# Ajectivalistic words **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461 "2003-08-25T04:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/21 "2003-08-25T14:55:06Z")
I feel as though I’ve stumbled into a thread full of Kingfishes. ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/22 "2003-08-25T15:03:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\*Some of the time there are nuances which make paired adjectives reasonable. Some examples: > > Magic vs. magical > > Historic vs. historical > > and, yes, > > Economic vs economical > > In each case the first form carries more significance, the second form simply categorizes. As in, if you went on a ‘magic’ date, I would assume a flying carpet or maybe being cut in two with a buzz saw was involved. ‘Magical’ dates are just extremely nice. > > D-Day was an historic event. James Michener wrote historical novels. \*\* Mighty fine post! I do have to admit that for a good second after reading the OP, I wondered if I was an idiot for using the word “economical”. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/23 "2003-08-25T15:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*“Expiration” is the noun form of “expire” and has been for some time, though. M-W sez it’s a synonym of “expiry.” 😃 \*\* Expiration is a noun? An expiration? Really? Sounds most peculiar to my ears, maybe it is one of those cross the pond differences. Hold up, though, if you are saying expiration is a noun, why is it not made into an adjective to qualify the noun “date”? I hereby submit expirationic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/24 "2003-08-25T15:37:28Z")
I think it’s a pond difference, **curly chick**. They use expiry here as well, but not very widely (it’s mostly on pharmaceutics and such). Yeah, MW has expiration as a noun. In “expiration date,” however, it’s behaving as an adjective, i.e., a date that has expired. Six o’ one, half-dozen of t’other. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/25 "2003-08-25T15:49:44Z")
> [@](#): > > economic" becomes “economical” “Economic” means relating to the economy; “economical” means “cheap.” ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/26 "2003-08-25T15:58:16Z")
I’m thinking y’all have WAY to much time on your hands. Thats the beauty of language… it is flexible. So bend with it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wrong_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/27 "2003-08-25T16:32:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Krisfer the Cat \* > \*\*I’m thinking y’all have WAY to much time on your hands. > > Thats the beauty of language… it is flexible. So bend with it. \*\* Sure, but it’s still fun to discuss, as most of us were doing. For instance, I had no clue about the expiration/expiry date difference, and both **curly chick** and I learned something. Fighting ignorance and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/28 "2003-08-25T20:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Wrong Girl \* > \*\*Sure, but it’s still fun to discuss, as most of us were doing. For instance, I had no clue about the expiration/expiry date difference, and both **curly chick** and I learned something. Fighting ignorance and all that. \*\* I’ll say. I’d never heard the word “expiry” before this thread. Now I can use it to confuse and befuddle my friends. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/29 "2003-08-25T21:35:29Z")
I always thought “expiration” was the opposite of “inspiration”. In the breathing out/breathing in sense, of course. I don’t know what poetic expiration might be, though I imagine you could win the Turner Prize with it. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/30 "2003-08-25T23:34:58Z")
Some of you are forgetting the nuances and overlaps in English. But people who say _orientate_ should be shot. “Eschew obfuscatory sesquipedalianism.” ---
**Author:** ![killswitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@killswitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killswitch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/31 "2003-08-26T01:46:52Z")
Your peevementishness is perfectly _understandishable._ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/32 "2003-08-26T01:51:33Z")
Reminds me of an SNL skit featuring Dubya: “Strategery” ---
**Author:** ![killswitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@killswitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killswitch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/33 "2003-08-26T02:36:10Z")
T’was from the long lamented & short-lived Mr. Show on HBO - Bob Odenkirk & David Cross The line worked for me, don’t know enough about vocabularitization if it fit the OP’s rantifying or not ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/34 "2003-08-26T03:08:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bambi Hassenpfeffer \* > \*\*People are also incapable of recognizing the verb forms of nouns. They make silly back-formations to replace perfectly good words. > > orient -\> orientation -\> “orientate” > discriminate -\> discrimination -\> “discriminatizion” > declare -\> declaration -\> “declaratization” \*\* This reminds me of an ex of mine, who used “comfortability” on such a regular basis I finally fled screaming into the night. I shudder just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/35 "2003-08-26T05:48:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Reminds me of an SNL skit featuring Dubya: > > “Strategery” \*\* Lockbox! ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/36 "2003-08-26T06:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Wrong Girl \* > \*\* > Is it like PIN number of ATM machine or something–what am I missing? \*\* PIN number and ATM machine are incorrect because they are redundant: Personal Identification **Number** number Automatic Teller **Machine** machine I once receive a memo at work that urged us all to avoid _jargonizing_ letters we sent to clients. Really. I kid you not. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/37 "2003-08-26T06:14:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\*Some of the time there are nuances which make paired adjectives reasonable. Some examples: > > Magic vs. magical > > Historic vs. historical > > and, yes, > > Economic vs economical > > In each case the first form carries more significance, the second form simply categorizes. As in, if you went on a ‘magic’ date, I would assume a flying carpet or maybe being cut in two with a buzz saw was involved. ‘Magical’ dates are just extremely nice. > > D-Day was an historic event. James Michener wrote historical novels. \*\* Thank goodness, I was sitting here puzzled thinking “economical is wrong??? Sheesh all those years”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/38 "2003-08-26T06:33:25Z")
So can anyone explain “burgled” vs. “burglarised”? The latter, IMHO, sounds pretty stupid to me. ---
**Author:** ![teleute12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@teleute12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teleute12)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/39 "2003-08-26T06:37:44Z")
But new-wordiness is funliness! _This post has been self-editied for excess use of Buffy-speakisms mingled with Cap’n Jack Sparrow talk, savvy? Yeah, I don’t know either._ ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/40 "2003-08-26T07:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobot \* > \*\*So can anyone explain “burgled” vs. “burglarised”? The latter, IMHO, sounds pretty stupid to me. \*\* Burgled is a transitive verb, requiring an object to complete its meaning. Burglarized is an intransitive verb, not requiring an object. Perhaps someone better equipped than I can give examples because I can’t seem to create a sentence with burglarized as an intranstive verb. Burgled does sound rather silly though. I’ve heard people use “deliberatively” and “condescenditatively” (and stumble over it about as badly as you just did in reading it) in all seriousness. And my co-workers wonder why I laugh so often when no one is being “deliberatively” funny. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461.md?page=3)