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Pedants' corner

Uninterested/disinte rested

(62 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!

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.

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!

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

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

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

More a typing error, I feel Sue grin

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

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.

mcem Sat 11-Aug-18 16:38:14

No such space on my page!

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

Nor on mine!

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

Space on mine in the title

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.

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

just!

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

annoys! I must slow down.

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.

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!

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.

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

DoraMarr that made me laugh out loud - '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

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

Rocket salad grin

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

I love rocket salad!

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

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

I CBA either..