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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16464
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 5:18pm | IP Logged | 1
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I have two friends, a married couple, that read regularly, and in all honesty I would say they read more regularly than me. I love comics, but when it comes to reading "regular" books, I tend to lean toward non-fiction books, such as historical books, books on entertainment, biographies, and such. They consistently read a lot of novels, including classic literature.
The other day I was quite surprised at their reaction to a word I used while I was riding along with them and we were having a conversation about someone. I mentioned that this other person I knew was a nice person, but could be a bit milquetoast. They laughed at the word and asked me what the heck "milquetoast" meant.
"You don't know that word?", I asked, sincerely confounded.
"Never heard it before," they both basically told me.
I went on to explain that it is similar to someone who is a nebbish person.
"'Nebbish'? What the heck does that mean?", they shot back.
"Seriously?", I asked them, "You both read as many books as you do, and you don't know either of those words?"
They said they hadn't come across those words before and chided me saying only I would think of using such words these days.
I forget what other word I have used since, but there has been another instance that happened a short time later with these friends that was similar to the other discussion. The thing is, they are both intelligent and well-read, and the wife works for a newspaper (it is in a smaller town, where they live, but still...). But, the words I used were not, I thought, that uncommon or outdated. And I am sure they had to have come across the words before, considering what they do read.
I think that maybe comic book fans learn words that aren't in common usage anymore, and maybe that's why they were so amused and yet unaware of those words. But, I really don't think those words are that rarely used even today. And it is especially perplexing because the husband is a big comic book fan, too. That kind of pops a hole in my theory about it being that comic fans are more exposed to some words.
So, are there words you have used around friends that they didn't know or understand? Do they laugh at you for using them? I am talking about words that you would assume the average, intelligent person to know, not fictional names or that sort of thing.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132627
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 5:31pm | IP Logged | 2
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I've been surprised -- just recently, in fact -- when I used the phrase sine qua non and got blank stares from my more educated friends. Followers of the Forum know I have a fondness for antique words and phrases. Things like "methinks" and "anon." Caught it from my Dad!
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Brandon Frye
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2004
Posts: 1319
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 6:35pm | IP Logged | 3
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I'm often guilty of using "been there, done that" even though the popularity of that phrase seems to be long past.
I also have a co-worker who still likes to refer to various objects as "puppies" which I believe was a popular term for about 15 minutes back in the 90's.
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Rich Marzullo
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 January 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 2702
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 6:45pm | IP Logged | 4
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I recently used the word 'albatross', in the metaphorical burden sense, with a group at work, and got laughter all around. Apparently, the group thought I was referencing the type of bird and wondered what I was actually trying to say.
When I come across people who don't recognize a word I've used, I do try to be understanding and realize that we all come from different walks of life. After all, there are plenty of words I don't know! Probably an attitude I got from my dad, who would be pretty harsh with me when I wasn't aware of a word that he thought was commonplace.
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Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2322
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 6:58pm | IP Logged | 5
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My first instinct here was that, yes, I only know "milquetoast" and "nebbish" from reading 50-year-old SPIDER-MAN comics. But then I realized you can't get through one movie review (or even mention) of Woody Allen without the word "nebbish" being used! The public at large knows Woody Allen, the public at large has definitely heard the word "nebbish" dozens of times!
Matt, I think it's your friends.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16464
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 7:28pm | IP Logged | 6
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Either that, Eric, or it's that everybody doesn't read reviews of Woody Allen films. ;-)
Edited by Matt Hawes on 28 December 2014 at 7:29pm
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Roy Johnson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 May 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 1323
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 7:34pm | IP Logged | 7
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I've used the word "magnanimous" to people who think it means something else.
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Brian Hague
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8515
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | 8
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I had someone ask me how I was doing, and I said I was feeling punchy. They had no idea what punchy meant. "Like a boxer whose been in the ring too long..." They thought that was great. "I am totally going to have to use that!" they said.
As if I had somehow just invented the word "punchy" right there just for them.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16464
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 8:15pm | IP Logged | 9
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The wife that was one of the couple I mentioned in my story above attempted to correct me for using the word "learnt". She said that it wasn't a word.
"Are you kidding?", I asked in all sincerity.
Again, she and her husband are pretty well-read. But, I had to prove that "learnt", while not in common usage these days, was in fact a proper word.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16464
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 8:16pm | IP Logged | 10
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Roy Johnson wrote:
| ...I've used the word "magnanimous" to people who think it means something else... |
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Do they think it's a kind of dinosaur? ;-)
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17678
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 8:42pm | IP Logged | 11
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Using the word "apropos" has gotten me blank stares from fellow
educators.
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17678
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| Posted: 28 December 2014 at 8:47pm | IP Logged | 12
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I've used the word "magnanimous" to people who think it means
something else.
—
My Latin teacher Ms. Rothstein introduced me to "magnanimous
latitudinarian" back in olden times.
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