- The_Book_Of_Harry
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teacher: the earthquake had disastrous consequences for San Francisco, due in no small part to the fires sparked from its ruptured gas pipes. some parts of the city were absolutely decimated, and-
me: so only one tenth of those parts were destroyed?
teacher: e-excuse me…?
me: ever take a look at a dictionary, nerd? decimate means “to reduce by one-tenth”
teacher: language isn't a static construct-
me: whatever, old man. give me a ring after you learn some basic english
teacher:
me: *flies off on my copy of “elements of style”*
quote:Think before you decimate
So given that these two meanings of decimate appeared almost simultaneously, why are we so obsessed with assigning the punitive meaning to the word? A likely answer is that people are falling prey to what is known as the Etymological Fallacy, a tendency to believe that a word’s current meaning should be dictated by its roots. Unfortunately for the etymological purists, decimate comes from the Medieval Latin word decimatus, which means ‘to tithe’. The word was then assigned retrospectively to the Roman practice of punishing every tenth soldier.
So, next time you attend a symposium (etymologically, drinking partner) with someone sinister (etymologically, left-handed), and they launch into a tirade about the misuse of this word, you’ll be able to decimate their argument in no time at all.
http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/09/does-decimate-mean-destroy-one-tenth/
...and boom goes the dynamite
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Sep 27, 2016 16:33
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May 5, 2024 14:05
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- The_Book_Of_Harry
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A POINT BY POINT EXPLANATION OF WHY ALL THE REASONS I WAS FIRED FROM THE GAS STATION ARE BULLSHIT
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Sep 27, 2016 16:49
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- The_Book_Of_Harry
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I'm so smart that I did it with a watermelon. why? because watermelons can't have babies. did I get a watermelon seed stuck up in my pecker? oh yeah, for sure. did I go to the hospital to have it removed? nah, I just pee around it.
your tale of malappropriated melons calls to mind a similar passage in C. McCarthy's Suttree. its stark portrayal of the alcoholic underclass of mid century East Tennessee, seen through the lens of a malcontented former member of decent society, makes one pause to think, "there but for the grace of God, go I."
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Sep 29, 2016 16:10
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Sep 27, 2016 16:33
