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Words have meanings

.280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 2002 in General Discussion
The following is not directed at any person or persons in particular (well, OK, if you have reason to think that is about you, it probably is!)This definition can be found on page 381 of GunBroker's Abridged Dictionary, Edition 1.Verbostentatious - adj. Describes one who uses the most, and longest, words possible to get their point across.
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some people just like to show off with fancy words like they are impressing someone. Me, I don't like big words regardless if I know what they mean or not. Depending on who uses them I noticed that the smarter you try to appear the more stupid you sound. There is absolutely no reason to try to act like a Harvard proffesor on here, if you need to impress people with big words you need to go to some college forum and compete with them. I admit I isnt shmart enuff to converse wit peoples of a higher edumocation than me has.
    when all else fails........................
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  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    What precisely is the syllable tally for non sophisticated communication on these threads? Are simians excluded from the standard or does the standard apply to all presentations? What is the penalty for an unintentional use of complex sentence structure? Is there a minimum perspicacity for posts or are grunts and burbles satisfactory?The unpretentious & subservient Dr. T.S. Monkey
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I spect the grunts and burbles will * ya more a them responzes. Whist there was some how to make pickturs here. Theat way theyd * the point evertime.Clouder..
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  • varmit huntervarmit hunter Member Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yelp.
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    7mm Ultra -Liked your last sentence. Just about sprayed coffee all over the keyboard!Supermonkey -You asked some salient questions. The answers, in order, are:3; no, GB does not discriminate on the basis of simian ethnicity; a one hour time-out from participation in these forums; grunts and burbles are satisfactory if they are coherent and to the point. Hope this answered your questions.Sincerely,.280 freak, GB Word Police Captain
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Here's a question for you. Prefaced, of course, by some clouder pomposity, verbosity and bombast. We are all about the same age and have similar educational backgrounds, high school and a few college coures on some things that interested us, correct? And when you guys write I have no problem at all understanding exactly what you are saying (except JD). That includes the nuances and double meanings, (there's a common French word for that but to use it would cause all kinds of wailing so I won't but I'll bet a bucket of bullets that most of you know what it is). I don't care about spelling or grammar or sentence structure, I care about what you say, and what you care about, and what you know based on your life experiences. I write the same as you do, using words that I know to convey what I want. I was taught 'Use the best words you know lest you forget them.' Now the question.Is it wrong to do your best? Would you want me to dumb down to the lowest denominator? Have you no interest in learning something new other than the maximun velocity of a .313 Short Magnum, Double-belted, rebatd rim, wapiti swatter? Hells bells, I can add some mistakes if it will make you feel better but that would be as dishonest as not using what I know.Honest answers please.Clouder..
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  • thebutcherthebutcher Member Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know I don't fit the profile here, but I don't see any problem with using proper grammar or spelling, or even a complex vocabulary. I think it is annoying, though, when someone tries to write above HIMSELF not the people on the board. Clouder, I do not mean you, but there are some people on this board who try to make themselves seem smart by using words that no one (including themselves) fully understands.[This message has been edited by thebutcher (edited 01-07-2002).]
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That is exactly what I came here for, to learn about gun and shooting stuff. I have alot to learn about guns, I thought I knew it all untill I came here. I also like the general barroom talk one can get here. i am by no means sofisticated and have no desire to pretend I am. When I was in school there was a couple of groups of kids, the nerds, the jocks and the rest. I was in the group with the rest of them. Simple words, simple lives. Had no desire to hang out with the nerds and I still get flustered when I start hearing the same stuff I avoided in school. don't try to make me feel like I'm stupid(already know I am) using higher edumocation talk because I will ignore most of it. In your own ways you are probably a hell of a lot smarter than me. I grew up in the school of life and we didnt have a grammar book to tell us how to learn. I just like simple things and will never change. BTW those nerds in school who always acted like their poo poo didnt stink, they are flipping burgers at Mcee dee's. I'm the one looking down now.
    when all else fails........................
