Troublesome Expressions

[_Lynn_]

I stand by the link I posted above

That's your right. I prefer the CMS over a blog.

 

[Bramblethorn]

That's your right. I prefer the CMS over a blog.

I believe you are labouring under a misapprehension here

 

[_Lynn_]

disorganized vs. unorganized

Both mean not organized, but disorganized suggests a group in disarray, either thrown into confusion or inherently unable to work together [the disorganized 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago].

 

[_Lynn_]

allude, elude, illude

To allude is to refer to something indirectly [allude to a problem]. It is often loosely used where refer or quote would be better—that is, where there is a direct mention or quotation.

To elude is to avoid capture [elude the hunters].

To illude [quite rare] is to deceive [your imagination might illude you].

 

[sr71plt]

I believe you are labouring under a misapprehension here

explain?

 

[sr71plt]

Troubles in the B section:

bad/badly (the adjective "bad" is used after verbs such as "feel" or "look"; "badly" is an adverb. "I feel badly that you are so ugly.")
("You small bad" = "Buy some deodorant."; "You smell badly" = "Sorry about the congestive head cold.")

between you and me (not "between you and I." Just because.)

bring/take ("bring" indicates motion toward the speaker/action character; "take" indicates motion away from the speaker/action character)

biannual/biennial ("biannual" is for twice a year; "biennial" is for every two years. Something/someone in the English language has mucked this up, though, because "biennial" is still given as a synonym for "biannual" here and there.)

biweekly/monthly/yearly (twice a week/month/year); semiweekly (note no hyphen)/monthly/yearly (every two weeks/months/years)

 

[Bramblethorn]

explain?

I believe somebody's made a mistaken assumption about what sort of thing I was linking to. (Hint: I'm not contesting CMoS on this point, and neither is the site that I linked to. Comment, not contradiction.)

 

[Bramblethorn]

biannual/biennial ("biannual" is for twice a year; "biennial" is for every two years. Something/someone in the English language has mucked this up, though, because "biennial" is still given as a synonym for "biannual" here and there.)

Yeah, "biennial" is one of those words I've just given up on because it's a coin-toss as to whether it'll be correctly interpreted.

 

[PennLady]

Troubles in the B section:

bad/badly (the adjective "bad" is used after verbs such as "feel" or "look"; "badly" is an adverb. "I feel badly that you are so ugly.")
("You small bad" = "Buy some deodorant."; "You smell badly" = "Sorry about the congestive head cold.")

Yes, this messes me up sometimes.

biweekly/monthly/yearly (twice a week/month/year); semiweekly (note no hyphen)/monthly/yearly (every two weeks/months/years)

You have these backwards. Biweekly is every other week, or every two weeks. I worked at a newsletter publisher for nearly fifteen years and we had several biweekly publications -- which mean they published every other week.

Semiannual, etc., would be twice in that period - semiannual = twice a year. And just in my own experience, I've never heard "biweekly" to mean "twice a week."

Although interestingly, a Google search and a look up at Merriam-Webster.com shows both meanings for "biweekly." I.e, both twice a week and every other week. That doesn't seem right at all.

 

[sr71plt]

You have these backwards. Biweekly is every other week, or every two weeks. I worked at a newsletter publisher for nearly fifteen years and we had several biweekly publications -- which mean they published every other week.

Semiannual, etc., would be twice in that period - semiannual = twice a year. And just in my own experience, I've never heard "biweekly" to mean "twice a week."

Although interestingly, a Google search and a look up at Merriam-Webster.com shows both meanings for "biweekly." I.e, both twice a week and every other week. That doesn't seem right at all.

No I don't have it wrong, in publishing terms. You found the problem. Webster's permits the two renderings (but the one I give is listed first--I'm writing up a "How-To" on using the dictionary that will address this issue. The preferred use is the first listed one in the dictionary). Thus, Webster's contributes to the same conundrum with "biweekly" as it does (and I noted) with "biannual." Other dictionaries, the American Heritage (which is a prescriptive dictionary, with Webster's being a descriptive dictionary), for instance, point to why this issue exists. Magazines coming out every two weeks were mistermed "Biweeklies," which helped get it all muddled up.

As you said, you really can't have it both ways, even though Webster's leans in that direction (if you don't know how to read a dictionary--the first-listed definition being the preferred one). So publishing has made a clear choice, which is what I cited.

 

[sr71plt]

I believe somebody's made a mistaken assumption about what sort of thing I was linking to. (Hint: I'm not contesting CMoS on this point, and neither is the site that I linked to. Comment, not contradiction.)

I'm not getting my own postings on these from the CMS, by the way. These are from the material covered in my graduate school classes in editing and publishing. (There really are formal training and university degrees for this work).

 

[PennLady]

No I don't have it wrong, in publishing terms. You found the problem. Webster's permits the two renderings (but the one I give is listed first--I'm writing up a "How-To" on using the dictionary that will address this issue. The preferred use is the first listed one in the dictionary). Thus, Webster's contributes to the same conundrum with "biweekly" as it does (and I noted) with "biannual." Other dictionaries, the American Heritage (which is a prescriptive dictionary, with Webster's being a descriptive dictionary), for instance, point to why this issue exists. Magazines coming out every two weeks were mistermed "Biweeklies," which helped get it all muddled up.

