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

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

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Everyone should contact this guy to express support.

[Mr. K]

In English it seems that any noun can be ‘verb-ed’ (<— see?)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

These are trivial compared to “preferred pronoun” BS and using “they” and “theirs” as singular pronouns.

[9YearLurker]

Ha ha.

[OHelix]

We should GrammarGuy all such terms.

[Political Junkie Too]

It's better than saying that someone was borked.

-PJ

[Buttons12]

Doesn’t bother me nearly as much as “I’m like” and “he was like” for “I said” and “he said.”

“Really” as a filler word drives me crazy. People can’t seem to say anything without inserting a “really” or two.

The spoken language has definitely deteriorated.

When I was learning English...if I’d split an infinitive they’d have washed my mouth with soap and that was not too long ago.

[Michael.SF.]

[glennaro]

Or “monica-ed” (yeah, that’s a bit harsh)

[stig]

I am going to xerox this and send it to family and friend.

[Stingray51]

Oldsters remember the use of “xerox” as a verb.

More immediately, since we’re sharing: how about the misuse of “mandate” to mean “require” when the word really has more to do with the granting of authority.

And another Covid-related place to start might be with the very simple difference between “less” and “fewer”

[Alas Babylon!]

This is a fight you cannot win, Grammar Guy.

It’s been going on for centuries.

Ancient verbs such as rain, snow, and thunder along with more recent converts like oil, pressure, referee, bottle, debut, audition, highlight, diagnose, critique, email, and mastermind all have nouns and verbs associated with the action, thing and action a person might take.

In the 19th Century, Bicycle became bike and then biking...

Computers begot computing...

Text begot texting...

Throw in some innuendo and you got sexting.

It never ends.

[Still Thinking]

Oh, I hate this. “I can’t adult today!”, etc. There are a couple that really bug (oops, did it myself) me, that I don’t recall at the moment due to my superannuation.

[DuncanWaring]

Add “gift” to the list of nouns that became verbs.

[Stingray51]

How about people whose answer to every question begins with “So...”?

[DoodleBob]

I first experienced this wretched practice when I worked in NYC...someone said "we have to dimension the process." I maintained composure but internally I was ranting - "Wtf does that even mean? Do you mean you have to sketch-out or size-up the process? Do you realize you sound like a dope?"

Then through the 90s it became a badge of honor to talk like an idiot..."let's dialogue on this matter"..."Napster makes it easy to pirate music".

The West is lost.

[bigbob]

The purpose of language is communication, and new words are required over time. Grammar also evolves.

This guy probably got a lot of wedgies in school. He needs to find a new hobby.

[Political Junkie Too]

That's called getting a Lewinsky.

Maybe we can start a new one, like Kamaling your way to the top, and then sucking at the job?

-PJ

[Jeff Chandler]

These are trivial compared to “preferred pronoun” BS and using “they” and “theirs” as singular pronouns.

I agree.