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Clouder -I'm not sure if your questions were directed at me or not, but I will answer them as I see them:1) No.2) Absolutely not.3) If it had been phrased "Have you ANY interest in learning .....", my answer would be - Yes. Since you put it "Have you NO interest in learning .....", would my answer then be - No?I'm SO confused!Gads, I actually DID think that I had a better grasp of the English language than this, but I really am uncertain here. A little help, please?Skating on intellectually thin ice .280 freak signing off.
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  • ndbillyndbilly Member Posts: 1,573 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK, Clouder, honesty it is. I'll presume that I've read enough of your posts and followed the threads since I discovered this site in September to qualify me to respond.I don't often join in your threads though I find them well-written (I believe you are a wordsmith by profession?), cogent and sincere. However, I also find them to be unnecessarily condescending. At first I thought you were just trying to "Stir the pot" as some here have termed it, and that the condescension was part of your methodology. If so, you are remarkably consistent. I cannot recall any of your lengthier posts that were without that air of superiority. At best, it is annoying. At its worst, it discourages broad participation which, I believe, is one of the primary goals of any post on the General Discussion Board.Now, having said that, I ask who truly cares what you or I think on a particular topic? If we have something to share and others find it interesting, informative or humorous, great. If not, it's not a big deal. Sometimes we all take ourselves more than a bit too seriously.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    280:The sentence with a negative (no) answered with a negative (no) equals a positive.The sentence with positive (any) answered with a positive (yes) equals a positive.Does the phrase "like signs" ring a bell?Clouder..
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ndbilly:I design, build and operate Emergency Operations Centers as a profession. I write for pleasure. I can't help the superiority thing, I'm just sorry some people feel that way, honestly.Clouder..
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The last time I mentioned this it got poofed so I'll try to reword it . Some of us need to feel bigger by making others look smaller. Be it with words or knowledge of certain topics. I personaly do not have respect for someone who has to belittle others in order to feel superior. It keeps getting pointed out and ridiculed that some of us do not like the big words and then that person is told like a 3 year old that it will be ok. If you are of a higher education and was taught to use your extensive knowledge of the language, fine. Just don't rub it in my face because I could not give a care as to how smart you are. Making me or anyone else fell smaller to satisfy your own personal agenda is doing nothing but showing us you have a problem and you need to deal with it instead of smearing everybody else about their imperfections. As far a Judge goes, well he is open game because he invites ridicule. That person is .....well.... uhh....how do I say it without insulting remarks? Wierd. But I think alot of it is a put on because he is getting attention and I think he enjoys it.
    when all else fails........................[This message has been edited by 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king (edited 01-07-2002).]
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
    edited November -1
    DEFENESTRATE (Verb) DEFENESTRATION (Noun)I think defenestration is a neat-sounding word. One of my favorite, and it sounds so sinister, but I cannot manage to use it much.It means the act of throwing someone out a window.I am aching for the chance to use it in a crime report. Bound to happen sooner or later.
    Certified SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of the General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the premier gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net Jesus is Lord!
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey .280, your question presupposes that people use large words and complex sentences to "appear" smarter. My friend VarmitHunter can't spel worth a darn and might not appear smart, but I'd put my money on that ol boy any day, he is a smart one.Some here, because of educational backgrounds and reading and professions probably do have larger vocabularies than others and may use those vocabularies because it is natural to them rather than to impress or irritate. While Clouder may indeed sound condescending and even curmudgeonly at times, in truth he is helpful and informative. That is how Clouder comes across, but not how Clouder intends to come across. Personally, I approve of the large words and complex sentences. More interesting.
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  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nunn: Wonder if it comes from German? fenster=window
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whiteclouder, I for one do not understand a lot of what you say. I dont care really, because if its something I really want to know I'll ask you to bring it down to my level. You use a lot of words that 90% of people with my eduacation level do not understand, and that puzzles me, as to why you do it. The words that I use are easily understandable, and I do not sound ignorant with my use of the language. I cant help but wish, and hope that you will write so that we can all understand you, and wonder why you dont. You know we dont understand most of what you say, and for those that do, how about braking it down 'Barney' style for the rest of us when Whiteclouder finishes a post? Fact is though, as I stated earlier, when you start talking like that, it usually doesnt have anything to do with what I want to know about, so I just let it go over my head. Oh, no I dont care to become better educated in the English language. I communicate well, and have no problem making myself understood, I for one hate school and college and all the higher learning crap. I am a simple man, and thank God every day that there are so many people that are smarter than I am, so I dont have to die at a young age, because I am too stupid to cure all the worlds diseases, negotiate peace plans, and run the world: This should read- accelerate the over population of the world, cause years of war in countrys I could give a rats butt about, and screw up the world with my superior strength and over bearing power.
