# "Apropos" does not mean "appropriate" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2001, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487 "2001-03-02T11:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/41 "2001-03-05T00:54:11Z")
“Let there be justice,” INOR. I’d attempt to mock you for not knowing this Latin phrase, but when I first started using it I put “Fiat Justina,” which some all-knowing Latin scholar immediately pointed out means “Let there be Justine” – leading him to ask, which Justine? Justine Bateman? Screw up around here and they mock you to death. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/42 "2001-03-05T01:03:22Z")
you know, of course, what I’m gonna call you from now on… ---
**Author:** ![Shylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Shylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shylock)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/43 "2001-03-05T02:32:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skwerl \* > **I’ve concluded the #1 screw-up in the English language is the improper use of the contraction "there’s."** Yes…I’m with you there, Skwerl. I hear this, see this, and dislike it too. Except that now I find myself saying it all the time as well. And I consider myself somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to English. I’m one of those annoying types who try to correct people and whatnot. And then you come across stuff like this - which is on the home page of [weather.com](http://weather.com) right now (not exactly apropos to the OP, but… 🙂 ): > [@](#): > > Stormy West and East > Two major storms are reaking havoc on the both the East and West Coasts. Nice job, guys. Stick to the forecasting (or is that “fourcasting”?) C. ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/44 "2001-03-05T06:48:20Z")
And how about the dumbasses who don’t know the difference between “their” and “there” and who put apostrophes in every word ending with the letter “s.” They suck. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/45 "2001-03-05T07:29:28Z")
Y’know, reading this thread brings a single word to mind: _ **SUBLIMINABLE** _!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/46 "2001-03-05T16:46:02Z")
Alanis Morrisette is not without faults, but her understanding of “irony” is not one of them. All the examples in her song are legitimate cases of literary irony. So leave her alone. One of the many, many things I hated about the movie “Contact” was Jodie Foster’s use of “profoundly impactful.” Argh! The word “impact” shouldn’t be used as anything other than a noun. I’m not saying cannot, I’m saying should not. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/47 "2001-03-05T18:00:28Z")
C’mon, you guys are picking on entirely the wrong solecisms here. First, _subliminable_ has the very obvious meaning of “capable of being made to be subliminal.” It’s entirely possible that George W. meant the word in that usage. Of course, it’s entirely possible that a horse will learn to sing grand opera, too. Then, “nucular.” Clearly this means “of or pertaining to the periwinkle” (the mollusk, _Nucula sp._, not the flower). Of course, a critical mass of exploding periwinkles is something of a scary thought… Oh, and **Inor**? I remember what state you live in. Wanna guess who among the other posters is a State Attorney for the Big Sky Country? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/48 "2001-03-05T19:10:04Z")
_ **POLY?** _ Oh _man_- God- we all oughtta get together at the Gates- Chronos, Poison Ivy, You, Jodi, Meindisguisesoyouandshecan’treferencemybackground- It’s central, we could barbeque our own little pit! Or go out past silver City, or up Trout Creek behind Lincoln or something! You _bastard!_😃 ::inor, thinking, Cast of possible characters: inor, and this little rat thing on crank:: this is sooo cool!, well, except for the fact that they’re lawyers and you know what happens when you get close to lawyers inor, but maybe you’re all grown up now…or maybe the paxil will make a difference, or maybe they could jsut chain and gag you, but you could still vicariously participate in some BSDope or other…yeah, yeah, the gag thing, cuz dude, you _know_ how you are- you _respected_ poly, now this? Yeh, the gag thing, or maybe, if we did it at the Gates, we could do it on a houseboat, and they could jsut tow you for the duration, you’d be there, waving occasionally, they could toss out some chum now and then. wait. that’s trolling) 😃 you have immensely cheered me, sir/ma’am o yeh- what’s a solecism? ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/49 "2001-03-05T19:47:51Z")
I’m partly of the mind that since language is for communication, as long as we get the point across in the word we are saying, it’s A-ok. I mean, everyone DID understand what to “easify” meant, right? On the other hand, anyone who uses incorrect grammar should be shot summarily. (And I am sure there is a grammar error SOMEWHERE in this post. Gaudere’s law, isn’t it?) ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/50 "2001-03-05T20:56:09Z")
_[serious amusement]_ Gee, POLY, when did you join state government? _[/serious amusement]_ ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/51 "2001-03-05T21:39:47Z")
