[OT] Word Rant

When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a verb)?
I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I otherwise like.
The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior White House reporter
"why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong with the word "converse"
("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it that "Converse" is now a brand
of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our language - a
language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face of our
fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly fine words
are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a
verb)? I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I
otherwise like. The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior
White House reporter "why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong
with the word "converse" ("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it that
"Converse" is now a brand of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our language -
a language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face of our
fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly fine words
are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!


I haven't heard this one - yet. A word that always irks me is "acclimate."
It's "acclimatise"!!

Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a
verb)? I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I
otherwise like. The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior
White House reporter "why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong
with the word "converse" ("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it that
"Converse" is now a brand of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our language -
a language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face of our
fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly fine
words are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!


I haven't heard this one - yet. A word that always irks me is
"acclimate." It's "acclimatise"!!

Tweed

But acclimate is at least in the dictionary (Merriam-Webster).

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

CatNipped wrote:

When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a verb)?
I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I otherwise like.
The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior White House reporter
"why haven't they conversated....".

LOL!! "Conversate" sounds like a classic "W" malapropism. The reporter
was probably either humoring him, or perhaps subtly making fun of him
by using the word.

Joyce

Christina Websell wrote:

A word that always irks me is "acclimate." It's "acclimatise"!!

Hmm... I've always said "acclimate"! In fact I've never even heard
of "acclimatise". I wonder if this one depends on which part of the
English-speaking world you're from?

Joyce

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a
verb)? I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I
otherwise like. The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior
White House reporter "why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong
with the word "converse" ("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it
that "Converse" is now a brand of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our
language - a language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face
of our fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly
fine words are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!


I haven't heard this one - yet. A word that always irks me is
"acclimate." It's "acclimatise"!!

Tweed

But acclimate is at least in the dictionary (Merriam-Webster).


It's not in any of my English dictionaries. It isn't an English word and I
have never heard an English person use it.

Tweed

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:03:36 -0600, CatNipped wrote:

When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a verb)?
I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I otherwise like.
The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior White House reporter
"why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong with the word "converse"
("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it that "Converse" is now a brand
of tennis shoe???!

What can you expect from a man who can't pronounce "nuclear"?

wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:

A word that always irks me is "acclimate." It's "acclimatise"!!

Hmm... I've always said "acclimate"! In fact I've never even heard
of "acclimatise". I wonder if this one depends on which part of the
English-speaking world you're from?

Joyce

Maybe it does, but since I come from England and English is my first
language it's safe to claim I am familiar with it ;-)
The correct word in English is "acclimatise." s can be a z if nec.

Tweed

CatNipped wrote:
When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a verb)?
I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I otherwise like.
The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior White House reporter
"why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong with the word "converse"
("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it that "Converse" is now a brand
of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our language - a
language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face of our
fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly fine words
are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!


http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/conversate.html

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:16:00 +0000, Christina Websell wrote:


"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
When precisely did the word "conversate" become a word (apparently a
verb)? I've heard it used a lot lately, it's even used in a song I
otherwise like. The president is on TV and was just asked by a senior
White House reporter "why haven't they conversated....". What was wrong
with the word "converse" ("conversed" being the past tense)? Was it
that "Converse" is now a brand of tennis shoe???!

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with adding words to our
language - a language *should* be a living thing, especially in the face
of our fast-paced, technological world. But it irks me when perfectly
fine words are *******ized as the byproduct of ignorance!


I haven't heard this one - yet. A word that always irks me is
"acclimate." It's "acclimatise"!!

Tweed

But acclimate is at least in the dictionary (Merriam-Webster).


It's not in any of my English dictionaries. It isn't an English word and I
have never heard an English person use it.

Tweed


Both are in my 1976 Websters. MLB