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Skunked Term
A skunked term is a word or phrase that becomes difficult to use because it is evolving from one meaning to another, perhaps inconsistent or even opposite, usage, or that becomes difficult to use due to other controversy surrounding the term. Purists may insist on the old usage, while descriptivists may be more open to newer usages. Readers may not know which sense is meant especially when prescriptivists insist on a meaning that accords with interests that often conflict. The term was coined by the lexicographer Bryan A. Garner in ''Garner's Modern American Usage'' and has since been adopted by some other style guides.Ben Yagoda, ''How to Not Write Bad: The Most Common Writing Problems and the Best Ways to Avoid Them'', , 2013, p. 82 and ''passim''. Usage Garner recommends avoiding such terms if their use may distract readers from the intended meaning of a text. Some terms, such as " fulsome", may become skunked, and then eventually revert to their original meaning over t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semantic Change
Semantic change (also semantic shift, semantic progression, semantic development, or semantic drift) is a form of language change regarding the evolution of word usage—usually to the point that the modern meaning is radically different from the original usage. In diachronic (or historical) linguistics, semantic change is a change in one of the meanings of a word. Every word has a variety of senses and connotations, which can be added, removed, or altered over time, often to the extent that cognates across space and time have very different meanings. The study of semantic change can be seen as part of etymology, onomasiology, semasiology, and semantics. Examples in English * Awful – Literally "full of awe", originally meant "inspiring wonder (or fear)", hence "impressive". In contemporary usage, the word means "extremely bad". * Awesome – Literally "awe-inducing", originally meant "inspiring wonder (or fear)", hence "impressive". In contemporary usage, the word means " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faggot (food)
Faggots are meatballs made from minced off-cuts and offal (especially pork, and traditionally pig's heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon) mixed with herbs and sometimes bread crumbs. It is a traditional dish in the United Kingdom, especially South and Mid Wales and the English Midlands. Faggots originated as a traditional cheap food consumed by country people in Western England, particularly west Wiltshire and the West Midlands. Their popularity spread from there, especially to South Wales in the mid-nineteenth century, when many agricultural workers left the land to work in the rapidly expanding industry and mines of that area. Faggots are also known as "ducks" in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire, often as "savoury ducks". The first use of the term in print was in the ''Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser'' of Saturday 3 June 1843, a news report of a gluttonous man who ate twelve of them. Preparation and serving Commonly, a faggot consists ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Telegraph (UK)
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was founded by Arthur B. Sleigh in 1855 as ''The Daily Telegraph and Courier''. ''The Telegraph'' is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The paper's motto, "Was, is, and will be", was included in its emblem which was used for over a century starting in 1858. In 2013, ''The Daily Telegraph'' and ''The Sunday Telegraph'', which started in 1961, were merged, although the latter retains its own editor. It is politically conservative and supports the Conservative Party. It was moderately liberal politically before the late 1870s.Dictionary of Nineteenth Century Journalismp 159 ''The Telegraph'' has had a number of news scoops, including the outbreak of World War II by rookie reporter Clare Hollingworth, described as "the scoop of the century ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Literally
''Literally'' is an English adverb meaning "in a literal sense or manner" or an intensifier which strengthens the associated statement. It has been used as an intensifier in English for several centuries, though recently this has been considered somewhat controversial by linguistic prescriptivists. The use of 'literally' as an intensifier is recognized as valid by most dictionaries of English and has been used by authors such as Mark Twain and James Joyce. History The first known use of the word ''literally'' was in the 15th century, or the 1530s. The use of the word as an intensifier emerged later, at the latest by 1769, when Frances Brooke wrote the following sentence: As an intensifier Despite common perception to the contrary, the use of an intensifier does not mean "figuratively" and is not an auto-antonym; ''literally'' as an intensifier cannot be lexically substituted for ''figuratively'' while keeping the meaning of the sentence the same, and instead it serves a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turn Of The Century
The turn of the century is the transition from one century to another, or the time period before or after that change in centuries. Usage The phrase "turn of the century" is generally understood to mean the change (whether upcoming or past) closest to the current generation. During the 20th century, the phrase, unqualified, was used to refer to the transition from the 19th century to the 20th century. In the 21st century, "turn of the 21st century" (or 20th century) may be used to avoid ambiguity. The ''Chicago Manual of Style'' has indicated some ambiguity on the exact meaning of the phrase "turn of the ''n''-th century". For instance, if a statement describes an event as taking place "at the turn of the 18th century", it could refer to a period around the year 1701 or around 1800, that is, the beginning or end of that century. Consequently they recommend only using "turn of the century", in a context that makes clear which transition is meant, otherwise using different, unambi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Prefix
