I was on Nate Silver's blog at the weekend reading about his take on the Iranian election. Nate is hyped as one of the smartest people in America. Using complex mathematics he predicted the US Presidential Election down to 1 vote and his analysis of statistical trends has been impressive. So you can imagine my surprise when in an article about the Mark Sanford sex scandal he mentioned how "nonplussed" the French were by such a small thing as having a mistress in Argentina. Oh no, I thought, et tu Nate? And then it dawned on me. Almost no one in America or England or anywhere else for that matter knows what the word nonplussed actually means. After spotting Nate's blunder I did a Google "news" search on nonplussed and sure enough a dozen stories came up and in 10 of them they used the word incorrectly. Only the Associated Press talking about Larry King cancelling his Farrah Fawcett show and the New York Times describing how upset a tennis player had been at Wimbledon used it properly. You see nonplussed actually means the opposite of what everyone thinks it means. It doesn't mean "unimpressed" or "unmoved" as The Daily Mirror, The Traverse City Record Eagle etc. etc. believe, it actually means "upset" or so upset that you're stunned into silence. I'm nonplussed right now, because clearly the usefulness of this word has reached its end. I did the Google News search rather than regular Google because to get a story in a newspaper, in theory, you've got to get it past an editor and a copyeditor first; I'm sure that out in the blogosphere and real life the situation is even worse. When you've got a scenario in which the vast majority of the population think a word means the opposite of its actual meaning then the word is toast. So let's stop embarrassing ourselves as a culture (at least over this) please join me in searching for an Old Yeller solution to this once proud coinage.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Nonplussed About Nonplussed
I was on Nate Silver's blog at the weekend reading about his take on the Iranian election. Nate is hyped as one of the smartest people in America. Using complex mathematics he predicted the US Presidential Election down to 1 vote and his analysis of statistical trends has been impressive. So you can imagine my surprise when in an article about the Mark Sanford sex scandal he mentioned how "nonplussed" the French were by such a small thing as having a mistress in Argentina. Oh no, I thought, et tu Nate? And then it dawned on me. Almost no one in America or England or anywhere else for that matter knows what the word nonplussed actually means. After spotting Nate's blunder I did a Google "news" search on nonplussed and sure enough a dozen stories came up and in 10 of them they used the word incorrectly. Only the Associated Press talking about Larry King cancelling his Farrah Fawcett show and the New York Times describing how upset a tennis player had been at Wimbledon used it properly. You see nonplussed actually means the opposite of what everyone thinks it means. It doesn't mean "unimpressed" or "unmoved" as The Daily Mirror, The Traverse City Record Eagle etc. etc. believe, it actually means "upset" or so upset that you're stunned into silence. I'm nonplussed right now, because clearly the usefulness of this word has reached its end. I did the Google News search rather than regular Google because to get a story in a newspaper, in theory, you've got to get it past an editor and a copyeditor first; I'm sure that out in the blogosphere and real life the situation is even worse. When you've got a scenario in which the vast majority of the population think a word means the opposite of its actual meaning then the word is toast. So let's stop embarrassing ourselves as a culture (at least over this) please join me in searching for an Old Yeller solution to this once proud coinage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
65 comments:
I thought it actually meant "bewildered, perplexed", so your pal Nate Silver could actually have used it correctly. It may be too early for a death by Newbery Medal.
I'm so nonplussed that you didn't refer even more to Old Yeller. Y'know, I saw that movie as a child and it was the first movie that ever made me cry. Rocky III also made me cry as a child, y'know, the part when Mickey dies.
Oddly, I do know what it means, but it brings up a painful memory. At college once, I had finally introduced my father to a guy I admired very much. I should say that my friend was probably about six- four, and a pretty imposing figure for a young man. Anyway, we were all pretty much in his sway in those days. After my dad met him, he said, "I have to admit, I was nonplussed." I of course made the error of thinking he meant 'unimpressed', but didn't question him about it and simply held it against him. It was only years later that I realized that he had meant it in the Free Dictionary's sense of 'to be put at a loss as to what to think, say or do'. To this day, I feel badly about thinking that my father, who, though sometimes judgmental, was actually quite inclined to see the good in people, would have said something so cutting about a friend of mine.
