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Pedants' corner

What's wrong with burgling?

11 replies

PrettyCandles · 20/09/2011 13:32

What's wrong with 'burgling', that people have to use 'burglarise'?

Are we going to have 'burglariser' next?

Harumph!

OP posts:
YankNCock · 20/09/2011 23:01

It might be US cop shows. 'Burglarize' is the way I would have said it before I lived in the UK. The first time I heard 'burgled', I really thought someone was saying it wrong.

poppyknot · 20/09/2011 23:05

Apparently 'burgling' is a back formation from burglar - but that doesn't make burglarise any better!

poppyknot · 20/09/2011 23:06

'Burglar' just looks too strange now. Maybe it's the time of night......

BluddyMoFo · 20/09/2011 23:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tortington · 20/09/2011 23:09

burglarise makes my foot itch.

YankNCock · 20/09/2011 23:09

Ooh ooh, while we're here, can someone explain to me why people here say 'pressurise' as in 'Don't pressurise me' or 'I felt pressurised'. Why is it not 'Don't pressure me' and 'I felt pressured'?

Now the word 'pressure' looks weird to me. Must go to bed.

YankNCock · 20/09/2011 23:10

Bluddy, yes, it is American English. I've never heard anyone say it over here either.

PrettyCandles · 21/09/2011 00:16

Oh dear. I just Googled burgle. Now I need the brain bleach.

OP posts:
YankNCock · 21/09/2011 08:49

Pass the brain bleach this way please.

PrettyCandles · 21/09/2011 17:15

I say "pressured" etc when referring to inter-personal relations.

"Pressurised" generally relates to gasses under pressure, or, more specifically, their container.

OP posts:
YankNCock · 22/09/2011 16:29

Exactly, PrettyCandles, that's how I would use it too. So all these people I hear saying 'pressurised' are, in fact, just wrong. That makes me feel better. I thought I was going to have to make another uncomfortable vocabulary/accent adjustment. GAR-age still doesn't fit as comfortably on my tongue as ga-RAGE.

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