Grammar Guy: Fight the trend of using nouns, such as 'Skype' and 'Google', as verbs

Savannah Morning News ^ | November 21, 2021 | Curtis Honeycutt

[DoodleBob]

There’s an ad out right now for Google’s Chromebook laptop with a slogan that says, “Switch to a new way to laptop.” While I’m hesitant to disparage any of our digital overlords for fear of being stricken from search results, I feel obligated to take a stand. You can’t “laptop” something; “laptop” isn’t a verb.

While I try my hardest to keep things positive here at Grammar Guy H.Q., certain things grate my grammar gears. While I’ve touched on the “verbification” of nouns before, I haven’t explored how marketers and company names have verbified nouns ad nauseam.

I know I’ve seen other versions of brazen verbification in the oversaturated commercial environment in which we live, but the Google example really made me want to laptop someone in the face.

Of course, it’s every modern company’s goal to become a verb themselves. While Bing (Microsoft’s search engine) tried hard to make “Bing” a verb, people still “Google” queries into search engines (usually Google). This made me wonder—what other company names have become verbs due to their overwhelming popularity?

When you owe a friend money these days, you don’t write them a check. You probably don’t even have cash. Instead you “Venmo” or “PayPal” them the money from your bank account into theirs.

This brings up another confusing point: do you keep the verbified company name capitalized? According to AP and Chicago stylebooks the answer is “yes,” although you’ll find the word “Google” as a verb lowercase (“google”) in many online dictionaries. The capitalization situation is in flux; stand by as this phenomenon evolves.

The official word nerd term for converting a noun into a verb is “denominalization.” While I don’t mind this word, I prefer “verbification” or even “verbing.” I like the irony of taking the noun “verb” and verbing it.

Have you talked to someone using a video feature on your smartphone? Chances are you either Skyped or FaceTimed with them. For some reason “video chat” or “video call” doesn’t suffice. Lately, we’ve Zoomed many of our meetings, Ubered our way home from a night out with friends and Instagrammed photos of our dogs. This is what modern companies dream of: make your product so ubiquitous that people use its name in place of a more descriptive-yet-common verb.

Until these company names become genericized (think chapstick, kleenex and thermos), I suggest capitalizing these verbified, trademarked words. If you disagree with me, feel free to conduct your own search engine research on a leading internet website.

[Don W]

“verbification”?

A noun converted into a verb used to be called a GERUND. Most gerunds were formed by using the suffix *ing*.

Perhaps the rules have changed, it’s been a LONG time since I studied English.

[norwaypinesavage]

Good story. I’m going to xerox a copy of it.

[nicollo]

During the 16th-17th centuries, English writers and scholars added an enormous number of Greek and Latin words to the language. Modern English is a combination of Old English, French, Latin and Greek (plus stray words picked up by the Brits from the colonies), thus we have synonymous words from distinct origins, such as "think" (Old English), "ponder" (French) and "contemplate" (Latin).

So, to CIB-173RDABN's point, by its nature, English is most adaptable, which makes it versatile, nuanced, and frequently confusing.

[nicollo]

We are flushing 4,000 years of highly developed civilization down the toilet.

It's so frustrating, I agree, and I feel that way daily.

But I have to remind myself that every moment in history has its freakouts, its doomsayers, it's over-zealous reformers... and worse its dark ages -- but also its recoveries. We're ever marching towards Armageddon, but there is a savior with us every day who rewards us for doing the right thing, even if those around us do not. Hang in there!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I’d put “xi/xer” in the “confusing” category.

What do you think? Will that crap flame out? Or take root and become standard usage?

[nicollo]

Sadly, I think Grammar Guy is correct that since “xi/xer” won’t take, we’re stuck with “they” as singular.

At best, we’ll likely have bifurcated usage, which is inherently imprecise. (Without specificity we cannot have truth.) I still see “she” used for the generic 3rd person singular in place of the “he”, and I think, “oh, how quaint.” But it’s still out there.

Grammar Guy claims that “they” is appropriate for the singular so long as the reference is clear. That’s ludicrous, as “they” is plural so it cannot possibly refer to a singular noun. But they’ll get away with it and further pollute our language, just as our economy, our culture, our decency, as everything the left touches it degrades.

[Still Thinking]

Uh, ‘Peter’ principle. Ahem.

[ptsal]

Post 17- That’s a keeper cartoon.

https://archive.md/zKM5s

[DoodleBob]

Quoth TLI, The vast wisdom of Calvin and Hobbs will never be totally understood.

[Still Thinking]

My thinking was that she did something she was good at and got promoted, until she finally got a job where she was bad, and that the story involved peters.

[Political Junkie Too]

What was the line from the movie History of the World, Part 1:

Cleopatra: Do I have any openings that this man might fill?

-PJ

[Still Thinking]

😂

Another Mel Brooks favorite of mine:

Sire, the peasants are revolting!

King - They stink on ice!

[Still Thinking]

Or the old one about the lady boss who’s tired because she’s been riding the staff all day.

[Red Badger]

I love gerunding!...................