Liam,
Mickey's death has left an indelible mark on me, even though you can't understand a word Stallone is saying during the entire scene.
Speaking of words that frequently are used to convey the exact opposite of their actual meaning... I am not sure anyone knows what "peruse" means anymore. Its common usage is as a synonym for "skim", "glance" or "browse", while it actually means to delve deeply into a subject (roughly) or to study thoroughly. The real problem with this is that it's the people who commonly misuse a word that define its meaning because they are probably using it incorrectly more frequently than others use it correctly.
I'm really surprised. I thought it meant to be at a loss as to what to think. More to the point, my dictionary says as much!
Michael I bet you're really surprised, perplexed and at a loss as to what to think now.
I thought it meant a combination of confused and stymied.
Maybe we could add nonplussed to the list of auto-antonyms .
Me, I feel rather plussed about it all, but I'm sure Herr Rozovsky will join your crusade against this widespread uncorrect usage.
Brian,
You've totally got me laughing out loud right now. It's totally true. You can't understand a word, except maybe a "Mick" or two in there. And that's a definite maybe.
That's a nice list, Marco. I particularly like that defining word 'antagonyms'.
Marco
You're hinting that you've read the book? Surely not? I saw the movie but I dont think I could read the book. The same with The Yearling - it would be just too much for me.
There's an interesting bit in the much panned Stephen Spielberg film 1941 where a General is in watching Bambi and weeping buckets - that would be me.
Also the bit with the dummy on the Ferris Wheel was funny.
Liam
Yeah it was a shame about the Mick. And then Drago kills Apollo Creed right? First the Mick, then Apollo not good.
Did you cry when Angelo Dundee died?
Seana
I'm sorry for bringing up the family trauma. Obviously a can of worms there....
FreeRangeMonkey
Wow, I had no idea. Yes you're right, I thought it meant to dabble in something or have a quick skim.
Mike
I think it means that you're so upset that you're at a loss for words, but if you look at the way the newspapers and Nate uses it the implication is that its not a big deal and they couldnt care less.
Marco
That's unkind. Herr Rozovsky. Ha ha.
Corey
It certainly does not mean "not fussed" which I think is the root of the confusion.
Brian
I'm just relieved that they finally killed off Adrian. It was embarrassing that Adrian was the girlfriend.
Now we've got some positive male Adrians: Adrian Grenier (dating Drew Barrymore I've heard) Adrian Beltre and Adrian Monk.
What about Adrian Brody? And how come none of you guys are ever called Hadrian, which must be where the name comes from? It would clear up a lot of confusion, let me tell you.
It wasn't a family can of worms, by the way--I just think it's poignant how these small miscommunications are the things you end up remembering, apparently forever.
Seana
Adrien with an e so he doesnt count, although his mack move at the Oscars which destroyed Halle Berry's marriage to that creep gets a big thumbs up from me.
Actually here's a fairly traumatic story: I was once refused entry to the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, Massachusetts because me ID card said Adrian McKinty and the complete tool at the gate said that it couldnt be my card because Adrian was a girl's name. I had obviously borrowed someone else's card he thought. "Haven't you heard of Adrien Brody?" I said. He shook his head. He hadn't. I was refused entry. Later I wrote to the Department of Fish and Wildlife to complain. They never answered my letter.
I didn't mean Herr Rozovsky that way, it's just his surname is so Yiddish...but as a Copy Editor, these are the things that make him go mad.
No, I haven't read the book.
Marco
Yeah I know what you're saying about Peter.
There's no way I could handle that book. Charlotte's Web practically killed me and that was only about a spider dying. (Actually doesnt she get eaten alive?)
Liam,
Yeah, and taken out of context it's hysterical, but the scene still works for me too. Did you see Rocky Balboa? I think that might be my second favorite out of the whole series, though there are a lot of great moments in Rocky II.
