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Pedants' corner

Uninterested/disinte rested

(62 Posts)
mcem Sat 11-Aug-18 16:38:14

No such space on my page!

Auntieflo Sat 11-Aug-18 15:53:40

As Maw Broon says, there is a space :- disinte rested
( disintegrated, disinterred) I , sort of read them both, when I saw the title, apologies Blue45Sapphire, it's just the way my aged mind works.

pollyperkins Sat 11-Aug-18 15:41:45

I can't see a mistake Bluesapphire!!
I do know the difference between uninterested and disinterested though and it's been annoying me too!

Blue45Sapphire Sat 11-Aug-18 15:37:59

Would someone please be kind enough to point out my spelling mistake? If I have made one then I will put my hand up and am truly mortified. I do own up to leaving the close bracket off the end of the paragraph, though.

Cabbie21 Sat 11-Aug-18 15:12:57

Disinterested is a useful word and it should not loses that special meaning.
Un- and dis- are both prefixes to turn an adjective negative, but here there is a different meaning.
I can show interest in something but if does not affect me personally, then I am disinterested.

MawBroon Sat 11-Aug-18 15:08:44

It had been niggling me too, but I hesitated to raise my head above the parapet, having been shot down in flames before now.
Spelling mistake? The superfluous space?

Lynne59 Sat 11-Aug-18 15:06:43

Oh dear...so many things annoy me, but this isn't one of them. I am completely uninterested and disinterested at the same time.

DanniRae Sat 11-Aug-18 15:06:01

More a typing error, I feel Sue grin

SueDonim Sat 11-Aug-18 14:55:57

I'm grin at the spelling error in the title of this Pedants' Corner topic.

mcem Sat 11-Aug-18 14:55:10

This has been preying on my mind too over the last day or two! Decided not to post on it!

MissAdventure Sat 11-Aug-18 14:22:48

I can't recall having the difference pointed out to me.
I shall remember it now I know, though.

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!