Obliviousness!!!!!

[MsPontipine]

I have heard this said twice very recently. Surely .......

[dividedselfridgesxmaswindow]

oblivion

me slightly drunk though

[AngharadGoldenhand]

I've come across 'surveilled'!

[OverRated]

burglarized

[MsHighwater]

I had a colleague who used to talk about "agreeance"!

[Grrlscout]

I know it is technically correct, but "gifted" used as a verb makes me itch.

[Rantmum]

"I will be there momentarily"

What, and then you will just disappear?

[Grrlscout]

Depends on which side of the Atlantic you're on, rantmum. ;)

[potatofactory]

Ha! What about being disinterested in a film? Most of us are, as we DIDN'T INVEST ANY MONEY IN IT AND PROBABLY DON'T HAVE FRIENDS RELYING ON REVENUE FROM IT

[WINK]

[Bink]

What's wrong with "obliviousness"? It's quite a different thing from "oblivion" - it's a state of being oblivious - a characteristic of a person - "oblivion" is pure abstract noun.

Depends though ... I suppose if you said it in the context of "I hope this thread disappears into obliviousness" then yes that would be wrong. But if you said "I am getting fed up with my colleague's obliviousness" then surely that's OK?

[potatofactory]

i agree, Bink. You could not be fed up with your colleague's oblivion. Except in unusual circumstances. Which I can't concoct at the moment

[potatofactory]

i agree, Bink. You could not be fed up with your colleague's oblivion. Except in unusual circumstances. Which I can't concoct at the moment

[potatofactory]

Unless you're supposed to say you are fed up with your colleague always being so oblivious?

...Should that be colleague's ?

[Bessie123]

I hate 'preparedness' and 'effectiveness'.

[Bink]

Well, yes, "efficacy" is punchier than "effectiveness". But the latter doesn't make me flinch; I don't think it's wrong (and nor does the dictionary).

As for "preparedness" - what would you want to substitute? It's a bit clumsy syllable-wise, but again it isn't wrong ...

(This is pedants' corner & moans are therefore subject to the same standard. You can only complain about stuff if you can prove it is technically a solecism.)

[Bessie123]

Preparation? I reckon effectiveness is only in the dictionary because people have used it (wrongly) for so long.

[Bink]

That's sort of my point: "preparation" doesn't substitute as (as I was saying with oblivion/obliviousness) they're different things - "preparation" is the process, "preparedness" the state of having completed that process, or being (as a general personality trait) always ready-to-go.

Thus "I appreciate my colleague's preparedness" is a different statement to "I appreciate my colleague's preparation". The former is a continuing personal quality; the latter imputes a concrete instance.

"Foresight" would perhaps substitute in some circumstances, but not all - as connotation of foresight is theoretical while preparedness is practical. "Readiness" would nearly do, but still doesn't have quite the same nuance.

So "preparedness" is (I submit) entirely fine, when the context is right. But presumably you're coming across it in contexts which aren't carefully thought through ...

[Bessie123]

Hmmm, I don't think preparedness would be correct in the example you gave. I don't think it is ever a proper word. Do you mean it as a state of preparation?

[Bink]

Oh well.
Do you have access to the OED? It's OK with preparedness; defines it as "The state or condition of being prepared; readiness." Lots of citations.

[captainmummy]

I hate 'incentivise'. It's motivation, surely. But i've heard it lots recently.

(Sorry - 'a lot' recently

[Bessie123]

Yes, I can believe that like effectiveness, it is in the OED through frequent use, but I still don't think it is a proper word.

[Bink]

Frequent use since [earliest citation] 1590 ...

But this is getting sterile, so farewell

[MsPontipine]

I'm sorry. I take it back

Please see this

[MsPontipine]

[varicoseveined]

I hate the word "parenting"!