Quick Takes: Colorado Law Would Bar Nobel Prize Money, ‘Donations’ Help Basketball Recruiting, Palomar Faculty Opppose Texbook Rental, Lake Superior’s List of Words to Banish

list needs work

The list of words to avoid is somewhat disappointing, and shows a certain lack of research or perspective.

“Pwn” and “Pwned” is rarely used in formal speech, but is used to covey a certain level of technical understanding and, ironically, maturity, as nobody uses the word anymore. This is probably equivalent to referring to oneself as a “Flapper.”

“Undocumented Alien” has a somewhat nuanced meaning. Whether someone has entered the US illegally or not is a matter for the courts to decide. In general, it is a crime to ENTER the US in an unauthorized matter, or to re-enter without proper authorization if one has been deported. A person who is nevertheless in the U.S. without proper paperwork is likely not committing a crime (unless he has been deported before). For example, a person may have entered the United States improperly (i.e. via a hole in a fence), but may be entitled to derivative citizenship because of the nationality of their parents. By the same token, many babies born to people that entered the U.S. in an unauthorized matter are “undocumented” but not committing a crime via their existence. Finally, person that entered on a tourist visa, but is in the process of applying for asylum is probably “undocumented” but at the time they are not illegal – especially if their tourist visa expires the day after their mail their petition.

Gitmo (or GTMO) was used long before it became most people knew we had a Naval base there. Granted, military acronyms are annoying, but they do have a history that predates most of their common use.

“Drug deal gone bad” indicates that a normally non-violent, yet illegal, transaction took a violent term. (I don’t like using the phrase “gone bad” however.) Nevertheless, a furniture transaction might “go bad.”

“Ask your doctor” actually derives from various changes in FDA regulations regarding advertising of medicines. Initially no specifics could be given. Now, various specifics about what a drug might do can be given, but commercials cannot purport to provide people with cure-alls, and people should not take them as medical advice.

“Google” and “Search” mean different things. Assuming that “to Google” is a verb, it generally indicates a rather haphazard method of researching that is generally not trusted by people with a background in a subject. In fact, in many circles telling someone to “Google” something is an indication that the speaker is unskilled in a given area.

LArry, at 12:20 pm EST on January 2, 2007

Thank you, Lake Superior

I understand the quibbles with the banned word list, but I have to give them full support for trying to do away with “we’re pregnant". It’s the worst kind of irritating phrase—inaccurate in a misguided, warm-and-fuzzy way. Begone!

Stick-in-the-mud, at 12:25 pm EST on January 3, 2007