Grammar Nazis

[FredRydr]

You might call me a grammar Nazi, but who turned the noun "gift" into a verb "gifted"? E.g.: He gifted the pen to me. That grates on my nerves. Whatever happened to "give" and "gave"? Or gifted instead of given?

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Fred

[Dreck]

Apparently it's been around for a while and is legitimate.

http://grammarist.com/usage/gift/

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gift

[Paddler]

Maybe it is an outgrowth of political correctness. "Gifted" is ever so much more twee than "gave".

It could also be a spinoff from corporate polyglot, as in: "We must leverage our synergies to maximize the margin on our deliverables." I was working for a company where the CEO actually said that to a room full of electrical engineers. Some of them snickered; some gagged. If you want to lift your leg on an engineering department, that is a good way to do it.

[Jon Szanto]

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Oh yeah? I was excoriated for being a "pedantic prick" when I suggested to someone (n00b), who had a problem with a fountain pen, that the appropriate term was cap and not lid. I did a bunch of searching and the only place I seemed to come up with more than one or two people calling a pen cap a lid was in Wales. Nonetheless, I was the Nazi for suggesting that.

Pardon me while I go try to remove the inner lid on this old pen...

[Chrissy]

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Oh yeah? I was excoriated for being a "pedantic prick" when I suggested to someone (n00b), who had a problem with a fountain pen, that the appropriate term was cap and not lid. I did a bunch of searching and the only place I seemed to come up with more than one or two people calling a pen cap a lid was in Wales. Nonetheless, I was the Nazi for suggesting that.

Pardon me while I go try to remove the inner lid on this old pen...

Well I was born in Wales, and I would never call a pen 'cap' a 'lid.' I don't call an ink bottle cap a lid either.

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

[migo984]

Verbalising nouns is nothing new. It's part of common language development, although it happens much more frequently in English-based languages. Benjamin Franklin complained in a letter that turning nouns into verbs is ‘awkward and abominable’. The OEC (Oxford English Corpus) estimates that 40% of new verbs appearing in the 20th century are conversions from nouns**. Many arise from new technology & inventions - phoning, emailing, texting, rollerblading, skateboarding etc.

Whilst I'm not a "Grammar Nazi", I really don't like some of these Nouns Gone Bad, as I call them, for example, "I'll email you". I noticed that during the Olympics it was common for commentators & newspapers to use 'medal' as a verb e.g. "Great Britain have medalled four times today". That really irritated me.

I also heartily dislike verbalised nouns that reflect managerial speak e.g incentivise & action.

**By the way, I googled that

[catbert]

Who turned the noun "gift" into a verb "gifted"? E.g.: He gifted the pen to me. That grates on my nerves. Whatever happened to "give" and "gave"? Or gifted instead of given?

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Fred

And why 'author' instead of 'write'?

[catbert]

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Oh yeah? I was excoriated for being a "pedantic prick" when I suggested to someone (n00b), who had a problem with a fountain pen, that the appropriate term was cap and not lid. I did a bunch of searching and the only place I seemed to come up with more than one or two people calling a pen cap a lid was in Wales. Nonetheless, I was the Nazi for suggesting that.

Pardon me while I go try to remove the inner lid on this old pen...

Given a choice of Nazis, I'll take Grammar Nazis every time.

[catbert]

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

Yup, and also the cover of a jar.

[Jon Szanto]

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

Yup, and also the cover of a jar.

Not to mention slang for a men's cap or (dated) a baggie of pot.

[catbert]

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

Yup, and also the cover of a jar.

Not to mention slang for a men's cap or (dated) a baggie of pot.

So a cap can be a lid.

[Chrissy]

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

Yup, and also the cover of a jar.

Not to mention slang for a men's cap or (dated) a baggie of pot.

Well yes, a man's cap now seems obvious, and so does the cover of a jar. I may have led a sheltered life, as I've never heard of a 'baggie of pot' being called a 'cap'
I have heard of a saying that might be 'British slang' and that is 'to put the tin lid on it' that I believe means 'to be the final blow to finishing something.' Maybe that comes from the paint tin (can)?

[jar]

I was trying to think of what I would call a lid. The cover of a biscuit tin maybe? The cover you remove from a can of paint? Maybe they could be lids?

Yup, and also the cover of a jar.

Not to mention slang for a men's cap or (dated) a baggie of pot.

Well yes, a man's cap now seems obvious, and so does the cover of a jar. I may have led a sheltered life, as I've never heard of a 'baggie of pot' being called a 'cap'
I have heard of a saying that might be 'British slang' and that is 'to put the tin lid on it' that I believe means 'to be the final blow to finishing something.' Maybe that comes from the paint tin (can)?

On this side it is just "Put a lid on it!"

Also a toupee is often called a lid.

[FredRydr]

Apparently it's been around for a while and is legitimate.

http://grammarist.com/usage/gift/

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gift

Well, the etymology website only cites "gifted" as an adjective in context as "a gifted child." The other website is an anonymous opinion piece that relies on (a) "Googling" the word (so forget that!) and (b) the massive multivolume Oxford English Dictionary, which I have access to (in printed form). I look forward to checking that out.

It comes down to English being a constantly evolving language versus intentional obfuscation through made-up words that enter into common usage. Most people don't care or even notice, but if one is in the business of words (e.g., me), one takes notice.

That's where it's at. You good with that?

Fred

[Cob]

You might call me a grammar Nazi, but who turned the noun "gift" into a verb "gifted"? E.g.: He gifted the pen to me. That grates on my nerves. Whatever happened to "give" and "gave"? Or gifted instead of given?

Thank goodness my fountain pens refuse to succumb.

Fred

Amen to that x 10!

"Grates" is the word for this annoying invention.

And for God's sake, the word "gift" derives from the verb to give - a gift: that which is given

Grrrr

Cob

[Sailor Kenshin]

Am I the only one who cringes when sticklers for grammar are named after a regime that murdered six million people?

[Peterg]

I think it is intended to indicate a high level of intolerance. You could say National Socialist but it is not so pithy and would anger a different constituency (the ones who made a pact with the Nazis).

[Cob]

I think it is intended to indicate a high level of intolerance. You could say National Socialist but it is not so pithy and would anger a different constituency (the ones who made a pact with the Nazis).

Why not go the whole hog and call it Maoist? That bastard murdered at least 60 millions...

Cob

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm still for calling it 'stickler.'

[Cob]

I'm still for calling it 'stickler.'

Ha ha!

I am proud to be called a pedant!

Cob