July 28, 2005

Verbs That Must Die

"Infantilize." We used to say instead that we babied a person--but that just didn't sound educated enough. Now we infantilize someone.

Stop it before I give you beatings about the head with a copy of this.

Remember, kids: You don't sound smarter by esteeming the Latinate word over the English one. You just sound more pretentious--not that using a serial-killer-style byline for yourself wasn't doing that already.

Don't nobody argue with me about this one, either--this constitutes my firm and final opinion. You may, however, suggest your own please-kill-'ems in the comments.

Posted by Ilyka at July 28, 2005 09:24 PM in i don't know you tell me | TrackBack
Comments

Quite the cogent animadversion.

On the issue itself, I think that Hines and Glenn have been seduced by the siren song of Brooksian stereotyping/overgeneralization.

Posted by: Hubris at July 28, 2005 09:47 PM

animadversion

That's actually a . . . word. I . . . I . . . I didn't believe you at first. I had to . . . look it up.

Oh man. That is heinous.

Re: The issue, I think Glenn's been seduced by dreams of a world filled with young, wage-earning, right-of-center-voting, Brazilian-waxed cooter, myself. But I've been told by others already I'm being uncharitable, and they're probably right.

Posted by: ilyka at July 28, 2005 09:59 PM

young, wage-earning, right-of-center-voting, Brazilian-waxed cooter

And that, my friend, is the phrase of the day. I'm calling it right now, even though it's several hours before midnight.

Posted by: Hubris at July 28, 2005 10:01 PM