In a strangely aggressive New Yorker review of Daniel Jonah Goldhagen's book Hitler's Willing Executioners, Clive James went after Goldhagen for his misuse of the word decimation. Indeed Goldhagen's apparent ignorance of the correct usage of decimate was the final evidence James needed to prove that Goldhagen was a hack and that his book was worthless. Decimate of course means reduce by a tenth. If you remember Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus, Larry Olivier decimated his own legions after they had performed poorly in battle, killing every tenth man, so that they'd do better next time. At least I think that happened in the movie, it's been a while...Anyhoo, decimate means reduce by one tenth. But lately of course it's taken on a different meaning and nowadays it only gets used in its technical sense when specifically discussing the history of Ancient Rome. Now it's a synonym for slaughter or destroy or waste. This has been common usage for quite some time in the US and I'd venture to suggest that few people under 40 even know about the older definition. Clive James has always been one of those charming Canute like figures trying to stop the tide of language change but I'm afraid it just isn't possible. I know this because last week I saw this headline in the sniffy and really quite particular New York Times: At first I thought this was a story about a mob informant who had gone on a rampage in the courthouse, but it wasn't, it was just about a common snitch and was proof that the new definition is now current everywhere. I imagine that if Daniel Goldhagen used decimate in his new book the New Yorker editors would not let Clive James spend a couple of paragraphs, er, decimating the book because of it.
26 comments:
I must confess, seeing decimate used as a synonym for wholesale slaughter does needle me a bit. I'd liek to think I'm not as pedantic as Mr James, though.
Ah, "decimate" - it brings back painful memories of a boss I had whose pet hate was the misuse of this word. He even threatened to sue a selective weedkiller producer for mathematical imprecision when the brand claimed to be able to decimate the weeds in his garden. But, as you imply, the only correct and current definitions are those approved by persistent common usage, for eventually even the OED will succumb.
Mike
The non reduce by a tenth definition did irritate me too initially but now I'm OK with it.
I dont think I'll ever buy into disinterested = uninterested though.
Phil
It would be a pretty crappy weed killer if it only got rid of ten percent of the bloody weeds though
wouldnt it? Why would he even buy it?
Clive James needs to take his head out of his arse.
He used to be funny, now he'd lick his own arse and call it chocolate
Rob
There must be some sort of familial connection to account for this hostility. Let me guess, Uncle Clive wouldnt let you meet Princess Diana that time she was over and you've been furious ever since? I know I would be.
If I remember right, the issue of 'decimate' cropped up in a review in TLS years ago, relating to Dilip Hiro's use of the term. Hiro had written something like "Yasser Arafat was decimated...".
Influenced by the word's modern meaning, I grew up believing 'decimate' meant reduce TO a tenth rather than reduce BY a tenth, .
It's interesting that many firms today operate in the Roman manner, decimating their troops every year.
I was trying to think how the meaning shifted and wonder if it's the echo of devastate in the word.
It's always interesting what people are sticklers about and what they are not. Last week someone called the bookstore and harangued one of the floor staff because they were shocked and appalled at some errors they'd found in our recent newsletter. Not critical issues of author's names or titles, just I think some random grammatical things and typos. I'm not sure what this venting was supposed to accomplish. Did they think there was going to be a second, revised edition?
I'm sure the poor staff member was decimated, though.
Girish
I could never bring myself to use it about a person. I know people do but it just feels and sounds too weird to my ears.
Seana
I would have been sorely tempted to do a second edition just for him, a second edition that contained an extremely rude acrostic running all the way through.
In my Barnes and Noble days I would have been small minded and bored enough to do just that.
Right, I think it is probably just really lucky for all concerned that they didn't talk to me.
Clive James went to England at a time when the Poms widely assumed that Australia was a nation of buffoons and always has felt a need to convince people that he's not. His work is full of, largely superfluous, classical and arcane literary references. I don't mind the bloke but the pedantry is a way for him to remind us (again) that he's had a formidable education.
Seana
Or me. I had some close calls when I was on the customer service desk.
David
Thats an astute piece of analysis. I imagine thats pretty close to the truth.
I was really impressed in Cultural Amnesia by the fact that he taught himself Russian, but I was less impressed by the fact that he kept telling us over and over that he had taught himself Russian, Spanish etc.
I have the same problem with Eddie Izzard.
I know what you mean, but I'll cut Izzard some slack because of the Death Star canteen.
David
"You're Mr Stevens?"
So, the Clive James and the helicopters matter finds new life. What is an aggressive review?
So, the Clive James and the helicopters matter finds new life. What is an aggressive review?
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