When I use a word. . .

[Jason Willebeek-LeMair <jlemair -at- ITEXCHSRV2 -dot- PHX -dot- MCD -dot- MOT -dot- COM>]

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, "it means just what I choose it
to mean -- neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many
different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's
all."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Perhaps this "nouning" and "verbing" of words comes from having a
"master" attitude, like Humpty Dumpty's, rather than steward attitude
towards language.

Actually, I am all for the evolution of language.  But I am tired of
"bureaubabble" -- such as "statusing a project" (direct quote from
meeting minutes) rather than "determining the status of a project" --
which is simply a vain and inane attempt to sound superior to your peers
and underlings, who usually do not have the political clout to say "Hey,
boss.  You sound like an idiot."

Sorry for that little rant at the end there, until recently I was
employed by a company of Humpty Dumptys.

Jason
mailto:jlemair -at- phx -dot- mcd -dot- mot -dot- com

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