"That's not what disinterested means" and other oddities.

[TrillianAstra]

If a person used the word "disinterested" to mean "not interested"

which is incorrect usage - that is not what the dictionary says it means

BUT everyone listening also believes is to mean "not interested"

then the word has correctly conveyed meaning from one person's brain to another's

and so it has served its purpose

so is it still wrong?

Strictly wrong, yes, BUT common usage has changed the meaning and I feel it is accepted.

More's the blardy pity.

I get the same enraged feelings about folk staunching a wound

[stabbing emoticon]

No, it is still wrong. And people are still stupid. Benignly nodding and letting it go makes you even worse than the stupid person.

and refute does not mean argue against whatever the thesarus says

and iterate means repeat

and reiterate means re-repeat

this is fun

I've never seen refute used incorrectly to my knowledge but disinterested is up there with the imply/infer confusion.

And very few people seem to understand ambivalent.

and you don't have two choices, you have one choice and two options

well you might have two choices but then you would have at least four options

I think that "disinterested" is in transition, as there is still plenty of original use, and it doesn't have a precise synonym (though "unbiassed" is close). I think it has a generation to go.

You can't hold back the tide of language change though.

I regret it when shades of meaning are lost though. A pet hate is "I was sat" - I remember someone elderly and posh using it with distinct meaning that someone had actually manhandled her onto a chair - she wasn't just sitting, nor was she seated, quite a different meaning, and the distinction would be lost on most now.

Blueberties surely you would have one choice between two alternatives or three (or more) options?

Can you choose 'between' more than two things? Wouldn't it be 'among' if you meant three or more? 'Between' must come from the same origin as 'two' and 'twain' and stuff like that...

Good point! Perhaps you should go for a safer way and choose from any number?

Refute lives on the Wikipedia page of words with disputed usage.

excellent argument