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You Keep Using That Word/Very Pedantic: Difference between revisions
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* '''Zombie''': This is a case where the continued wrong use of a word in popular culture has redefined the term. However, using the term ''zombie'' to describe any old reanimated corpse is technically wrong. Zombies are supposed to be bodies specifically animated and directed by a supernatural force (as in Voodoo, [[Hollywood Voodoo|Hollywood]] or otherwise). Zombies don't even have to be ''dead'' or ''undead'', as drugged Haitian slaves might tell you. Similarly, '''Ghouls''' are typically viewed as type of Undead, but in Arabic myth they were actually Jinn believed to have been sired by [[Satan|Iblis]] that dwelt in graveyards and other uninhabited places. '''Revenants''' actually were undead, but they weren't typically held to be specifically brought back, they come back of their own accord, either for some specific purpose (such as to take revenge on their killer) or just to harass their families.
* '''Universe''': Technically speaking, the "universe" is the totality of everything that exists. If two "universes" are capable of interacting with one another, they're (strictly speaking) part of the ''same'' universe. This one is ''extremely'' pedantic, particularly if you have a [[The Multiverse|Multiverse]] (which under the technical definition would be both an oxymoron and a physical impossibility). Turns out 'Universe' is for the entirety of everything, and 'universe' is for the big balls of space and time.
** This is a case of the word actually changing, at least within the realm of [
*** Whereas within modern metaphysics, 'world' is used for the totality of all existing things, and 'universe' for universe as in cosmology. This becomes confusing for the uninitiated when talk of possible worlds -- ways the totality of stuff might, logically, have been -- is combined with talk of multiverse theory within physics as entirely reasonable statements like "Even if our universe is not actually part of a multiverse, there is a possible world close to this one in logical space in which our universe does exist as part of a multiverse" are a bit puzzling, especially for those who use 'the world' and 'Earth' interchangeably.
** The man who coined the word "multiverse", William James, said that if there was something beyond the universe, it wasn't the universe; it was one of a number of multiverses that were aspects of a greater universe; exactly the opposite of how the words are used now.
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* '''[[Useful Notes/Political Ideologies|Conservative]]''' should not be used to describe someone who is opposed to change of any sort. That is a ''reactionary'', and such people are actually quite rare nowadays. A conservative merely argues that things should not be changed if it is not absolutely necessary to do so, or that change should come as gradually as possible. Many conservatives in the past have been willing to accept economic reform (and, to a lesser extent, social reform) as long as the cultural norms of civilization itself were left untouched.
** "Conservative" and "Liberal" have come to mean very different things than when the terms were more or less established in the French revolution; ''les conservateurs'' were those opposed to the social ideals of the revolution and wanted to "conserve" the monarchy -- and, incidentally, sat on the right wing of the French parliamentary chamber -- while ''les libéraux'' were those intent on "liberating" the people from monarchic rule. In the past few decades, conservatives have been more about binding personal liberties ("conserving" the social order) while disestablishing the state ("liberating" people -- in theory, anyway -- from rulership), while the liberal side of the equation seems to maintain its intent to open up social freedoms while maintaining (or even ''increasing'') the role of the state. This is then the problem with defining a multi-dimensional question on a simple left/right axis.
*** [
* The original '''labyrinth''' (λαβύρινθος) of [[Greek Mythology]] was a very complex maze; hence the use of a thread to find the way out. But the term shifted to describe what began as an illustration of the myth: a figure consisting of a twisty but unbranched path, such as appears on the floor of many old churches.
* '''Proletarian''' originally meant "people whose only value to the state is [[We Have Reserves|producing offspring]]." In (Marxian) economics, it means "one who does not own the means of production but labors for one who does, while retaining political liberty." It does ''not'' mean "working class" or "blue-collar" -- most airline pilots are proletarians; many taxi drivers aren't.
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** "Sodomy" itself is a very vague term, as it's not exactly clear what the "sin of Sodom" originally was. It's commonly assumed to mean anal sex, but in law, it can mean a variety of purportedly deviant practices.
*** The sin of Sodom was basically that the people refused to respect the angels who were visited. Thus, [[Sacred Hospitality|Sodomy is really being rude to guests]], not anything to do with sex per se. Yes the crowd wanted the angels to rape them, but they wanted to demonstrate dominance over the visitors, and refused Lot's daughters when he offered them to the crowd instead.
*** It's accepted by most due to word choices in translation that the crowd wanted to rape the angels. However, the bible states that the crowd wished "to know" the visitors. Sodom at the time had recently recovered from a war where most of it's male population had been [
* '''Fantastic''', most commonly used to mean "great" or "cool", literally means "the stuff of fantasy." Thus, [[Lord of the Rings|Mordor]] is every bit as "fantastic" as Rivendell. Its change from original meaning to the current usage came about the same way as "incredible" and "unbelievable" came to mean something like "amazing". Interestingly enough, the Coolio song "Fantastic Voyage" uses the word in its classical sense.
