• The forum software that supports hummy.tv has been upgraded to XenForo 2.3!

    Please bear with us as we continue to tweak things, and feel free to post any questions, issues or suggestions in the upgrade thread.

Words we cannot abide.

Oooh eeerr missus!! I think I probably know just about every un-PC reference to ladies wobbly bits...

(Benny Hill noises off)
 
What about 'constellation' when what is actually mean is 'list'? Not only much longer, but far more obscure, with a vast number of people who just won't know what the hell the perpetrator is banging on about. I would suspect that 99% of people would understand the meaning of the word to mean something along the lines of:
wikipedia said:
The word "constellation" comes from the Late Latin term cōnstellātiō, which can be translated as "set of stars"; it came into use in English during the 14th century.[7] The Ancient Greek word for constellation is ἄστρον. These terms generally referred to a recognisable pattern of stars whose appearance is associated with mythological characters or creatures, earthbound animals, or objects.[1] A more modern astronomical sense of the term "constellation" denotes one of the 88 IAU designated constellations recognized today.[8]
Click to expand...
{my bold}
 
Do I detect a poke?

I use "constellation" sometimes because it conveys more meaning than "set", and has been applied elsewhere for similar reasons thus widening its dictionary definition.

I do not agree with the premise that words are exact synonyms, the reduction in vernacular vocabulary loses information or is misapplied due to lack of understanding. A Tamworth is not just a pig. I will not comply with requests to dumb down my posts!
 
Black Hole said:
Do I detect a poke?
Click to expand...
You guessed
I use "constellation" sometimes because it conveys more meaning than "set", and has been applied elsewhere for similar reasons thus widening its dictionary definition.
Click to expand...
Yes I agree, ONCE YOU KNOW WTF the other person is talking about in the first place.
In your usage, you were talking about a list of apps, as was the person that you were replying to. Some kind of astrological mystique might just confuse OP when he uses 'list'
I do not agree with the premise that words are exact synonyms,
Click to expand...
But close enough for simplicity of undersatndin, I'm sure.
the reduction in vernacular vocabulary loses information or is misapplied due to lack of understanding. A Tamworth is not just a pig. I will not comply with requests to dumb down my posts!
Click to expand...
No. Of course you won't. I wouldn't expect it. :rolling: You will continue to use words and initialisms that confuse others.

I was just saying that it's a 'word that I cannot abide' when someone uses little used obscure words with possibly an unknown meaning to the reader, when there is a much simpler word that can be used.
 
Trev said:
I was just saying that it's a 'word that I cannot abide' when someone uses little used obscure words with possibly an unknown meaning to the reader, when there is a much simpler word that can be used.
Click to expand...
I'd go even further. I find when people use complicated or obscure words in a scientific (or engineering) work, I have a tendency to switch off. If you want to convey some information the target audience has to be able to understand it.
 
EEPhil said:
If you want to convey some information the target audience has to be able to understand it.
Click to expand...
If one were trying to sell a book to the uneducated masses, you might have a point (but the uneducated masses don't buy books...). What you've hit on is the reason The Sun only uses a very limited vocabulary small set of words.
 
Black Hole said:
You're right: sod off. :p
Click to expand...
Not sure what that means. Just what is the more loquacious version of that so I might better understand that? :roflmao:

Black Hole said:
If one were trying to sell a book to the uneducated masses, you might have a point (but the uneducated masses don't buy books...). What you've hit on is the reason The Sun only uses a very limited vocabulary small set of words.
Click to expand...
But that wasn't the case, was it and is a stupid comparison.
You were trying to explain something on a TV forum. Whilst trying to explain something to someone who is asking someone something, it is pretty common practice to try to answer at to similar level of understanding (rather than one including a superior vocabulary {large set f words} willy nilly that the questioner will possibly not understand) as which the question was asked, and explain what any 'new' (from a vastly superior vocabulary) words mean.

And if 'constellation' in the context of TV doesn't fairly closely mean a 'program list' then just what does it mean, because it isn't easy to find any other meaning other than to do with the stars. Even if you Google 'Constellation TV' you get a load of irrelevant hits about fantasy tv. :frantic:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top