    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Clouder -Thanks; I was pretty sure that was correct, but it just seemed awkward, somehow."Like signs", sure, but my formal education ended a LONG time ago, and some terms seem to slip away over time.Mathematically, I knew that multiplying two negatives yields a positive, and was pretty sure that the same applied here, but, ....., wasn't positive (pun intended), so thought I'd ask.Nunn -Good word, too bad you didn't bring it up about a year ago! I remember a running string of stories where somebody was always tossing their tRusty Winchester through a window and then diving out after it. Ah, the good old days.Oh, yeah, before I forget -At the start of this thread, I said that it was not directed at any one person or persons in particular. I meant it. I was just having some fun; the word came to me as I was falling asleep last night and thought it amusing. Didn't mean for it to become too serious. Hope it doesn't.Signed, Class Clown of 1970, .280 freak
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    He Dog -You posted while I was typing my last post so I didn't see it til just now. You have me at a slight loss. What question did I ask? I mean, other than the one that Clouder answered for me. Or is that the one you mean?Also, I have nothing but respect for VarmitHunter, his meanings come through loud and clear.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK. I just finished chapter 15 of 'Laramie', written simply and in the language of the 1860s. Anyone want to see it? Pre-warned:Nunn will delete it quickly because it has three mild swear words. Let me know.Clouder..
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  • turboturbo Member Posts: 820 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Since it's been asked, I'm of the opinion that it would nice to practice the adjectives refered to, and thereby keep the posts shorter.You should have known better than to ask me.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OKClou
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  • turboturbo Member Posts: 820 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nunn,Not to sound like a smart--- , but I thought the word "fenestrate" refered to heat loss/gain thru glass and other material properties, when calculating heating and cooling in habitable structures.If you go to a shooting, of some sort, I guess you could say the individual was "defenestrated", relieved of some heat, huh?
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Oh oh, you did it now turbo. I think you're both wrong but to actually say it to the boss. Not PC, not PC at all.Clouder..
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  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think we're missing a big ole point here: there seems to be an assumption that using big words and complex sentences makes for good writing, and that's just flat out false. When you get right down to the nitty-gritty, writing is about communication. It's about getting someone else to understand what you think. If the words you choose or the way your put them together makes it difficult for your audience to understand; well, that's not good writing.Too often I read things that look like good writing, but turn out to be garbage. The author uses fancy ideas and references in the same way that a magician uses his pretty assistant and the sweep of his hands: to distract you for something else. In these cases, it's to distract you from a weakness of ideas and reasoning. The author thinks that if the ideas and thoughts are not good, he could dress them up with some two dollar words and fancy phrases and make the reader think it's great writing. Nonsense. You can paste a ton of makeup on a cheap whore, but underneath it all she's still a cheap whore.Someone could make the point that there's a beauty in the carefully chosen word or the well-turned phrase. I'd agree. I would say, though, that there are darn few people out there who can carry it off. Catch-22 is brilliant, as is Lincoln's second innagural address. But I don't think anyone on this board is up to Heller's or Lincoln's level.So make it plain and simple. Get your idea across in the fewest words possible. Save the fancy stuff for your private journal. And don't be afraid to speak up when something is unclear and difficult to understand. The problem's not with the reader; it's with the writer.
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  • thebutcherthebutcher Member Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think Kilgore Trout is up to the task.
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
    edited November -1
    I was taught, and continue to teach, in police report writing, to use short sentences, and words that the average reader understands.I don't always do it that way, but one should write for his intended reader.
    Certified SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of the General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the premier gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net Jesus is Lord!
