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Pedants' corner

Uninterested/disinte rested

(63 Posts)
Blue45Sapphire Sat 11-Aug-18 14:19:12

I am seeing this more and more these days, people saying or writing disinterested when they mean uninterested, and it really annoys me. I was brought up and taught that disinterested means impartial or unbiased, and uninterested means that you're just not interested in something. The other one is the 'font' of all knowledge instead of the 'fount' (unless, of course, I've been saying it wrong all my life!

MawBroon Sat 11-Aug-18 22:36:52

Uninterested/disinterested

And that is copied and pasted from the mobile site.
(My iPad is normally set to the desktop version.)

MawBroon Sat 11-Aug-18 22:34:59

Uninterested/disinte rested

This is the thread title I have got on my iPad.

SueDonim Sat 11-Aug-18 21:51:46

Oh, that's odd, Bluebell. On my iPad, which uses the laptop version, it's misspelt. On my iPhone, where I use the mobile version, it's correct.

The wonders of the Internet! grin

MissAdventure Sat 11-Aug-18 21:36:19

So disinterested means neutral?

BlueBelle Sat 11-Aug-18 21:32:12

No Suedonim I’m on mobile and the spelling is erroneous

Grannynise Sat 11-Aug-18 21:20:02

You can remember the difference in meaning between the two words if you recall that .... an umpire must never be uninterested in the game and always disinterested in the outcome.

SueDonim Sat 11-Aug-18 20:55:45

I think the spelling 'error' is only showing on the laptop version. It's correct on the mobile version of GN.

Grandma70s Sat 11-Aug-18 20:11:20

I don’t think it’s pedantry to use words properly.

annodomini Sat 11-Aug-18 19:33:48

The space turned up on my laptop too.
I'm glad someone else has brought up the uninterested/disinterested clash here, My red pen was itching!
As cabbie pointed out the two prefixes 'un' and 'dis' both have negative connotations. They show up more clearly in 'unused' and 'disused'; not to mention 'misused'!
Isn't English wonderful!

BlueBelle Sat 11-Aug-18 18:23:31

Definitely a space on my iPad disinte rested

pollyperkins Sat 11-Aug-18 18:16:41

Sounds hilarious Dora!

Blue45Sapphire Sat 11-Aug-18 18:03:35

No space on my phone, laptop or Kindle! That's got me really puzzled!

MissAdventure Sat 11-Aug-18 17:55:56

I CBA either..

ContraryMary88 Sat 11-Aug-18 17:55:04

I love rocket salad!

As to the rest I’m just not interested.......

Grammaretto Sat 11-Aug-18 17:53:48

Rocket salad grin

Bathsheba Sat 11-Aug-18 17:45:50

Can you please publish the little book of her sayings on GN? Pretty please? grin

Bathsheba Sat 11-Aug-18 17:44:53

DoraMarr that made me laugh out loud - 'rocket salad' grin

DoraMarr Sat 11-Aug-18 17:35:08

I used to work with someone who spouted malapropisms. Once, when introducing me to some OFSTED inspectors, she said “Dora is my Deputy, but she teaches a class, so she has a foot in both pies.” Another one we heard regularly was “It’s not rocket salad.” We kept a little book with all her sayings.

rubysong Sat 11-Aug-18 17:23:10

I've been shouting at the TV when people misused disinterested, however, I looked it up in a dictionary and found it could also be used in the same way as uninterested. Maybe it is a modern usage. It still grates with me. I agree about 'font' of knowledge!

Grammaretto Sat 11-Aug-18 17:17:56

Autocorrect seems to have removed any spelling mistake and/or spaces
It bothers me a bit too people using disinterested incorrectly. My Dil is famous for her egg corns. She told me someone was a mind of information -which I like. Off his own back instead of bat is a regular variation.
The wrong track rather than tack.
Towing the line rather than toeing.
She claims to be dyslexic but I find it hard to believe as she is a successful college lecturer.
I wouldn't dream of correcting her so it is nice to be able to share on here.

annep Sat 11-Aug-18 16:58:12

annoys! I must slow down.

annep Sat 11-Aug-18 16:57:20

just!

annep Sat 11-Aug-18 16:56:54

No space on mine either but I did notice missing bracket ?. I hate wrong word being used but I'm sure I do it at times. My pet hate though is "an accident has been cleared." I know its jus7g a quick way of saying it but it anmoys me.

ContraryMary88 Sat 11-Aug-18 16:52:27

Space on mine in the title

pollyperkins Sat 11-Aug-18 16:50:04

Nor on mine!