English prefixes are affixes (i.e., bound morphemes that provide lexical meaning) that are added before either simple Root (linguistics), roots or complex ''bases'' (or ''operands'') consisting of (a) a root and other affixes, (b) multiple roots, or (c) multiple roots and other affixes. Examples of these follow: * ''undo'' (consisting of prefix ''un-'' and root ''do'') * ''untouchable'' (consisting of prefix ''un-'', root ''touch'', and suffix ''-able'') * ''non-childproof'' (consisting of prefix ''non-'', root ''child'', and suffix ''-proof'') * ''non-childproofable'' (consisting of prefix ''non-'', root ''child'', root ''proof'', and suffix ''-able'') English words may consist of multiple prefixes: ''anti-pseudo-classicism'' (containing both an ''anti-'' prefix and a ''pseudo-'' prefix). In English, all prefixes are Derivation (linguistics), derivational. This contrasts with English suffixes, which may be either derivational or inflectional. Selectional restrictions As is of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hopefully
''Hopefully'' is an adverb which means "in a hopeful manner" or, when used as a disjunct, "it is hoped". Its use as a disjunct has prompted controversy among advocates of linguistic purism or linguistic prescription. Use as a disjunct ''Merriam-Webster'' says the disjunct sense of ''hopefully'' dates to the early 18th century and had been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s. Objection to this sense of the word became widespread only in the 1960s. A 1969 survey by ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' of editors and writers found that at the time only around half of respondents found this usage of the word unacceptable, whereas by 1999 the figure was around 80%. ''Merriam-Webster'' says that this usage is "entirely standard". Before 2012, the ''AP Stylebook'' proscribed the use of "hopefully" as a disjunct. The controversy over its use is similar to those surrounding words or phrases such as "begging the question", " bemused", "nauseous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exception That Proves The Rule
"The exception that proves the rule" is a saying whose meaning is contested. Henry Watson Fowler's ''Modern English Usage'' identifies five ways in which the phrase has been used, and each use makes some sort of reference to the role that a particular case or event takes in relation to a more general rule. Two original meanings of the phrase are usually cited. The first, preferred by Fowler, is that the presence of an exception applying to a ''specific'' case establishes ("proves") that a ''general'' rule exists. A more explicit phrasing might be "the exception that proves ''the existence of'' the rule." Most contemporary uses of the phrase emerge from this origin, although often in a way which is closer to the idea that all rules have their exceptions. The alternative origin given is that the word "prove" is used in the archaic sense of "test", a reading advocated, for example, by a 1918 ''Detroit News'' style guide:''The exception proves the rule'' is a phrase that arises from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drugs
A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue. In pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance, typically of known structure, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. A pharmaceutical drug, also called a medication or medicine, is a chemical substance used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose a disease or to promote well-being. Traditionally drugs were obtained through extraction from medicinal plants, but more recently also by organic synthesis. Pharmaceutical drugs may be used for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders. Classification Pharmaceutical drugs are often classified into drug classes—groups of related drugs that hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Media
Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is interactive ** Media adequacy, specific aspects important for a successful transfer of information ** MEDIA sub-programme of Creative Europe, a European Union initiative to support the European audiovisual sector ** New media, the combination of traditional media and information and communications technology ** Print media, communications delivered via paper or canvas ** Recording medium, devices used to store information * Mass media, the institutions and methods of reaching a large audience ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass electronic communication networks ** News media, mass media focused on communicating news ** Published media, any media made available to the public * Electronic media, communications delivered via elec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Data (word)
The word ''data'' is most often used as a singular collective mass noun in educated everyday usage. However, due to the history and etymology of the word, considerable controversy has existed on whether it should be considered a mass noun used with verbs conjugated in the singular, or should be treated as the plural of the now-rarely-used ''datum''. Usage in English In one sense, ''data'' is the plural form of ''datum''. ''Datum'' actually can also be a count noun with the plural ''datums'' (see usage in datum article) that can be used with cardinal numbers (e.g., "80 datums"); ''data'' (originally a Latin plural) is not used like a normal count noun with cardinal numbers and can be plural with plural determiners such as ''these'' and ''many'', or it can be used as a mass noun with a verb in the singular form. Even when a very small quantity of data is referenced (one number, for example), the phrase ''piece of data'' is often used, as opposed to ''datum''. The debate over appropri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Informal Fallacy
Informal fallacies are a type of incorrect argument in natural language. The source of the error is not just due to the ''form'' of the argument, as is the case for formal fallacies, but can also be due to their ''content'' and ''context''. Fallacies, despite being incorrect, usually ''appear'' to be correct and thereby can seduce people into accepting and using them. These misleading appearances are often connected to various aspects of natural language, such as ambiguous or vague expressions, or the assumption of implicit premises instead of making them explicit. Traditionally, a great number of informal fallacies have been identified, including the fallacy of equivocation, the fallacy of amphiboly, the Fallacy of composition, fallacies of composition and Fallacy of division, division, the false dilemma, the fallacy of begging the question, the ad hominem fallacy and the appeal to ignorance. There is no general agreement as to how the various fallacies are to be grouped into cate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
