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Vocabulary

Keith

Keith

Well-Known Member
Do you try to have a more colorful vocablulary? I try to, but I worry about the risk of sounding pedantic.

When I took library technology I viewed the plural of index as "indexes". Now I observe it as "indicies". I also now observe one who plays the flute as "flautist" instead of "flutist" or "flute player".
 
Keith said:
Do you try to have a more colorful vocablulary? I try to, but I worry about the risk of sounding pedantic.

When I took library technology I viewed the plural of index as "indexes". Now I observe it as "indicies". I also now observe one who plays the flute as "flautist" instead of "flutist" or "flute player".
Click to expand...

I really don't think you have to worry about sounding pedantic. I don't know that consciously try to have colorful vocabulary. More often than not, I've always used words that are more than 0.02 because I love language and am fascinated by it. In fact, sometimes when I get angry, my vocabulary gets even more sophisticated. Since childhood, I've always had a knack for language and writing so some folks would wonder why the hell I ever got into IT.
 
I browse dictionaries. I don't have to use the words, but I have to know them.
 
I guess I try at times to have a more colorful vocabulary, but I guess I'm a bit like Mattymatt. Though I guess I'm also one that actively tries to get a more colorful vocabulary when it comes to swearing.

My main issue with having a bigger vocabulary is that some people have no clue what I"m talking about. And that would defeat the purpose of learning words and using them in everyday lingo.

Though unlike Keith I'm not one that will really look for a correct version of a word in plural form; I've heard about indecies as a plural of index, but it's one of those words that easily slips my mind, since I rarely use something to refer to more than 1 index. I guess it has to do a bit with the words I use with certain people as well.
 
Words and their meanings are important to aspies. This is at least partly due to our limitations in non-verbal communication. So it is only natural that we learn the differences and nuances of words expressing similar concepts. We strive for precision and accuracy in our usage of words and expanding our vocabulary is an important part of this goal. Words may also become a special interest and our use of more arcane words may increase greatly.

It is possible some aspies may become pedantic and use a superior vocabulary to show off but this quickly becomes transparent to NTs and is counterproductive. Humility is far more presentable and respectable. No one likes a know-it-all.
 
That explains why I obsess about people vs. persons. The former is the collective while the latter is the plural.
 
To many peoples point here, your vocabulary is largely dictated by your audience. I often (as I have stated here before), get accused of using the big word dictionary and other such negative remarks. For this reason it is not worth learning new words. I do however enjoy the conversations here as they are much more to my liking.
 
It's always a good idea not to use a big word when a diminutive will suffice.

Tried reading a dictionary once. Not much of a plot, but it did explain each word as it went.

Sorry for the oldies :-)
 
Loomis said:
Eschew obfuscation.
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Haha, did you see my title?

At my old job we had a company wide directory but we were able to edit our own entries. Some of us gave ourselves creative job titles. I was the Chief Eschewer of Obfuscation (fitted my real job) until word got to our CEO, and he sent me a polite request to change it. I hadn't clicked until then what the initials were. Lol
 
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Um, let me look up "pedantic."
And what's that other one? Oh, yes, "eschew obfuscation". Did I spell that right?

Actually I don't mind if people want to use big words - I may learn something. But I think they should be more than happy to answer my questions if I don't understand what they're saying too.
 
I'm a fan of being as concise as possible, which usually means "eschewing obfuscation."

That said, when one is on the Internet, and comes across a word they don't know, learning its definition is a mere click or two away; no excuse in that regard. :)

Keith said:
Do you try to have a more colorful vocablulary? I try to, but I worry about the risk of sounding pedantic.

When I took library technology I viewed the plural of index as "indexes". Now I observe it as "indicies". I also now observe one who plays the flute as "flautist" instead of "flutist" or "flute player".
Click to expand...
I also much prefer "indices," "appendices," etc. As for "flautist vs. flutist," either one works, actually. "Flautist" is a little bit easier to pronounce than "flutist," at least for me. :)
 
nurseangela said:
Um, let me look up "pedantic."
And what's that other one? Oh, yes, "eschew obfuscation". Did I spell that right?

Actually I don't mind if people want to use big words - I may learn something. But I think they should be more than happy to answer my questions if I don't understand what they're saying too.
Click to expand...

"Eschew obfuscation... is a humorous (expression) used by English teachers and professors when lecturing about proper writing techniques. Literally, the phrase means "avoid being unclear"...but the use of... uncommon words (to make the point) causes confusion, making the statement an example of irony."

Irony is defined as the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. So "eschew obfuscation" is irony because it is a confusing and unnecessarily complex way of saying write clearly and simply.

Obfuscation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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Loomis said:
"Eschew obfuscation... is a humorous (expression) used by English teachers and professors when lecturing about proper writing techniques. Literally, the phrase means "avoid being unclear"...but the use of... uncommon words (to make the point) causes confusion, making the statement an example of irony."

Irony is defined as the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. So "eschew obfuscation" is irony because it is a confusing and unnecessarily complex way of saying write clearly and simply.

Obfuscation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thank you, Loomis. My mind goes blank once I see big words like that. And honestly, I don't think I could remember it - I'd have to associate it with something. Kind of like I did when I took microbiology and learned about toxoplasmosis gondii (I told Waldo he better not give it to me!)
 
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Once at my son's music group the parents were chatting and I was talking about my son's medical issues. This other mother asked me if I was a doctor and I said no. Then she said that I used a lot of big words. :confused:
 
She asserted that you were exercising sesquipedalian loquaciousness? What kind of world do we live in.
 
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