Concepts that need a name

[Quartz]

@jjimm

“And/or” has three possibilities “X”, “X and Y”, or “Y”.

In real life I find that it’s much more likely that I want a phrase that means “X” or “X and Y”, but excludes the third option. In other words X is a given, but Y is optional.

“Who’s coming to the party?”
I say: “Me and/or Bob.” Where actually I mean “Me, and Bob might accompany me too.”

Any suggestions?

How about ‘possibly’?

So your response would be, “Me, and possibly Bob.”

[Alessan]

@Paul in Saudi

If a green Volvo drives by, a second green Volvo may be the next car more often than chance would predict. In a restaurant, you walk by some tables. At the first table they are having ribs. At the next table they are more likely having ribs than any other dish.

In the first example some business that uses green Volvos have just let their salesmen loose. In the second example, the place has good ribs.

There seems to be no word for this repeating of stuff at a level that seems to make a mish-mash of pure chance analysis.

How about “intervening variables”?

[matt_mcl]

@dwc1970

While we’re at it, let’s see about getting a gender-neutral pronoun to refer to someone in the third person. The awkward “he/she” and “his/her” constructions are bothersome, and substituting “they” and “their”, while more convenient, is gramatically incorrect.

If singular “they” is good enough for Shakespeare, it’s good enough for me.

In any case, my favourite find in this thread so far is “niblings,” for nieces and nephews. Someone asked about aunts and uncles; unfortunately “ancles” is already taken.

[Ol_Gaffer]

A word for “reading” a book when you actually listened to it on tape/cd. I feel totally awkward saying I read the fifth Harry Potter book when I actually listened to it on cd. Unfortunately, I listened to the fifth Harry Potter book is equally as bad.

[twickster]

@TimeWinder

When I can’t easily rewrite to get rid of the pronoun altogether, I tend to use “they” or “their,” and fewer and fewer people call me on it. Cecil said (in 1988) it will be accepted in formal writing in a few generations; I’d claim that in many cases it’s acceptable today.

Not in any prose that needs to get past me. Rewrite it any way you want (going plural often works), but rewrite it.

[Lobelia_Overhill]

what do you call a “godchild” when neither of you is religious?

[Lissa]

@Ol'Gaffer

A word for “reading” a book when you actually listened to it on tape/cd. I feel totally awkward saying I read the fifth Harry Potter book when I actually listened to it on cd. Unfortunately, I listened to the fifth Harry Potter book is equally as bad.

Audi-bibe! (Combination of audio and “biblio”)

Making up words is fun.

[Lilairen]

@matt_mcl

If singular “they” is good enough for Shakespeare, it’s good enough for me.

My personal suspicion is that the ranting and railing about singular “they” is pretty much the same as happened when singular “you” came in. Downfall of civilisation, not on my watch, etc. etc., and I bet most people don’t know that ‘you’ was originally a plural form anymore …

(I’m glad you like “niblings”.)

[matt_mcl]

@Lobelia Overhill

what do you call a “godchild” when neither of you is religious?

How do you get to be a godparent without at least one of you being religious? Isn’t it a religious office (in the case of a Christian, the sponsor at the baptism)?

[fisha]

@cazzle

Perverse? Contrary?

Hey, I’m a pervert!

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

The right of the person who brings the food to nosh a little from the bag while driing home. You know, eat a couple french fries or whatever.

Actually I do have a proposed word for this: Nibblage.

[Lobelia_Overhill]

@matt_mcl

How do you get to be a godparent without at least one of you being religious? Isn’t it a religious office (in the case of a Christian, the sponsor at the baptism)?

That’s why I said “godchild” and not Godchild… My friend is of no religious affiliation, and I’ve given up all hope, so what do I call her child - who, had we all been of the appropriate Religion, would have been my Godchild?