Adrian,
Yeah, I liked the decision to kill off Adrian, b/c that way they avoided the "wife tells the husband he shouldn't fight anymore" plotline that they'd already done to death. Plus, it gave the movie a lot of weight I felt.
Speaking of names, was it common when you were growing up in NI for weans to call their Grandmoms either Morai or Maimeo?
Brian,
I did see the newest one. Not my favorite. My fav is definitely Rocky III, as it's the only time Rocky talks smack to his opponent during the fight. Yes, Mickey died, but Apollo came in and transformed Rocky and add that in with Paulie getting thrown into the pool and how can you beat that?
Brian,
I thought it was very good that they killed off Adrienne in the new one. I did add a lot of weight and was pretty touching at times.
Yo Adrian,
I'm not sure who Angelo Dundee is, but I did probably cry because, hey, I'll just admit it, I'm a movie crier. The end of Gladiator gets me every time. That part in The Patriot when the little girl speaks for the first and tells her father not leave gets me every time. Seven Pounds and The Notebook made me cry like a Lifetime Network watcher. I can't see Natalie Portman cry either. I see her cry, I cry. I only tell you this because we're not speaking face to face.
Brian
Havent seen Rocky Balboa. I liked III too, but I still like I the best. For some reason those goofy scenes in the pet shop really got to me.
Liam
Crying's fine in a movie. I think I cried at the end of Rushmore or maybe at the bit where he apologises to Margaret Wang and comes up with the idea of the kite flying society.
Angelo Dundee was Ali's real life Philly born and much larger than life trainer. A quick check of Wikipedia actually gives me the surprising information that he's not dead.
Liam,
I hear ya, brother. Rocky III is a good flick, a lot of fun and so very 80s. It's kind of hysterical to watch Stallone and Weathers playing in the surf together in those ridiculously small workout clothes. I'll bet at the time everyone thought they looked awesome in their outfits.
Brian
Nope never used that one for grandma.
Adrian,
Yeah man, the first is still the best. I'd recommend Rocky Balboa if you like the other ones. It also continues the thread from the pet shop in the first movie, as (VERY MINOR SPOILER ALERT) Cuff and Link make an appearance early in the movie. It's full of nice little touches like that.
I'm nonplussed about how much you guys all cry. You'll have to guess my meaning.
No, not really. Our family all cry like girls...Wait a minute, we are girls.
My sister once confessed to crying over a yogurt commercial. We all cry in the middle of jokes. I cry at parades. Sometimes, I'll read a touching story at the cash register, which is a mistake.
Movies are weird, though. Movies give everyone permission to cry, but then all of a sudden the lights go on and you are supposed to come out of it acting completely normal and unaffected.
Adrian, on behalf of the United States of America, I apologize for your experience at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge. I know it may not seem official, but I would like to meet the person who has the idiocy to challenge me on this.
Seana
Thanks. Thats all I wanted. And also thank you to Adrian Grenier, Adrian Monk, Adrian Beltre and Adrien Brody for squelching the girls name aspect of the name.
I forgot to say that I narrowly missed meeting Adrian Grenier when he was in Melbourne. Leah (the missus) went to see cousin Andrew at his hotel in St Kilda and because he was sharing a room with Grenier she bumped into him. A nice chap apparently. I met up with Andrew and Leah later and so the two Adrians did not meet and the universe was not destroyed like that episode of Star Trek.
...yeah thats right everything comes back to Star Trek, you got a problem with that?
The United States of America does not have a problem with that.
(I feel qualified to represent our fair land, at least until they take me away in handcuffs.)
Could you remind us what the name of Cousin Andrew's band is, as I now have advanced to not very advanced DSL, and, thanks to PKL, could see if his stuff is on Last.fm
Seana
The Honey Brothers. This is one of their decidely eccentric Music Videos.
Oh, yeah. I remember watching this before on wretched dial-up. I liked it then, and I like it now. I'll just pop on over to Last.FM and see if they have any record...
