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Just recently I was in a conversation with a number of UK mainlanders and we had a debate over what "tories" meant, apparently disproportionately ordinarily it refers to a political party and it's not usual to use it as short for "territories" as I've used it (according to how the debate ended, it was half and half between them). And once again I'm reminded of how people feel to look back at their usage of a word/phrase over the years and cringe.

More tragically, me and a friend were embarrassed once upon realizing everyone was confusing "encephalitis" with "hydrocephalus" when talking to someone about their kid with hydrocephalus. Awkward because encephalitis is caused by HIV.

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[-] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I thought penultimate meant ...basically ultimate

Am doofus

Edit: to clarify, I thought it meant it in a good way, as in best. It actually means next to last

[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago

Penultimate is a mightier word, even mightier some might say, than the swordultimate.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

As they say, live by the swordultimate, die by the swordultimate.

[-] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 10 points 1 year ago

One of my professors would regularly use the word antepenultimate, "before before last".

[-] force@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

when you're reading linguistics literature & forums you'll see variations all the way up to "propreantepenultimate" (fifth last) commonly

meanwhile in Italian you'd just see "quintultimo" but fuck those guys amirite

[-] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 4 points 1 year ago

Ah, that works much better in Italian!

One related word I have mixed feelings about is 'antediluvian'. On one hand, it's got a nice ring to it. On the other hand, there are enough floods in my area that it translates to "more than a short time ago", which feels contrary to it's intended usage.

Some people might require a flood of biblical proportions. We get those less frequently, but in practice, still too often for the word to be used as intended.

On a semi-related note, I accidentally stumbled on a temple the other day that looked Buddhist, but the symbology had far too many tentacles and various statues had... unusual numbers of limbs. Perhaps the core issue is that I apparently live in R'lyeh. Still... affordable housing on land risen from the deeps, not much pollution or traffic. Google maps can be a bit glitchy. Fresh (if highly unusual) seafood.

[-] modifier@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago

It's the word's fault, not yours.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago

Well you were close. Some might say you were right next to it n

[-] Nihilore@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Binge watch all of Taskmaster, you’ll never use it wrong again

[-] TisI@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

I just learned! Thanks! That's what I thought it meant as well!

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

I mean I do see it used that way more often than not.

this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023
157 points (93.9% liked)

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