size, the building was tall' and 'the program had been successful in terms of increasing the use of sunscreen among australian children.'


#4462 07/27/00 09:47 AM
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How about:
"utilize" instead of "use"
pronouncing the word nuclear as NOO kya lur
"fiscal" pronounced as "physical"


#4463 07/27/00 12:05 PM
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Welcome, Pip and hsthomas!

I can think of two that bug me, as well as many of the
previously-mentioned ones: when people say they've had their female dog "spaded", and one that is guaranteed to
make my teeth and fists clench: Ant-ART-ica, or the ART-ic.
OOOH!


#4464 07/27/00 01:27 PM
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do we really require two(2) spellings for the word 'disk'?

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/


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