Posted on 11/03/2005 4:45:21 AM PST by secret garden
In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".
catachresis • \kat-uh-KREE-sis\ • noun
1. use of the wrong word for the context
2. use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech
Example sentence:
The paper printed a correction for the previous day's catachresis: dubbing a local artist-philanthropist a "socialist" when they meant "socialite."
Etymology: As you might have guessed, "catachresis" is a word favored by grammarians. It can be employed as a fancy label of disparagement for whatever uses the grammarian finds unacceptable. Thus could Henry Fowler, in the 1920s, call "mutual" in "our mutual friend" a catachresis. (Fowler preferred "common," but "mutual" does have an established sense which is correct in that context.) More often, "catachresis" is used for an unintentional misuse and is very close in meaning to "malapropism," which usually refers to an unintentionally humorous misuse of a word. "Catachresis" has been used to describe (or decry) misuses of words since at least 1550. The word comes to us by way of Latin from the Greek noun "katachrçsis," which means "misuse."
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.
The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-)
Practice makes perfect.....post on....
Review Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish (Be SURE to check out posts #92 and #111 on this thread!)
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate
WFB's attempt to emulate us ; ) No pushing at the door please!
A sign??????????? I've got 500 feet of road frontage - I've got signs AND billboards :)
And a political junkie. I pretty sure I have an event for a state rep candidate the week after elections?
The Gov's race is down to the wire.........I'm doing lit Saturday, signage Monday and Tuesday and poll greeting tuesday..........and my phone keeps needing to be recharged :)
I can't believe it's even close, but ya, you've got a squeaker in VA.
lol....wow
I'm freaked about how much of a squeaker it is turning into. We all knew it was going to be close - but this is utterly ridiculous.
I do what I can do - so I volunteered time and sign space.
aa automated call from pataki just came in and yeah miss ava is awake and lunching
Glad to hear she is lunching........
You saw the "give a cat a pill" thread, didn't you?
oh, pop a cork in it. miss ava is rip roaring and the bottle is ready.....wish me luck........
Corks are good. Diapers, however, are often easier to clean. Or dispose of.
(Why? Is she leaking?)
Well, you have to worry.
The democrats only cheat in the close races!
lol you are a corker
Bob's right. If it's not close they can't cheat.
Abyssinians are lovely creatures, but my best cats have all been either shelter adoptees or strays that decided to make themselves at home. I wouldn't trade my "accidental" cats for anything (although I have friends who swear by their purebreds).
You forgot Moon Landrieu's little girl.... lol
I know............
She's always struck me more as a grifter than a dummie. Then again, perhaps New Orleans creates hybrids aka dumbcrooks.
You must be too busy to watch alot of CSPAN these days.
Catch her doing a solo on the floor....
Mayor Street to demand funding for study to determine how many sticks are lying around in Philadelphia.
This is true.
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