I believe you are referring to episode 5 s 1. "The Enemy Within".
Seana
Well? The suspense is killing me.
Ian
I'm that much of a geek that I know there were at least two episodes where Kirk gets split. The Enemy Within, yup. But cant we also count Mirror Mirror? Thats the one with the Evil Kirk and Evil Spock in the mirror universe.
I just noticed on that cluster map thingy that we got our first Iranian IP address. Thanks for dropping by. I hope you weren't too disappointed by our talk of Smurfs, Rocky and Star Trek.
Brian
I like those pet shop scenes with Rocky and Adrianne. If Larry David or Ricky Gervais had come up with that stuff they'd be calling it genius.
It's that time of the year again!
"Detective Pierson mentally reviewed the group of suspects milling around the recent crime scene-two young siblings eating gingerbread, a young girl in a red hoodie, a beautiful girl with narcolepsy, and seven little people with the profession of miners-then gave his statement of "It's a grim tale" to the press. Shannon Gray
Wichita, KS "
"Darnell knew he was getting hung out to dry when the D.A. made him come clean by airing other people's dirty laundry; the plea deal was a new wrinkle and there were still issues to iron out, but he hoped it would all come out in the wash - otherwise he had folded like a cheap suit for nothing.
Lynn Lamousin
Baton Rouge, LA"
"No man is an island, so they say, although the small crustaceans and the bird which sat impassively on Dirk Manhope's chest as he floated lazily in the pool would probably disagree.
Glen Robins
Brighton, East Sussex, U.K. "
ABOMINABLE PUN
"Eyeing the towering stacks of food colouring that formed the secret to his billion-dollar batik textile empire, grumpy Old Man Griffington was forced to admit that dye mounds are a churl's best friend.
Janine Beacham
Busselton, Western Australia"
Marco
Some really nice ones there. I always like the Fantasy Fiction ones best for some reason. And the detective and the laser point was funny.
I entered the horrible puns and general category contest but didnt win or place which means I will have to get a lot more practice in for next year.
These are my entries which I dont think were completely outclassed by ALL the winners:
worst opening line (general category)
The sky was the color of an M&M that you find by accident while rummaging around the back of your sofa for your missing car keys, an M&M that’s been there since at least January 1998 when you were diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and forced to give up the candy covered chocolate treats.
worst opening line (horrible puns)
Natasha, the Russian mail order bride, found it hard to adjust after being fired from the assembly line at Burt’s Bees Skin Care Products - one time her husband even caught her smearing Lip Restorer With Pomegranite Oil on their Slumberland pillow, and, when asked why, she told him: “I love the smell of lip balm in the morning, it smells like factory.”
Oops, I popped on over to last Fm and then didn't pop back. Yes, the Honey Brothers are there. I saw that video that you passed along here, it's fun, isn't it?,and then listened to "Honey Brother Radio", which means you start off with a song by whoever you chose and then they play what are supposed to be related groups. By that time, I was so far off track that I forgot my mission.
Yes, those entries are very honorable. My only problem with the second one is that I can't remember how the real sentence ends. I mean, instead of factory. Maybe that was the judge's problem too.
Adrian:
My personal favorite mis-used word is "pentultimate." Most people think it means the very best, or worst, or ultimate. Actually, of course you know this, it means you came in second.
The way you did in the Hammett competition at DBB. I must gloat because this is my only writing award since I got the National High School Journalism Feature Story of the Year Award in 1968,
so I was getting desperate.
For the record, here's my dumb opening line:
"Generations ago, Flutarch's descendants, upon meeting their silver space brothers, danced an odd, elbows-out Crane-Dance which glorified the Greater White Crane -- the native god of his people -- and also gave everyone in the tribe an opportunity to express his or her ethnic identity, dressing in colorful costumes as a swamp toad, woodland creature, or other denizen of Mother Nature, and it was critical to the rite that the identity and costume be freely chosen and sewn entirely by the wearer, who was expected to act convincingly as the animal of his or her choice, but Flutarch was having trouble deciding whether to once more be a moth."
