Gransnet forums

Pedants' corner

Made up words

(9 Posts)
Riverwalk Thu 09-Jul-20 12:00:54

They are real words! hmm

grandtanteJE65 Thu 09-Jul-20 11:28:32

"At this moment of time" a phrase, I admit, and one that annoyed my English teacher who said, and I tend still to agree with her, "What you mean is "now"."

However, I happily use "at the present moment" and don't feel that "now" expresses quite the same

I think some new words and phrases fill a void in the language. "Weekend" was new around 1914, you know.

How would we manage without it?

But other innovations are superflous because there already is a word that says the same thing.

Iif we don't need them, they will fall out of use again.

Oopsminty Wed 08-Jul-20 21:38:12

Oh yes, MawB!

That's a smashing word!

MawB Wed 08-Jul-20 21:36:33

Remember George Dubyah Bush?

“Don’t misunderestimate me” grin

Oopsminty Wed 08-Jul-20 21:32:48

Aren't all words 'made up'?

Not that I'm sticking up for Piers. Can't stand the toad.

biba70 Wed 08-Jul-20 21:30:22

Shakespeare was the true master- language evolves.

I love made-up words children invent. Like flutterby, helidoctor, cephalant

CherryCezzy Wed 08-Jul-20 21:24:57

I have no time for Piers Morgan but that is another subject.
Are you not a fan of Shakespeare then?

fourormore Wed 08-Jul-20 21:22:29

Same here! I'm not a pedant as such but words like 'musicality' also annoy me!

They're probably in the dictionary by now but it seems that ....ivity and ... ality can be added to any word nowadays!

grannyrebel7 Wed 08-Jul-20 20:02:24

Heard Piers Morgan say transmissabilty the other morning. Also heard him saying infectivity last week. These are not words - they sound like something made up Americans would say. Really irritates me. AARRGGHH!