Topic: WCDT Nov 8 - Nov 13th (4651-4655) (Read 19216 times)

Farideh · « **Reply #100 on:** 17 Nov 2021, 20:39 »

Which happens all the time...

pwhodges · « **Reply #101 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 01:40 »

Quote from: hedgie on 17 Nov 2021, 20:21

Since “Phobos” is Greek, to do otherwise would be mixing.

And that never happens, right? ...right...?

Tova · « **Reply #102 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 02:37 »

Anyone who coins a new word that derives from multiple languages, particularly to describe psychological terms such as phobias, would have to be some kind of a sociopath.

snubnose · « **Reply #103 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 06:12 »

So, language doesnt always makes sense.

Farideh · « **Reply #104 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 11:59 »

This seems to be morphing into the 'English is weird' thread

Tova · « **Reply #105 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 14:09 »

There are lots of ways to coin new words, and none of them particularly make more "sense" than any other. The only weird thing is when people assume rules about English that don't actually exist.

JimC · « **Reply #106 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 15:12 »

On the furry thing, I've noticed as I get older that the urge to denigrate one's fellow humans remains a constant of human nature, all that changes is which attributes are found acceptable for looking down on your fellow humans. And of course said attributes also vary spectacularly with social groupings. If, as I have, you have been involved in running email content filtering for a large and diverse employer, you get a particular insight into that sort of thing.

On a completely different point, there is surely no doubt that Claire is disappointed that she has not (yet?) secured a post in her chosen profession, so it ought to be perfectly acceptable for her mother to be disappointed for her too. So that does overlap, now I think of it, because working in retail catering is one of the many things that gets people looked down on. I've worked in the best burger shop in my town, and I've been the no 1 IT techie in my organisation, and I take an equal pride in both. I used to say that should there be a major epidemic then the person who cleans the toilets may be the most important employee in the company...

Tova · « **Reply #107 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 17:38 »

Quote from: JimC on 18 Nov 2021, 15:12

On the furry thing, I've noticed as I get older that the urge to denigrate one's fellow humans remains a constant of human nature, all that changes is which attributes are found acceptable for looking down on your fellow humans.

What's more, no matter how looked-down upon you might be, there's always some other group of people that you can look down on yourself.

Incidentally, this is one of the central themes of the film Parasite. The trailer for the film encapsulate this theme perfectly in its opening image (even if it's not completely obvious when viewing the trailer for the first time, but it plants a seed).

Gyrre · « **Reply #108 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 23:19 »

Quote from: Farideh on 18 Nov 2021, 11:59

This seems to be morphing into the 'English is weird' thread

Technically. Though we're discussing scientific terminology.
Granted, it's certainly not the first time Greek and Latin things have been mixed up (see satyrs and fauns).

Tova · « **Reply #109 on:** 18 Nov 2021, 23:39 »

There's only one "rule" about coining a new word.

Can you convince a lot of other people to start using it?

If so, congratulations. You've just coined a new word that will soon make it into dictionaries.

sitnspin · « **Reply #110 on:** 19 Nov 2021, 10:10 »

It's almost as if language evolves organically and attempts to artificially constrain and direct it are doomed to failure and all "rules" on its usage are pure bunk

Farideh · « **Reply #111 on:** 19 Nov 2021, 11:26 »

Language rules are more about 'current usage' than 'this is how it will be forevermore'

Cornelius · « **Reply #112 on:** 19 Nov 2021, 14:18 »

Quote from: Tova on 18 Nov 2021, 23:39

There's only one "rule" about coining a new word.

Can you convince a lot of other people to start using it?

If so, congratulations. You've just coined a new word that will soon make it into dictionaries.

Depending on the dictionary, about six would do.

Tova · « **Reply #113 on:** 19 Nov 2021, 14:58 »

I am guessing there's a story behind that little throwaway line. Which dictionary, which six people?

Cornelius · « **Reply #114 on:** 21 Nov 2021, 07:32 »

Some Dutch dictionaries used to have a rule that if it was published in six different periodicals over a certain amount of time, a certain amount of times, the word would be included. So, get friendly with six editors, and you're there.

Farideh · « **Reply #115 on:** 21 Nov 2021, 12:13 »

Do online publications count? Get it mentioned in 6 different blogs and off you go!

Tova · « **Reply #116 on:** 21 Nov 2021, 13:12 »

Used to?

Cornelius · « **Reply #117 on:** 21 Nov 2021, 22:04 »

They still might have the same rule. It's been a while since I was involved with this kind of thing. At the time they were changing things up to include online sources as well, but I'm not sure how they arranged it.

Gyrre · « **Reply #118 on:** 22 Nov 2021, 17:28 »

Quote from: Tova on 18 Nov 2021, 23:39

There's only one "rule" about coining a new word.

Can you convince a lot of other people to start using it?

If so, congratulations. You've just coined a new word that will soon make it into dictionaries.

Which is annoying when the word is constructed weird or literally translates as something else.
Or 'guesstimate' [shudder]. I'll never accept that one. 'Extrapolate' is a perfectly good word and more people need it in their vocabulary.

Tova · « **Reply #119 on:** 22 Nov 2021, 17:39 »

'Extrapolate' is an excellent word, but it's hardly a synonym for 'guesstimate'.

Tova · « **Reply #120 on:** 22 Nov 2021, 17:51 »

Shall I try to persuade you to accept it?

A guesstimate is an estimate that comes with an acknowledgement that its basis is so slender that it is actually hardly better than a guess. Its usage is firmly tongue-in-cheek.

"Estimate" loses that acknowledgement. "Extrapolate" is even worse. And "guess" doesn't really capture this word's facetious flavour.

So the word earns its place IMO, admittedly as a conversational, casual word.

oddtail · « **Reply #121 on:** 23 Nov 2021, 07:35 »

FWIW, I love the word "guesstimate" and I think the English language would be poorer without it.

And I completely agree it has fairly little overlap, in both meaning and tone, with "extrapolate".

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #122 on:** 23 Nov 2021, 13:20 »

I have also heard (as nouns instead of verbs) "WAG" and "SWAG", for "wild-ass guess" and "scientific wild-ass guess". A wild-ass guess is something you've pulled out of the air based on nothing but a gut feeling; a scientific wild-ass guess is something you've pulled out of the air based on a gut feeling and maybe some experience if you're lucky.

Gyrre · « **Reply #123 on:** 26 Nov 2021, 03:13 »

Quote from: Tova on 22 Nov 2021, 17:51

Shall I try to persuade you to accept it?

A guesstimate is an estimate that comes with an acknowledgement that its basis is so slender that it is actually hardly better than a guess. Its usage is firmly tongue-in-cheek.

"Estimate" loses that acknowledgement. "Extrapolate" is even worse. And "guess" doesn't really capture this word's facetious flavour.

So the word earns its place IMO, admittedly as a conversational, casual word.

I don't believe I've ever seen or heard it used in those regards. *

Despite now knowing the intended definition (thank you, BTW), I'm still not ever going to use it, and it'll probably still make me cringe every time I encounter it. I'll just stick to 'guess' and 'estimate'.

EDIT: * If I have, the intent wasn't clear ftom the rest of the context given.

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Author Topic: WCDT Nov 8 - Nov 13th (4651-4655) (Read 19216 times)