Forum Administrator Posted August 18, 2019 Share #1 Posted August 18, 2019 I keep seeing "anxiously" used when someone means excited. When it's appropriate for me, I correct the person and explain that it means that you are worried that something will happen. I am convinced that I am fighting a losing battle. It is used so often by so many people incorrectly, that I believe the meaning will (if it already hasn't) change over time. Merriam-Webster already lists "ardently or earnestly wishing" as the third definition. Will we get an official notice when this happens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted August 18, 2019 Share #2 Posted August 18, 2019 That would may not be your style, but it’s correct for the situation. It’s specific to the butterflies in your stomach feeling when anticipating a future event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Far ★ Posted August 18, 2019 Share #3 Posted August 18, 2019 8 minutes ago, Forum Administrator said: Will we get an official notice when this happens? Literally? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted August 18, 2019 Share #4 Posted August 18, 2019 How about the word gay? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Administrator Posted August 18, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted August 18, 2019 4 hours ago, roadsue said: That would may not be your style, but it’s correct for the situation. It’s specific to the butterflies in your stomach feeling when anticipating a future event. That's what I mean.... The word's meaning is slowly changing. It used to be the butterfly feeling of dread. It's been meaning butterflies of excitement for a while now. I don't even have a problem with that. In fact, I always feel like punching the person who says, "Decimate means you killed 10% of the soldiers. A town can't be decimated. Hurrrrr." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted August 18, 2019 Share #6 Posted August 18, 2019 When enough people use it incorrectly. Why do they ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted August 18, 2019 Share #7 Posted August 18, 2019 Nauseous is one of those words that got used incorrectly so often that the incorrect usage became correct. I find this nauseating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted August 18, 2019 Share #8 Posted August 18, 2019 6 hours ago, Forum Administrator said: Will we get an official notice when this happens? You'll need a subscription to Reader's Digest to get that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted August 19, 2019 Share #9 Posted August 19, 2019 16 hours ago, jsharr said: Nauseous is one of those words that got used incorrectly so often that the incorrect usage became correct. I find this nauseating. You make me sick. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
late Posted August 19, 2019 Share #10 Posted August 19, 2019 Usage determines meaning. A lot of what dictionaries do is just keeping up with the changes. I suspect this annoys every generation of elders. Certainly annoys the heck out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted August 19, 2019 Share #11 Posted August 19, 2019 "When do the meanings of words officially change?" That depends on what the definition of the word "officially" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted August 19, 2019 Share #12 Posted August 19, 2019 14 minutes ago, Kzoo said: "When do the meanings of words officially change?" That depends on what the definition of the word "officially" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted August 19, 2019 Share #13 Posted August 19, 2019 NO but thanks for thinking of me. I have to keep using the one I have until MSU racks up a defeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted August 19, 2019 Share #14 Posted August 19, 2019 Wait - when did "anxious" only mean dread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted August 19, 2019 Share #15 Posted August 19, 2019 20 hours ago, wilbur said: When enough people use it incorrectly. Why do they ask? Use of "they" in the singular was a political change. I'm all for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted August 19, 2019 Share #16 Posted August 19, 2019 21 hours ago, jsharr said: Nauseous is one of those words that got used incorrectly so often that the incorrect usage became correct. I find this nauseating. Some of the fastest tuner cars are nauseous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted August 19, 2019 Share #17 Posted August 19, 2019 3 hours ago, Kzoo said: "When do the meanings of words officially change?" That depends on what the definition of the word "officially" is. ^^^ This. Dictionaries update at different rates. Most will label a non-standard definition as non-standard, colloquial, recent, archaic, etc. Outside of a dictionary, word usage watchdog groups tend to keep on top of changes in meaning, for better or for worse. Language continually shifts around as users play with the parameters of the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted August 19, 2019 Share #18 Posted August 19, 2019 1 hour ago, roadsue said: Use of "they" in the singular was a political change. I'm all for it. You did see what I did, there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted August 19, 2019 Share #19 Posted August 19, 2019 There are a lot of words that seem to suddenly be used differently. The correct way to say it is, "I was graduated from school." But when I was young we used to incorrectly say, "I graduated from school." I think that was common in most of the country. The hicks among us used to say something even worse, "I grajiated school," and damn: that's basically what's used today! Today, nobody uses the "from" anymore and even the media reporters incorrectly say, "I graduated school." It used to be that a "hack" was an illegal entry in software, etc. Today, it's often used by the media to describe a clever trick to get something done: "A hack to make your clothes come out of the washer brighter..." They say languages change about 3% per hundred years, though that may accelerate with modern mass communication where slang can spread faster. One of my college fraternity brothers at U. of Toronto had escaped from Czechoslovakia in 1968 - where his Slovaks spoke a completely different language than the Czechs, and his family have then moved to Canada - where you have native French and English speakers. One day, I invited a post-doc, Bob, from San Francisco to the frat house for dinner - we gave a homeless guy a room in exchange for cooking dinner and he was excellent. Bob and I said a couple of American slang things that we had to translate for the French Canadians at the table. My Slovak brother said, "Wait a minute. You're from the American East Coast and Bob is from the West Coast and not only use the same language, you even use the same slang?" He was amazed when we both nodded yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted August 19, 2019 Share #20 Posted August 19, 2019 1 hour ago, wilbur said: You did see what I did, there! But I’m slow on the uptake about that comma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted August 20, 2019 Share #21 Posted August 20, 2019 3 hours ago, roadsue said: But I’m slow on the uptake about that comma. This is a nazi free forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted August 20, 2019 Share #22 Posted August 20, 2019 13 hours ago, MickinMD said: It used to be that a "hack" was an illegal entry in software, etc. Today, it's often used by the media to describe a clever trick to get something done: "A hack to make your clothes come out of the washer brighter..." I though a hack was what the cats do to get rid of a hairball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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