Words you dislike? Or really like?

[rsvman]

Just learned a new one from a BBC analyst describing the state of the Tory party -- febrile. ("having or showing a great deal of nervous excitement or energy;" "having or showing the symptoms of a fever.")

In my line of work (I'm a Pediatric Infectious Diseases subspecialist) we use the febrile many times each day, with the second meaning, obviously. And we also use its negative a lot, afebrile, meaning not having a fever. For me it is so commonplace that I found it surprising that you didn't know the word. I sometimes forget that not everybody is a doctor.

[OldPhiKap]

In my line of work (I'm a Pediatric Infectious Diseases subspecialist) we use the febrile many times each day, with the second meaning, obviously. And we also use its negative a lot, afebrile, meaning not having a fever. For me it is so commonplace that I found it surprising that you didn't know the word. I sometimes forget that not everybody is a doctor.

Interesting. And I reversed the definitions on my post due to the manner in which it was used.

I'm sure my two Dr. SisterPKs have written the word out for me before -- I just couldn't read the handwriting!





(j/k -- their handwriting has to be better than mine)

[camion]

I don't think I've used "febrile" in speech or writing in decades. This got me thinking of discipline specific language. I use "hexadecimal" regularly.

Actually I prefer to count in hexadecimal when listing my age, mid-forties. Much smaller number than when listed in base 10.

[rasputin]

In my line of work (I'm a Pediatric Infectious Diseases subspecialist) we use the febrile many times each day, with the second meaning, obviously. And we also use its negative a lot, afebrile, meaning not having a fever. For me it is so commonplace that I found it surprising that you didn't know the word. I sometimes forget that not everybody is a doctor.

I was unaware of the first meaning. I'm familiar with the term in my line of work (education lawyer): as to whether someone who has or has had febrile seizures might be a person with a disability.

[rsvman]

Have the words "perseverate" and "perseveration" been discussed yet? Some of my favorites.

In medicine, we use these words quite a bit, too. Most of you probably know what they mean, but long story short it's the process wherein a thought gets into your head and then you just keep thinking it over and over again. Or a series of thoughts, a thought process, if you will. And it just circulates and circulates.

I think it's a fairly common thing and that most people do it, at least once in a while. It becomes a serious problem when it happens a lot, or a majority of the time.

[devildeac]

Have the words "perseverate" and "perseveration" been discussed yet? Some of my favorites.

In medicine, we use these words quite a bit, too. Most of you probably know what they mean, but long story short it's the process wherein a thought gets into your head and then you just keep thinking it over and over again. Or a series of thoughts, a thought process, if you will. And it just circulates and circulates.

I think it's a fairly common thing and that most people do it, at least once in a while. It becomes a serious problem when it happens a lot, or a majority of the time.

aka "minutes discussion"

[wilson]

Have the words "perseverate" and "perseveration" been discussed yet? Some of my favorites.

In medicine, we use these words quite a bit, too. Most of you probably know what they mean, but long story short it's the process wherein a thought gets into your head and then you just keep thinking it over and over again. Or a series of thoughts, a thought process, if you will. And it just circulates and circulates.

I think it's a fairly common thing and that most people do it, at least once in a while. It becomes a serious problem when it happens a lot, or a majority of the time.

My wife and I use that word a good bit. She is also a medical professional, and in her field, they use the word "toilet" as a verb, which I loathe.

[budwom]

Incentivize is a useless concoction for those who don't know what incent means.

impact as a verb will be eradicated once my ascension to the throne is complete.

[wilson]

Incentivize is a useless concoction for those who don't know what incent means.

impact as a verb will be eradicated once my ascension to the throne is complete.

Do you need to conversate about this a little bit, budwom?

[BLPOG]

Incentivize is a useless concoction for those who don't know what incent means.

impact as a verb will be eradicated once my ascension to the throne is complete.

Could you provide an example of impact being used in a way you dislike? When I think of impact as a verb I think of something like "The meteorite impacted the surface." What's wrong with that?

[rsvman]

OK, I had to find this thread again to post about a word that I am hearing more and more over the past few months that really gets under my skin.

"Woke."



I have no problem with it in this context: "I'm sorry that I woke you up last night," but I really, really hate it the way it is being used now.

[JStuart]

OK, I had to find this thread again to post about a word that I am hearing more and more over the past few months that really gets under my skin.

"Woke."



I have no problem with it in this context: "I'm sorry that I woke you up last night," but I really, really hate it the way it is being used now.

My thoughts precisely.
There's also the implication that if one doesn't use it, or like it as a term, one is hopelessly old fashioned, and not 'hip', or correct, politically or otherwise.
Methinks it is distantly related to the phrase used when I was in college, 'don't trust anyone over 30'.
I do believe there are plenty of fine words available that can be used in its place. They just might not be as 'cool'.