PKL
Seana:
The real line is:
"It smells like victory."
Like the time I won that Grand Prize in the DBB contest and Adrian only won the penultimate prize. I'll bet Adrian was really nonplussed.
PKL
Patrick
That was pretty good. Did you enter that in the BL? Actually I thought both our entries could have held our own with this years winners and placers.
Yeah penultimate is a common blunder that gets on my nerves. Actually and this is more of a regional thing I suspect I'm not a gigantic fan of the way some people say nucular.
Seana
Its an Apocalypse Now gag.
Yeah the Honey Brothers played pretty big shows in Sydney. I dont think they played any in Melbourne. Andrew was just visiting us. I like that single though catchy.
Adrian: Personally, my favorite Melbourne band these days is Jet.
By the way, how are the card tricks coming along?
PKL
Patrick
I got the book but I just havent had the time to practice. I'm trying to get that kids novel finished. It was supposed to be done June 30, now I'm thinking July 31 is a more likely date.
I'd like to say that you will be able to beat PKL out at the magic tricks once you get to it, Adrian, but that would be dishonest.
I think both your entries probably should have won something, but actually, I've gotten a bit intrigued by Flutarch's dilemma, dammit.
Thanks for the factory/victory info.
Correct me if I'm wrong, though (and I know somebody will), but I thought penultimate meant second to the end. Like the penultimate stress in a word, or the penultimate word in a sentence.
Seana:
Technically, you are correct about next to last, and I am wrong. However, since the Grand Prize (the prize I won) would always be awarded last, and since the Second Place prize (which goes to our Adrian) would be awarded next to last, his prize is the penultimate one.
So, to you, a hearty na-na-na-na-na-na!
Also, at your request, The Tale of Flutarch will become another serial feature on my blog, Other Voice, Other Tunes. I think you're right again -- what began as pure garbage has, under the spell of my creativity, become spun gold. I too want to know if Flutarch will once again be a moth.
Flutarch makes me think of a Greek Historian who has taken up playing wind instruments, or maybe is particularly prone to seasonal maladies.
Adrian, we'll always have parricide, though admittedly derivative, could have been a strong contender for the Abominable Pun Category.
Patrick,
what are your all-time favorite Australian Bands?
Patrick, I suppose I must concede to that rather tortuous bit of logic. Well, actually, I don't think I'd have to, but I will.
I look forward to the Progress of Flutarch.
Marco:
I'm afraid my knowledge of Aussie bands is bound to be somewhat limited. But I still listen to Hunters and Collectors, Midnight Oil, very early AC/DC, The Radiators, The Saints, Radio Birdmen, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dead Can Dance, Hoodoo Gurus, The Vines, Men At Work, and Split Enz, who were actually from New Zealand.
I sense, Marco, that you are way ahead of me with your stumpers over on my blog. You sent me scurrying around to figure those out!
Seana: Funny you should use that word -- tortured, in reference to my logic. I actually have a little rack up in my belfrey where actually strap the wee thoughts down and stretch 'em until their spines snap. So, you don't know how right you are.
And thank you for the title of my next grand opus:
The Progress of Flutarch. Got a ring to it. Right in its nose.
Misused words make me livid. That is, my face turns _______ with rage.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Peter, as to livid, is that some kind of challenge?
Jawohl, Fräulein Graham.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Blast and double blast.
Actually, 'Locked in the Ken Room' would be a good title too.
Adrian, E.B. White's writing makes me cry, too. There a part in Elements of Style about misuse of however that makes me-- I'm sorry, I'd better go.
==============
Detektive Hinter Grenzen
"Weil der Mord Mehr Spaß Abseits Heim Ist"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Red with rage, Peter? With livid originally meaning bluish, and therefore a small misuse?
There a part in Elements of Style about misuse of however that makes me-- I'm sorry, I'd better go.
However, I think it would be nice if you told us.
Your German signature needs some polishing. Try the Italian next.
Post a Comment