[serious stickin his head in the toilet and dead flat voice] yah, pretty much figured that the minute I saw you as the last poster here…had this intense feeling of ominous ‘boy was _I_ stupid, and enthusiastically so, dear god take me hoooome now’ impending doom. See- that’s the worst part- the naive, boyish stupid endamnthusiasm- cuz I _know_ that’s what upgraded your amusement factor to ‘serious’ [/still in there, flushing now…] Ah well, haint had me pants down around me ankles in a while. It’s good ta get me genitals aired out naow and thin. \ jsut wish it hadn’t been in traffic… Poly- I hate that little _I’ve got a mysterious secret_ smiley on your last post. Justina- you stupid dummy peehead… ::hanging self from shower curtain rod. which collapses. mondays.:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/52 "2001-03-05T21:51:13Z")
[serious stickin his head in the toilet and dead flat voice] yah, pretty much figured that the minute I saw you as the last poster here…had this intense feeling of ominous ‘boy was _I_ stupid, and enthusiastically so, dear god take me hoooome now’ impending doom. See- that’s the worst part- the naive, boyish stupid endamnthusiasm- cuz I _know_ that’s what upgraded your amusement factor to ‘serious’ [/still in there, flushing now…] Ah well, haint had me pants down around me ankles in a while. It’s good ta get me genitals aired out naow and thin. \ jsut wish it hadn’t been in traffic… Poly- I hate that little _I’ve got a mysterious secret_ smiley on your last post. Justina- you stupid dummy peehead… ::hanging self from shower curtain rod. which collapses. Apropos. mondays.:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/53 "2001-03-05T22:17:29Z")
IANAL [which I think should be pronounced “eye-anal” in view of the type of posts it usually leads off] I was attempting to warn **inor** about the certain Methodist civil-servant member-of-the-bar whom he had just appeared to tweak. Hell hath no fury like a lady lawyer who’s gotten her back up over a given issue (though its proprietor has come given **Jodi** a good run for her money on some past flame-exchanges!). As for what a solecism is, most of the topics of the posts in this thread are good examples. Though I’m sure someone can come up with examples different than them. 😃 :: D&R :: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/54 "2001-03-05T22:25:58Z")
IANAL [which I think should be pronounced “eye-anal” in view of the type of posts it usually leads off] I was attempting to warn **inor** about the certain Methodist civil-servant member-of-the-bar whom he had just appeared to tweak. Hell hath no fury like a lady lawyer who’s gotten her back up over a given issue (though its proprietor has come given **Jodi** a good run for her money on some past flame-exchanges!). As for what a solecism is, most of the topics of the posts in this thread are good examples. Though I’m sure someone can come up with examples different than them. 😃 :: D&R :: ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/55 "2001-03-05T22:40:31Z")
double post. he answers it double. on purpose. oh ha ha. 😉 :inor wondering jsut how big the stupid sign _is_ on his forehead and have they wired it up yet so that it actually _blinks_ Thinking what he can do to engineer some stength into the shower curtain rod: well, i ain’t ascared a her. Don’t you mean ‘solipsism’? You’re more well-read though, so I reckon you’re right. probably ain’t gonna post this twice. I’m goin to bed early tonight…duct taping myself in all the wrong places first though… ☹ 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/56 "2001-03-05T23:20:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I was attempting to warn inor about the certain Methodist civil-servant member-of-the-bar whom he had just appeared to tweak. Hell hath no fury like a lady lawyer who’s gotten her back up over a given issue. Jeez, that’s twice in one day that people have posted “Watch out for Jodi!” I’ll admit I can be a bitch on wheels when offended, but it takes more to offend me than just a little INORish tweaking. When did the tribe appoint me Chief No-Fun? > [@](#): > > Well, i ain’t ascared a her. And why would you be? She is a harmless, delicate little flower spreading sweetness and light where e’er she goes. Disagree and I’ll pop ya one. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![inor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f475e1/32.png) [@inor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/57 "2001-03-05T23:26:54Z")
[serious amusement] > [@](#): > > And why would you be? She is a harmless, delicate little flower spreading sweetness and light where e’er she goes [/serious amusement] Thank ya ma’am- I know yer jsut tryina cheer me up a little, give a little back as it were… and I appreciate it… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/58 "2001-03-05T23:40:11Z")
You know I’m just kiddin’, **Jodi**!!! [sub]And I can imagine what would happen if I said I was serious[/sub] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/59 "2001-03-05T23:52:20Z")
I know, I know. And it’s _sob_ quite all right. _Sniff_ Really. 😉 ---
**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:** [March 6, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487/60 "2001-03-06T00:37:53Z")
At any rate, my _Canadian Oxford_ gives the definition of “apropos” as “to the point or purpose; appropriate (her comment was apropos”. It lists your preferred definition of “with regards to” as “informal”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apropos-does-not-mean-appropriate/56487.md?page=4)