New words/vocab on these fora, boards..

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colin54
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by colin54 »

Jdsk wrote:If that's a quotation shouldn't it be "I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!"?

I like what Sheldon said in 'The Big Bang Theory'.
'I have no problem believing it's not butter'.
Nu-Fogey
Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

: - )

Jonathan
Oldjohnw
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Oldjohnw »

I wonder if, before we throw the charge of terrorists at motorists, we might pause to consider what has recently happened on Paris and Vienna as well as Kabul.
John
Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

That's an excellent point. But it's complicated.

In a thread on English usage we should decry devaluation of words. It removes precision and it polarises, and there's quite enough of that already.

But... there's a hardwired property of the human mind to pay too much attention to what's dramatic and rare. And that can mislead us into not paying enough to things that are important because we're familiar with them. Of course this can be compounded by disproportionate reporting. I'd put deaths and injuries on roads into the category of harm that doesn't get enough attention because it's thinly spread and we're sort of... used to it.

However... asserting that all/many motorists are terrorists/murderers simply gets in the way of decreasing those harms because it isn't true. The intention to harm is very rarely a cause of road traffic "accidents". Thoughtlessness, carelessness, inattention, negligence, alcohol consumption and bad design are. If we get the cause wrong we're not going to discover and implement interventions that work.

Jonathan
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Pastychomper
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Pastychomper »

Jdsk wrote:That's an excellent point. But it's complicated.

In a thread on English usage we should decry devaluation of words. It removes precision and it polarises, and there's quite enough of that already.

But... there's a hardwired property of the human mind to pay too much attention to what's dramatic and rare. And that can mislead us into not paying enough to things that are important because we're familiar with them. Of course this can be compounded by disproportionate reporting. I'd put deaths and injuries on roads into the category of harm that doesn't get enough attention because it's thinly spread and we're sort of... used to it.

However... asserting that all/many motorists are terrorists/murderers simply gets in the way of decreasing those harms because it isn't true. The intention to harm is very rarely a cause of road traffic "accidents". Thoughtlessness, carelessness, inattention, negligence, alcohol consumption and bad design are. If we get the cause wrong we're not going to discover and implement interventions that work.

Jonathan

I agree with that and would rather reserve the word "terrorist" for one who at least threatens large-scale violent action. Sadly, the CPS seems to disagree, since their definition of terrorism is extremely broad. I have taken action that fits their definition more than once - for example, voting in EU elections, which I did with the (albeit small) hope of influencing that international government organisation to be sympathetic to the various political, religious, racial or ideological causes I consider worthwhile.

Perhaps preventing my brand of "terrorism" can be listed as an advantage of a certain decision I won't name here.
Everyone's ghast should get a good flabbering now and then.
--Ole Boot
Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

Pastychomper wrote:
Jdsk wrote:In a thread on English usage we should decry devaluation of words. It removes precision and it polarises, and there's quite enough of that already.

But... there's a hardwired property of the human mind to pay too much attention to what's dramatic and rare. And that can mislead us into not paying enough to things that are important because we're familiar with them. Of course this can be compounded by disproportionate reporting. I'd put deaths and injuries on roads into the category of harm that doesn't get enough attention because it's thinly spread and we're sort of... used to it.

However... asserting that all/many motorists are terrorists/murderers simply gets in the way of decreasing those harms because it isn't true. The intention to harm is very rarely a cause of road traffic "accidents". Thoughtlessness, carelessness, inattention, negligence, alcohol consumption and bad design are. If we get the cause wrong we're not going to discover and implement interventions that work.

I agree with that and would rather reserve the word "terrorist" for one who at least threatens large-scale violent action. Sadly, the CPS seems to disagree, since their definition of terrorism is extremely broad.

Just read that. Wow!

Thanks

Jonathan
Cyril Haearn
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Oldjohnw wrote:I wonder if, before we throw the charge of terrorists at motorists, we might pause to consider what has recently happened on Paris and Vienna as well as Kabul.

