# Connations of the word "pristine." **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695 "2011-01-23T21:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/21 "2011-01-24T20:51:06Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Someone over-officious or anal would have an “antiseptic” home or office. That would imply a standard of care which is unnecessary, overdone. That might be a better word to use for it, sure. A friend of mine was telling me about cleaning his kitchen since his sister and mom were coming over, and their kitchens are “pristine.” I know pristine is a good thing, but I was thinking geez, they must be pretty anal. That probably has more to do with my beef with super-neat people, me being a colossal slob and all, but for some reason, if he had described it any other way, perhaps said “Their kitchens are completely free of any dirt,” it wouldn’t have struck me that way. ---
**Author:** ![HawksPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@HawksPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HawksPath)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/22 "2011-01-24T21:42:25Z")
Their minds are pristine of knowledge. I think of pristine as positive, but what about in the above sentence? I might consider the word to have a negative connotation if it was used often in such circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/23 "2011-01-24T23:10:32Z")
English being English, I can believe that it’s possible that it could have a negative connotation. But I can’t think of one and the examples already offered in the thread have all been positive. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/24 "2011-01-24T23:13:01Z")
Btw, did your musing come from this article? I assumed it did, but maybe its just coincidence. > **[9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think](https://www.cracked.com/article_15664_9-words-that-dont-mean-what-you-think.html)** > > The English language is under assault by stupid people who use words they don't understand, and is defended by pompous asses who like to correct those people. We're not sure who to side with. > So, here are some words that you'll see used incorrectly... Otara ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/25 "2011-01-24T23:20:36Z")
> [@HawksPath](#): > > Their minds are pristine of knowledge. > > I think of pristine as positive, but what about in the above sentence? The word is misused. Nothing is ever “pristine _of_” anything. ---
**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/26 "2011-01-24T23:25:44Z")
Interestingly, I thought this discussion would be about buying something from eBay that was described as in pristine condition, but clearly was not, and an argument with the seller ensued. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/27 "2011-01-24T23:25:58Z")
> [@Otara](#): > > Btw, did your musing come from this article? I assumed it did, but maybe its just coincidence. > > [9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think | Cracked.com](http://www.cracked.com/article_15664_9-words-that-dont-mean-what-you-think.html) > > Otara No, this musing was spawned from a drunk dial I was having with my friend. Cracked is wrong, btw. “Spotless” or “as good as new” are acceptable uses of the term “pristine.” So says [Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine), whose definitions I trust over cracked’s. Cracked is directly responsible for a lot of neglected work around here, but they are mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/28 "2011-01-24T23:28:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > My mother-in-law’s house is pristine; I’m afraid to sit on the furniture. - bad > “Oh, obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl.” _- Breakfast Club_ - bad But by that rationale, couldn’t any word be positive or negative? You could say “Oh, dumb move from such a smart person,” but I don’t think smart becomes negative just because someone used it sarcastically. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695/29 "2011-01-25T00:24:39Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > And really, what does it even mean for a person to be “pristine”? That doesn’t even make sense to me. He was accusing her of being a virgin - which she found quite insulting, being a 16 year old girl. Her next line doesn’t address the sarcasm or finger gesture, but is, “I’m not \*that \*pristine!” Yes, he was being sarcastic, but the context gives an ugly connotation to “pristine”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connations-of-the-word-pristine/568695.md?page=1)