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, my Webster's Unabridged Second Edition defines DEFENESTRATION exactly as Nunn said.By the way, Nunn, you state that you were taught to keep police reports written in simplest terms for the intended reader (I took the liberty of condensing your exact words). My question for you would be -"Who is the intended reader of those reports"? Your supervisors? What does that say about them? Do they know that you feel this way about them?
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    If you take notice,clouder doesen`t make a lot of long posts,most are 3 or 4 sentences.He doesn`t even use a lot of long words,just a few real good ones that give a more precice desciption.He`s just doin` his thang..that`s all that is. clouder E-Mailed me a couple of times,I had to look up one word,and realized upon learning it,how well it fit what he was saying to me.It wasn`t even a long word..but it was a dandy,and now it is a word I know.Maybe the ol` boy is a throwback to a time and place where people cared about such things..218
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  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I remember reading that General Douglas MacArthur often wrote and spoke in a manner that resembled a 19th century literary classic....many thought he was not in touch with the times in which he lived. The command of the English language by today's students is sad compared to 100 years ago...unfortunately, few today would qualify as "wordsmith's". In his writing skills, Clouder is not that much "above" everyone else....it's just that our culture has been dumbed down from what it once was....I do enjoy watching British acting, remarkable how they have maintained the Engish language and use of words American's long ago forgot. That's why I enjoy slipping on my Smoking Jacket, pretending to be a fine country gentleman, and useing an occasional multi-sylable word....."pardon me...do you have any grey poupon?"....(American culture today would ask you to "pass the Mustard"...)
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
    edited November -1
    .280: Police reports are first read by the supervisor, then the records clerks. From there, they may be read by detectives. It may be read by a newspaper reporter. If a case is filed, it will be read by the prosecuting attorney. In court, it may be read out loud for the judge and/or jury. Figure the lowest common denominator out of that bunch.
    Certified SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of the General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the premier gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net Jesus is Lord!
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  • pops401pops401 Member Posts: 616 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    And all this time I thought it was DEFENST E RATION. But then what would I know? IfIwanttousebigwordsIdoitlikethis
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  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With the run I've been on, I couldn't get it even if I WAS paying for it!
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  • RUGERNUT3RUGERNUT3 Member Posts: 247 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well...I done think yall all has done kivered this here subject mostly completely now. Dont never cee no mor cents in gitteninto it no more deeper...Hell, ya'll lost me early on!
    "ANY" EXCUSE IS A GOOD REASON TO BUY "JUST 1 MORE".& VICIE-VERSIE!
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  • AntiqueDrAntiqueDr Member Posts: 691 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As an aside to Nunn's combination of vocabulary with vocation, my partner and I (paramedics) make a habit of choosing an unusual word each shift; the contest being who can use the word in interaction with a patient while maintaining composure. For example: "Do you feel this pain in your platypus?"Yes, shifts do get long.
    We buy, sell and trade quality guns and scopes!Ask us about Shepherd Scopes!Visit our website at www.ApaxEnterprises.com
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  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    DID someone say, "KILGORE TROUT"?
    Happiness is a warm gun
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nunn -Point taken.
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  • timberbeasttimberbeast Member Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think that to ask someone to write in a "lower" manner than one does, is akin to asking another to write in a "higher" manner than one does.Both, to me, would be offensive.I'm an uneducated man, but I don't have any trouble understanding "posts with big words", nor do I believe anyone who may have a better grasp of the language than another does is being condescending.The style or the linguistic content isn't important. The idea or message conveyed is important.I wouldn't ask someone to stop wearing a suit and a tie just because I wear t-shirts and jeans.To each their own. Pretty boring, otherwise! (I'd bet 'Clouder is wearin' jeans).
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
    edited November -1
    I remember a line from one of Joseph Wambaugh's books. The scene was the aftermath of a barfight or family fight, I forget which. One woman had a * in her abdomen, but she was up and talking.The officer asked her, "Were you cut in the fracas?"The answer: "No, sah. About fo' inches above it."
    Certified SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of the General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the premier gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net Jesus is Lord!
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  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    wambaugh-the onion field-great book
    Happiness is a warm gun
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