'terrorist murders'

What emotion do you feel when driving through roadworks on the motorway at 48 mph (max 50), restricted lanes, no chance to move over or go faster (that would anyway be madness), when glancing in the mirror you see a truck following a couple of metres behind at 48mph, flashing its headlights

What emotion do you feel in that situation?
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Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

"Terrorism" doesn't mean "causing terror"... definitions vary but, as above, most contain an element of some ulterior objective to be attained by producing widespread fear.

"Murder" requires intent to kill or seriously harm. That stupid truck driver isn't trying to kill or harm you.

Jonathan

PS: But if you do feel terror in that situation I strongly suggest getting professional help and not driving until you've found a solution. Most of us can't make good decisions when feeling an emotion of that strength.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Any normal sane person would be frightened in the situation described, being threatened by an insane person, I think, but people are so various, different :?

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Last edited by Cyril Haearn on 7 Nov 2020, 6:26am, edited 2 times in total.
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Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

I wouldn't feel terror in that situation with the truck. I'd wish the driver wouldn't do it and I'd be thinking about what might happen and keeping a close eye on what's coming up and what's happening in other lanes and what options I have. That might include increasing my distance from the vehicle in front.

Jonathan
Cyril Haearn
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Please add me to your list of foes and please ignore my posts
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mikeymo
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by mikeymo »

Just because one word is a constituent part of another word doesn't necessarily mean that the second word is in some way equivalent to the first word, or even necessarily closely connected to it, in meaning.

Taking awful as an extreme example, it doesn't mean "inspiring great awe", in the way that it is currently used by the vast majority of people:

http://www.word-detective.com/2015/01/awe-awful/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAwful%E2%80%9D%20appeared%20around%20the%20same,and%20%E2%80%9Cinspiring%2C%20majestic.%E2%80%9D

The same applies, even more, to "terror" and "terrorism", as "terrorism" has never really had a meaning greatly different from its current one, unlike "awful".

There are many things that might cause terror. I've never had the least inclination to go sky-diving, for instance. If I did though, I might well experience "terror", at the thought of plummeting to the ground. In the same location, a plane thousands of feet above the ground, which had been hijacked by armed people who said they were going to fly the plane into a skyscraper, I would also experience terror. I daresay many of my physiological responses would be the same, but probably not my emotions. In the sky-diving situation I wouldn't be a victim of "terrorism" though. In the hijack situation I would.

The term "terrorism" is understand by most people to be an act of violence, or the threat of it, which has a political or ideological content or purpose. A truck driver flashing their lights and driving up my a*** isn't a terrorist as most people would understand it. She's just a dangerous bully.

People can start to use words in their own idiosyncratic* way if they want to, but it should come as no surprise if their usage is, at best, regarded as quaint, or even silly. Or at worst, that other people don't know what they are talking about.

*10 points for specialist usage, which I heard recently for the first time.
Jdsk
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Jdsk »

Exactly.

Jonathan

PS: Pursuing your helpful analogy... do you know the only truly great John Wayne joke?
thirdcrank
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by thirdcrank »

The internet seems to have names for various types of operator: most mean nothing to me unless I look them up.

A character I'm familiar with from police stations is the wind-up merchant. We have a very active and successful one on here. Cast the baited hook then wind them in. Perhaps the internet has name for them.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: New words/vocab on this forum, these fora, forae, forums, chatboards..

Post by Cyril Haearn »

What do you think about the situation I described, tc? What emotion do you feel in that situation? Any advice on driving tactics one could use when being followed closely by a big vehicle at high speed?

..
Apparently there are hundreds of emotions. I looked in my thesaurus, could not find a more suitable word than 'terror', I shall continue to use, I dinnae give an xyz what others think

Maybe others are braver than I, but I certainly do not want to be like them
..
Other opinions are available
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