As you said, you really can't have it both ways, even though Webster's leans in that direction (if you don't know how to read a dictionary--the first-listed definition being the preferred one). So publishing has made a clear choice, which is what I cited.

Well this is one of those occasions where what I know doesn't mesh, I guess. Like I said, I have never heard "biweekly" to mean twice a week, or "semiannual" to mean every other year. And not just in publishing, although perhaps that's where the mess up started. I've heard of semiannual sales at various stores, but not biannual ones, for example.

Seems like "flammable" and "inflammable," right? Or perhaps I'm wrong about those as well.

 

[sr71plt]

Seems like "flammable" and "inflammable," right? Or perhaps I'm wrong about those as well.

Depends on what you mean. "Flammable" and "inflammable" mean the same thing--and Webster's defines them as the same meaning (and my publishers' notes don't flag them as problem terms).

In "reading the dictionary" terms for an editor, though, "flammable" would be preferred. The definition for "inflammable" refers back to "flammable," but not the other way around, so, to Webster's, "flammable" is primary and preferred in usage.

 

[PennLady]

Depends on what you mean. "Flammable" and "inflammable" mean the same thing--and Webster's defines them as the same meaning (and my publishers' notes don't flag them as problem terms).

In "reading the dictionary" terms for an editor, though, "flammable" would be preferred. The definition for "inflammable" refers back to "flammable," but not the other way around, so, to Webster's, "flammable" is primary and preferred in usage.

I think that's what I was going for. You'd think "flammable" means "something that will catch fire," and "inflammable" would mean the opposite. For some reason, they mean the same thing. But "flammable" would be the word I'd choose.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

disorganized vs. unorganized

Both mean not organized, but disorganized suggests a group in disarray, either thrown into confusion or inherently unable to work together [the disorganized 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago].

I'm loving these new threads but would ask that the explanations were expanded a tad. 'Unorganized' means not belonging to a labor union or not having the characteristics of a living organism. Stick with 'disorganized'.

 

[sr71plt]

This message is hidden because elfin_odalisque is on your ignore list.

 

[sr71plt]

Troubles in the C section

capital/capitol (Washington, D.C., is a capital; Congress meets in the capitol)

common/mutual ("common" is belonging to two or more; "mutual" is reciprocal/interchangeable)

complement/compliment ("complement" is to complete; "compliment" is to praise)

a biggie comprise/compose ("comprise" is to include; "compose" is to be part of. Thus the parts compose the whole and the whole comprises the parts.

continual/continuous ("continual" means frequently repeated, with only brief interruptions; "continuous" is absolutely without interruption)

council/counsel ("council" is the group of advisers; "counsel" is a single adviser or the giving of advice)

credible/creditable ("credible" means believable; "creditable" means praisewrothy)

custom/habit (communities, social groups, and insitutions have customs; individuals have habits)

 

[LadyCibelle]

Uninterested/Disinterested

Uninterested: adjective
1. having or showing no feeling of interest; indifferent.
2. not personally concerned in something.

Disinterested adjective
1. unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives: a disinterested decision by the referee.
2. not interested; indifferent.

Those two I always know which to use, but ask me to explain why one instead of the other; I go blank and can't find the words to explain, I always have to refer to the dictionary.

 

[_Lynn_]

I'm loving these new threads but would ask that the explanations were expanded a tad. 'Unorganized' means not belonging to a labor union or not having the characteristics of a living organism. Stick with 'disorganized'.

I'm giving the explanation shown in the glossary of troublesome expressions in the CMS.

 

[_Lynn_]

sensual/sensuous

What is sensual involves indulgence of the senses—especially sexual gratification.

What is sensuous usually applies to aesthetic enjoyment; only hack writers imbue the word salacious connotations.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm giving the explanation shown in the glossary of troublesome expressions in the CMS.

That's delicious. (That I'm not using the CMS for this, but someone else is.)

 

[sr71plt]

sensual/sensuous

What is sensual involves indulgence of the senses—especially sexual gratification.

What is sensuous usually applies to aesthetic enjoyment; only hack writers imbue the word salacious connotations.

hack, hack. (Sorry about the cough.)

 

[_Lynn_]

That's delicious. (That I'm not using the CMS for this, but someone else is.)

Indeed.

 

[sr71plt]

Troubles in the D section:

data (the singular is "datum." Most editors/publishers will want a plural verb with "data." Some use the singular. Do what you want, but be consistent--and be prepared for most editors to enforce a plural verb)

definitely/definitively ("definitely" means assurance or precisely; "definitively" means with exactness or finally.

deprectory/depreciatory ("deprectory" means apologetic; "depreciatory" means tending to devalue)

disinterested (has already been posted. It does not mean "uninterested")

due to (means owed to. Editors/publishers want you to use "because of" or "as a result of" for other uses.

 

[oggbashan]

disinterested is an awkward word.

It should mean unbiased but too many people now use it to mean uninterested for the original meaning to be completely clear.

It is probably preferable to use unbiased, and avoid disinterested.