Oh, and regarding 'impact' discussed up thread, there are medical implications of that word that should make people think twice before using it...
but then, I perseverate along with the best of us!
JStuart

[bundabergdevil]

Could you provide an example of impact being used in a way you dislike? When I think of impact as a verb I think of something like "The meteorite impacted the surface." What's wrong with that?

I don't want to speak for Budwom but since he mentioned 'impact' and 'incentivize', I'd speculate his distaste for those two words are due to working in some sort of large organization or business setting.

In that setting, I also strongly despise:

- Synergy. There is no such thing as departmental or organizational synergy, we're firing people to make 3 shareholders happy.
- Collaboration. My DISC/Meyer-Briggs indicate I am anti-collaboration...
- Co-create. This is relegated to baby-making and nothing else of worth...
- Deep Dive. Never invite me to attend one of these unless it's over lots of beers and the thing we're diving deep into is duke basketball...or maybe big foot mythology.
- Deck. Don't ask to show me yours and I won't ask to show you mine.
- Move the needle. No, you effing move the needle.
- Align/alignment. Only happens to my brakes.
- Leverage. Only if it involves a video of the CEO pulling a Bob Kraft...
- Quick Win. If you need one, you may be ripe for synergy.
- Value Add. Your 7-year old self has to grow up to be you, please don't.
- Touchpoint. Stranger danger, back away now!

[devildeac]

From the EK Board:

coprophage; one of several (many?) words to be used (utilized? ) when describing the cheats.

[BLPOG]

I don't want to speak for Budwom but since he mentioned 'impact' and 'incentivize', I'd speculate his distaste for those two words are due to working in some sort of large organization or business setting.

In that setting, I also strongly despise:

- Synergy. There is no such thing as departmental or organizational synergy, we're firing people to make 3 shareholders happy.
- Collaboration. My DISC/Meyer-Briggs indicate I am anti-collaboration...
- Co-create. This is relegated to baby-making and nothing else of worth...
- Deep Dive. Never invite me to attend one of these unless it's over lots of beers and the thing we're diving deep into is duke basketball...or maybe big foot mythology.
- Deck. Don't ask to show me yours and I won't ask to show you mine.
- Move the needle. No, you effing move the needle.
- Align/alignment. Only happens to my brakes.
- Leverage. Only if it involves a video of the CEO pulling a Bob Kraft...
- Quick Win. If you need one, you may be ripe for synergy.
- Value Add. Your 7-year old self has to grow up to be you, please don't.
- Touchpoint. Stranger danger, back away now!

I probably mentioned this earlier in the thread, but even worse than these, IMO, is the unnecessary use of verbs as nouns and nouns as verbs (typically beyond normal nominalization, and probably the pattern Budwom has seen). I find it utterly infuriating and refuse to do it.

E.g.
"That's a big ask." - No, it's a request, you ****ing moron.
"Solutioning" - Just call it solution design or something.

[budwom]

I never liked the word rayick because I did not know what it means until someone splained that if someone else's core hits my core, it's a rayick. Now I get it.

LOL at the synergy stuff...First day in fancy business school, prof asks us young eager beavers what synergy is, and of course he got all kinds of garrulous responses, spoken most seriously. He then told everyone they were wrong, synergy he said, is "bullsh*t." The notion that one plus one equals three. Got a good chuckle out of that.

[dudog84]

- Co-create. This is relegated to baby-making and nothing else of worth...

Lennon & McCartney, Jagger & Richards, Rogers & Hammerstein, chocolate & peanut butter might disagree.

[dudog84]

- Deep Dive. Never invite me to attend one of these unless it's over lots of beers and the thing we're diving deep into is duke basketball...or maybe big foot mythology.

bundabergdevil has been unmasked! He's Denver Riggleman!

https://www.vox.com/2018/7/30/176295...igfoot-erotica

(Sorry dude)

[bundabergdevil]

bundabergdevil has been unmasked! He's Denver Riggleman!

https://www.vox.com/2018/7/30/176295...igfoot-erotica

(Sorry dude)

Big Foot erotica is only a small subset of the broader Big Foot community...a small, very specific, very peculiar, and apparently electable subset. It is those sort of extremists that make all us Big Foot enthusiasts seem crazy. One rotten apple and such...

[rasputin]

Lennon & McCartney, Jagger & Richards, Rogers & Hammerstein, chocolate & peanut butter might disagree.

Except that Lennon & McCartney didn't collaborate that much in writing their music. A bit here, a bit there, but most of their songs were written by one of them or the other. They just agreed to call all of them "Lennon and McCartney."