Vocabulary Ignorance
March 7, 2011 at 10:36 am 2 comments
Some guy online earned my ire this afternoon when he insisted that my usage of “cum” in a particular sentence was a fatal error. According to the dope, this term is used in relation to the male orgasm. I rebutted that writers and journalists use it as preposition, a substitute for with, together or as. His vocabulary ignorance further triggered him to say that he cannot remember an instance in Australia when they used cum as a preposition.
To make me appear brainless the annoying Aussie even said and I quote, “I am a fully qualified journalist for one of the biggest newspapers in Melbourne Australia. Thank you very much.” To end the conversation, I told him there’s no harm in doing some research.
Back in Journalism class, we were told that a reporter should possess a child’s curiosity. I’m just wondering why today’s young journalists act as though they are walking encyclopedias. Guess they haven’t heard about vocabulary evolution yet.
Still, cum is an age-old preposition used by yesterday’s great journalists. Period.
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1.
len | March 11, 2011 at 4:49 am
I’m with you here.
It’s really irritating every time someone flaunts his language prowess as if it’s a religion and he’s the head.
Even language experts have disagreements on words and grammar.
2.
sonnetshaven | March 13, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Len, what used to be taboo before is now acceptable. They should know that, don’t they claim to be geniuses? thanks for always sharing your thoughts, Lenski:)