Sunday, November 03, 2013
Language update for fall
Professor Polistra, regretting the low frequency of these updates, nevertheless perseveres. She brings us another bucket of linguistic shit, some old and some new.
= = = = =
Efit:
New Brit term for computer-generated police 'sketches'. A good coinage, but demonstrates that e-xxxxx works better when xxxxx is a longer word. When the part after e is one short syllable, it's harder to feel the e as a prefix.
= = = = =
Olfactive:
Refers to the use of smell for commercial purposes. Interesting because the coiners correctly distinguished it from olfactory, which refers to the sense itself. Humans don't pay much attention to smell, and we're extremely short on words in this area. Any new addition, even if it's only a suffix, is welcome!
"Olfactive branding is a natural and powerful extension of the brand’s existing marketing strategy. If the brand has a strong, unified vision, it becomes much easier to translate the brand’s identity into a scent. ... The key is to know what your brand represents aesthetically, emotionally and commercially within your market space."
Lots of jargon there, but gets the point across.
= = = = =
Sequacious:
A fine old word that's worth reviving.
From a 1902 essay on fashion: "At a distance they look so much alike that it is quite amazing. ... Even if it's only due to the sequaciousness of the human being, especially the female, it is a phenomenon worth study."
= = = = =
Transparent / transparency:
Tiring and meaningless. Not a worthwhile goal, and always a perfect lie. Still, the correct syntactic use is surprisingly subtle. A recent radio ad by a candidate for Coeur d'Alene mayor showed exactly how it shouldn't be used:
"If you want a transparent and truly accountable mayor, vote for me!"
No, no, no! I don't want The Shadow! An accountable mayor has to be a visible mayor!
= = = = =
Backslash:
This has been developing for quite a while, and has reached completion. Now the distinction between [forward] slash and backslash has fully disappeared. Both symbols are read as backslash 100% of the time, even though 98% of the actual symbols are forward slashes.
It's a Pyrrhic victory for the name, because the actual backslash is fading fast. Old Mr Backslash is still hanging around in Windows filepaths, but normal users haven't needed to type or read a real backslash for many years. If they bother to navigate their files at all, they navigate via the lists and buttons of Explorer. No typing.
Though annoying, this is still better than the early British pronunciation of web symbols. Ten years ago, BBC was reading its web address like this: "H T T P Colon Forward Oblique Forward Oblique B B C Full Stop C O Full Stop U K Forward Oblique N E W S."
= = = = =
Untooled:
Heard from a financial education specialist:
"Financial literacy is important and many people are untooled for that."
He used the word three times in five minutes. Seems to like the word!
= = = = =
Loadal:
From City of Spokane notice about annual leaf pickup:
Loadal Crews 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Packer Crews 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hand Pick Crews after 10 p.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Unnecessary. Loading already exists.
= = = = =
LOUSY:
A 1940's word that has come back into Orwellian style among the defenders of Romneycare. They blindly quote their Lord And Savior Barack Romney in describing perfectly decent medical plans as LOUSY. A policy that was good enough, covering likely events with appropriate deductibles, suddenly becomes LOUSY because it doesn't cover events that WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
I will never become pregnant, and I will never get into a situation where I need to pay for pregnancy. I will never use "mental health" care because I know it's crap. I will never need to cover child dental care because I will never become pregnant. My old LOUSY policy covered ONLY the problems I may actually encounter, and had a high deductible for routine stuff because I can afford routine stuff.
You can't reclaim a word after Satan sinks his bloody claws into it, but we can always try:
LOUSY = Leaves Out Unneeded Services for You.
LOUSY = Less Overhead, Uniquely Suited to You.
Professor Polistra, regretting the low frequency of these updates, nevertheless perseveres. She brings us another bucket of linguistic shit, some old and some new.
= = = = =
Efit:
New Brit term for computer-generated police 'sketches'. A good coinage, but demonstrates that e-xxxxx works better when xxxxx is a longer word. When the part after e is one short syllable, it's harder to feel the e as a prefix.
= = = = =
Olfactive:
Refers to the use of smell for commercial purposes. Interesting because the coiners correctly distinguished it from olfactory, which refers to the sense itself. Humans don't pay much attention to smell, and we're extremely short on words in this area. Any new addition, even if it's only a suffix, is welcome!
"Olfactive branding is a natural and powerful extension of the brand’s existing marketing strategy. If the brand has a strong, unified vision, it becomes much easier to translate the brand’s identity into a scent. ... The key is to know what your brand represents aesthetically, emotionally and commercially within your market space."
Lots of jargon there, but gets the point across.
= = = = =
Sequacious:
A fine old word that's worth reviving.
From a 1902 essay on fashion: "At a distance they look so much alike that it is quite amazing. ... Even if it's only due to the sequaciousness of the human being, especially the female, it is a phenomenon worth study."
= = = = =
Transparent / transparency:
Tiring and meaningless. Not a worthwhile goal, and always a perfect lie. Still, the correct syntactic use is surprisingly subtle. A recent radio ad by a candidate for Coeur d'Alene mayor showed exactly how it shouldn't be used:
"If you want a transparent and truly accountable mayor, vote for me!"
No, no, no! I don't want The Shadow! An accountable mayor has to be a visible mayor!
= = = = =
Backslash:
This has been developing for quite a while, and has reached completion. Now the distinction between [forward] slash and backslash has fully disappeared. Both symbols are read as backslash 100% of the time, even though 98% of the actual symbols are forward slashes.
It's a Pyrrhic victory for the name, because the actual backslash is fading fast. Old Mr Backslash is still hanging around in Windows filepaths, but normal users haven't needed to type or read a real backslash for many years. If they bother to navigate their files at all, they navigate via the lists and buttons of Explorer. No typing.
Though annoying, this is still better than the early British pronunciation of web symbols. Ten years ago, BBC was reading its web address like this: "H T T P Colon Forward Oblique Forward Oblique B B C Full Stop C O Full Stop U K Forward Oblique N E W S."
= = = = =
Untooled:
Heard from a financial education specialist:
"Financial literacy is important and many people are untooled for that."
He used the word three times in five minutes. Seems to like the word!
= = = = =
Loadal:
From City of Spokane notice about annual leaf pickup:
Loadal Crews 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Packer Crews 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hand Pick Crews after 10 p.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Unnecessary. Loading already exists.
= = = = =
LOUSY:
A 1940's word that has come back into Orwellian style among the defenders of Romneycare. They blindly quote their Lord And Savior Barack Romney in describing perfectly decent medical plans as LOUSY. A policy that was good enough, covering likely events with appropriate deductibles, suddenly becomes LOUSY because it doesn't cover events that WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
I will never become pregnant, and I will never get into a situation where I need to pay for pregnancy. I will never use "mental health" care because I know it's crap. I will never need to cover child dental care because I will never become pregnant. My old LOUSY policy covered ONLY the problems I may actually encounter, and had a high deductible for routine stuff because I can afford routine stuff.
You can't reclaim a word after Satan sinks his bloody claws into it, but we can always try:
LOUSY = Leaves Out Unneeded Services for You.
LOUSY = Less Overhead, Uniquely Suited to You.
Labels: Language update
¶ 4:45 AM
