That’s the trick, isn’t it? Allowing enough flexibility for new words and new meanings for existing words to evolve into common usage without turning increment into a verb.
My favorite dictionary (Amer. Herit. 4th Ed.) calls the figurative use of ‘literally’ a Usage Problem but recognizes it as a common intensifier. Intensifiers have a habit of taking on a life of their own. For example, few people now use “That’s terrific!” to mean terror-inducing. And in French an intensifier that meant something like “I stamp my foot for emphasis” turned into a grammatical rule that a negated sentence must include pas (step).
“They” will be correct eventually. Language changes; read Shakespeare. In 50 years I’ll be dead. No one will need to worry over my niggling, preciously pious opinions about the death of education in the United States of America.
A dictionary doesn’t “okay” usage. Its purpose is to describe and define how words are used. Just because something is “in the dictionary,” that doesn’t make it viable in clear and concise communication, and many definitions are marked “informal” or “vulgar” for a reason.
The purpose of language is to communicate. If words don’t have specific meanings, then communication can easily fail, as has happened countless times. Usually language “changes” through misuse. It doesn’t make sense to allow words to “loose” their correct usage.
Templo S.U.D. about 3 years ago
good luck making that kind of language dictionary, Baldo
gammaguy about 3 years ago
Maybe “living”, Baldo, but moribund.
derdave969 about 3 years ago
That’s the trick, isn’t it? Allowing enough flexibility for new words and new meanings for existing words to evolve into common usage without turning increment into a verb.
pschearer Premium Member about 3 years ago
My favorite dictionary (Amer. Herit. 4th Ed.) calls the figurative use of ‘literally’ a Usage Problem but recognizes it as a common intensifier. Intensifiers have a habit of taking on a life of their own. For example, few people now use “That’s terrific!” to mean terror-inducing. And in French an intensifier that meant something like “I stamp my foot for emphasis” turned into a grammatical rule that a negated sentence must include pas (step).
Egrayjames about 3 years ago
“Marvelous!”……….Oh, the power of Sarcasm is so overlooked and forgotten. If you think it’s not, it’s snot, and you’ve got another thing coming!:-)
Ichabod Ferguson about 3 years ago
Dumb = mute, mute=silent, silence = golden, Gracie = golden.
Timothy Madigan Premium Member about 3 years ago
if literally can mean figuratively, why not use figuratively?
Michael G. about 3 years ago
“They” will be correct eventually. Language changes; read Shakespeare. In 50 years I’ll be dead. No one will need to worry over my niggling, preciously pious opinions about the death of education in the United States of America.
MuddyUSA Premium Member about 3 years ago
He will as he gets older become a liberal Democrat!
raybarb44 about 3 years ago
Then words have no meaning if the can randomly change……
Rauderi about 3 years ago
A dictionary doesn’t “okay” usage. Its purpose is to describe and define how words are used. Just because something is “in the dictionary,” that doesn’t make it viable in clear and concise communication, and many definitions are marked “informal” or “vulgar” for a reason.
Cactus-Pete about 3 years ago
The purpose of language is to communicate. If words don’t have specific meanings, then communication can easily fail, as has happened countless times. Usually language “changes” through misuse. It doesn’t make sense to allow words to “loose” their correct usage.
bakana about 3 years ago
As the old joke says:
Girls who attend Finishing School learn to say “Fantastic” instead of “Bullshit”.