Wednesday Worsts.....Misnomers - because words matter

[CDGator]

As was so politely pointed out this morning, words matter.
What are some of the worst misnomers?


Driveway
Parkway
Peanuts

 

[CDGator]

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Central Intelligence Agency

 

[cover2]

President

 

[AlexDaGator]

Flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.

Flammable and inflammable are two words that cause confusion. You can tell both words pertain to flames, but it's difficult to know whether they mean the same thing or are opposites. The truth is, flammable and inflammable mean almost the same thing: a substance burns easily or readily catches fire.


So, why are there two different words? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, back in the 1920s, the National Fire Protection Association urged people to start using the word "flammable" rather than "inflammable" (which was the original word) because they were concerned some people might think inflammable meant not-flammable or nonflammable.


Actually, the in- in inflammable was derived from the Latin preposition en-, which serves as an intensifier (as in enflamed and engulfed), not the Latin prefix meaning un-, meaning "not." It's not like everyone knew the derivation of the word, so the change probably made sense. However, confusion persists today regarding which word to use.


While flammable is the preferred modern term for a material that catches fire readily, inflammable has the same meaning. The opposite, a material that won't burn easily, is either not-flammable or non-flammable.


There is a slight distinction between inflammable and flammable materials, though, that is important to note for safety. A material that is flammable can be set on fire, while a material that is inflammable is capable of bursting into flames without an external source of ignition.


Examples of flammable materials include wood, kerosene, and alcohol. Examples of nonflammable materials include helium, glass, and steel. While it may surprise you, another example of a non-flammable substance is oxygen—which, as an oxidizer, is instead combustible.

Alex.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Peruse means the opposite of what you think it means.

So many people think it means "to skim" or "glance over" that its opposite has become a secondary definition.

peruse /pə-roo͞z′/

transitive verb​

1. To read or examine, typically with great care.
2. To observe; to examine with care.
   Similar: perused
3. To read through; to read carefully.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition • More at Wordnik

Alex.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Chartruse.

OK, it's a color, right?

Most folks think it's somewhere between red, purple, and pink.

It's yellowish-green.


Alex.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Err.

The actual pronunciation is like "her" without the h.

It did not sound like "air". However, so many people mispronounced it (probably due to the way we pronounce "error") that the wrong pronunciation has become an acceptable alternative.


Alex.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Last one...


Forte.

If you pronounce it Four-Tay, you're talking about a musical term.

The correct pronunciation (for something you're good at) sounded like fort.

Again, so many people blah blah blah that the musical term pronunciation is now an accepted alternative.



Alex.

 

[MJMGator]

How long has @AlexDaGator been waiting for this thread?

 

[AlexDaGator]

How long has @AlexDaGator been waiting for this thread?

Since Jeremiah was a bullfrog.



Alex.

 

[CDGator]

Since Jeremiah was a bullfrog.



Alex.

Actually….. Jeremiah wasn’t part bull.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Actually….. Jeremiah wasn’t part bull.

I should know.



He was a good friend of mine.

I never understood a word he said, but I helped him drink his wine.

(and he always had some mighty fine wine)






Alex.

 

[TheDouglas78]

 

[Spurffelbow833]

Chartruse.

OK, it's a color, right?

Most folks think it's somewhere between red, purple, and pink.

It's yellowish-green.


Alex.

Red-purple-pink is fuchsia. I think tennis balls circa 1980 are guilty of creating this confusion.

 

[Spurffelbow833]

I should know.



He was a good friend of mine.

I never understood a word he said, but I helped him drink his wine.

(and he always had some mighty fine wine)






Alex.

I always thought that song was a plug for dish soap and laundry detergent.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

How 'bout "favorite poster"

 

[LaylaGator]

"Sanction" has two opposite meanings. It can be a penalty for disobeying a rule, or it can be official approval for an action.

Has always bugged me.

 

[B52G8rAC]

Secure: Safe. Shutdown. Defend. Obtain.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Penultimate.

Lotsa folks think it means the top. It means the first runner-up.


Alex.