* '''[Word]oholic''' is frequently misused to describe how you are addicted to [word] (such as being a self-proclaimed rageoholic if you are addicted to rage). If you are a rageoholic, you are addicted to '''[[Psycho Serum|rageohol]]''', not rage.
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* '''Destiny''' was generally defined as an ''inevitable, unalterable'' future event. Language has shifted enough such that it is now more generally known, even in many dictionaries, as a generalized word for forthcoming events, making phrases like "changing your destiny" retroactively correct.
** '''Doom''' is another word for 'destiny' or 'fate'. It doesn't have to be bad.
* To culinary professionals, '''savory''' now means containing a particular taste sensation, also known as [
* '''Decadent''' is sometimes thought to mean "luxurious". It actually means "falling into an inferior condition," and is nearly synonymous with ''degenerate''. The common conception is perhaps given to us through the image of the "decadently" wealthy in some common ideas and some [[Deadly Decadent Court|historical examples]], which doesn't refer to a lavish lifestyle that we would expect, but probably the sort of mentality that encourages inbreeding and jealous paranoia.
* The word '''awful''' used to mean "deserving of awe" (i.e. "awe-full"), and was originally a ''good'' thing to call something. In modern times, the word "awesome" has suffered the same fate, having the same meaning as "awful" originally did (i.e. something that is deserving of awe, something that people are awed by), but nowadays it is frequently used to mean "cool" or "impressive".
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* '''Eke out'''. If Jane Austen says "the vicar ekes out a meager living by beekeeping," she doesn't mean he lives on nothing but the pittance that the bees bring him: she means the beekeeping supplements his inadequate stipend. (''Eke'' still occasionally means 'also'.)
* Strictly speaking '''extra''' means "outside of", not "on top of" or "more of it". This is why "extraordinary" makes sense. "Extralegal" means outside the realm of legality (i.e. illegal), not something that is especially legal over and above the usual definition. "Extraterrestrial" (outside of earth; from another planet) is probably most recognizable by the majority of people in its correct meaning thanks to [[Steven Spielberg]]'s [[ET the Extraterrestrial (Film)|movie]].
* An '''acronym''' is an initialism which forms a word, such as "laser" ('''l'''ight '''a'''mplification by '''s'''timulated '''e'''mission of '''r'''adiation), or "amphetamine" ('''a'''lpha-'''m'''ethyl-'''ph'''en'''et'''hyl'''amine''')<ref>Note:An initialism does not need to be composed ''entirely'' of initials; it can contain word fragments or whole words. See [
* '''Due''' is an adjective, and needs a noun to modify. In the sentence "There is chaos due to misunderstandings," ''due'' modifies ''chaos'', not the whole clause ''there is chaos''. Thus, some of us hyper-pedants would prefer that ''due to'' not be used in place of ''because of''.
* Similarly, '''as such''' needs a precedent noun. "I am an adult citizen of this republic and ''as such'' have the right to vote in its elections": ''such'' means ''such a person'', i.e. "an adult citizen". ''As such'' is not a fancy synonym for ''thus'' or ''therefore''.
* '''Shoujo-ai''' and '''Shounen-ai''' are used on the West to mean same-sex romance between girls and boys respectively. Better not use those words on Japan, where they refer to [[Squick|the love of children]]. Their English equivalent would be "Girl Love" and "Boy Love", which themselves shouldn't be confused with the [[Gratuitous English]] terms "Girls Love" and "Boys Love", which the Japanese use to refer to.... [[Yuri]] and [[Yaoi]]. Yes, this is quite the coincidence.
* When a person is cremated, what you get back is actually called '''cremains''' (as in ''[[Portmanteau|cremated remains]]''), not ashes. Ashes are the remains of combustable material, cremains are the pulverized bone fragments left over after the cremation. You see, after a body is cremated, all that is left are the bones. All combustible material is completely evaporated. In fact, when you look above a crematory, all you will see is the heat haze. There won't be any smoke because there are no particles to go up into the air. So, cremation urns do not contain "ashes" but cremains.
** Occasionally, unscrupulous crematoriums may pad cremains with ashes. Indeed, as seen in the [
* An '''extravaganza''' is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) characterized by freedom of style and structure and usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody. It may more broadly refer to an elaborate, spectacular, and expensive theatrical production. It is not a party, however lavish the party may be.
* People often use the terms '''First World''', '''Second World''' and '''Third World''' as though they refer specifically to levels of development. This is not quite correct. The terms were originally coined during the Cold War to describe the three main geopolitical alignments of the time -- that is to say, America and its allies (the First World), the Communist nations (the Second World) and those aligned with neither (the Third World). Admittedly, the Third World had from the very beginning connotations of low development and high poverty, whilst the eventual triumph of capitalism over communism as an economic system led to (generally) higher standards of living in the First World than in the Second World, but it should be remembered that these factors were coincidental, not definitive; and, arguably, since the end of the Cold War, all three have become defunct, even though they're still used for more euphemistic equivalents of terms like GEDC and LEDC (Greater and Lesser Economically Developed Country respectively).
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