Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Words I’d Change in the Dictionary


Merriam-Webster's editorial board: Are you listening?

health care: I’ve been uselessly enforcing this one for too long. One word. Let’s get it over with. 

record keeping: No way should this be two words. I could handle record-keeping. Even better: recordkeeping. See also child rearing; decision making; etc.

work site: already in the dictionary: workbag, workbasket, workboat, workbook, workbox, workday, workforce
            but work camp, work farm. OK, so I see the pattern, but I don’t see that it makes sense.

There are others. Many, many more.

Yours?

Danny boy



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8 comments:

  1. moiApril 5, 2012 at 8:33 PM

    I can't come up with any right off hand, but I do think the Germans are on to something, the way they string up to four words together to make one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. czarApril 5, 2012 at 10:29 PM

    I must admit I agree. And with my new copy-and-paste indexing methodology, I'm liking such languages more and more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. moiApril 6, 2012 at 6:43 PM

    Got one! Easygoing, the adjective. ONE WORD.

    ReplyDelete
  4. czarApril 7, 2012 at 8:41 AM

    Moi: Get a new dictionary. Merriam-Webster's:

    ===

    Main Entry:easy£go£ing
    Pronunciation:**-z*-*g*-i*, -*g*(-)i*
    Function:adjective
    Date:1674

    1 a : relaxed and casual in style or manner *an easygoing boss* b : morally lax
    2 : UNHURRIED, COMFORTABLE *an easygoing pace*
    –easy£go£ing£ness noun

    ===

    An editor friend has a shelf of dictionaries from both sides of the Atlantic and figures that, considering all of them, he can justify just about any spelling he damn well pleases.

    What dictionaries do your mags use?

    ReplyDelete
  5. chickoryApril 8, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    happy easter to the Czar

    ReplyDelete
  6. czarApril 9, 2012 at 2:59 AM

    And same to you, Chickory. I'm guessing this is not the year you and Moi will be hitting the AT. The offer still stands.

    ReplyDelete
  7. moiApril 9, 2012 at 8:06 AM

    Yes, I did mean easygoing should be one word. I see it all the time as two. I use Merriam Websters Collegiate, 11th. I don't have any other dictionary, because I don't like to confuse things. All editors are allowed their peccadilloes, but this isn't one of them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. czarApril 9, 2012 at 9:51 PM

    Moi: Right. Your dictionary has it right, but folks get it wrong. I'm thinking, what don't I like in the dictionary?

    I did see "lightening" a few more times this week, though. That's the one that drives me around the bend.

    ReplyDelete

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