# Conversate, orientate, commentate, what else?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 12, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743 "2013-11-12T19:21:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/41 "2013-11-14T10:53:43Z")
Commensurate?
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I know, I know…
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### Author:  [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/42 "2013-11-14T15:35:54Z")
My manager worries that my team lacks the “bandwidth” to handle some projects.
She’s not referring to computer capability, she’s referring to available time during the work-day.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/43 "2013-11-14T17:08:24Z")
I saw this one in an article on Yahoo Finance today: “productize”
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/44 "2013-11-14T17:16:20Z")
If you’re enjoying the exercise in this thread, perhaps you’re in the mood for [corpspeak: infinite corporate bullshit generator](http://lurkertech.com/corpspeak/)
There’s also [12 Most Supercilious Corpspeak Terms](http://12most.com/2013/01/10/supercilious-corpspeak-terms/)
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/45 "2013-11-14T17:18:28Z")
> [@Learjeff](#):
>
> People even say “conversate” and “commentate”? Eck.
I didn’t realize “commentate” was weird. It’s distinct from “comment.” “Commentate” means to offer running commentary on something. When I used to go to church as a kid, I used to sometimes serve the rule of a commentator, as well, and you would use the “commentate” verb form if you wanted to ask when you were commentating and stuff like that.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/46 "2013-11-14T17:23:01Z")
Conversate often has a more specific connotation than just conversing. It can imply a more boisterous and raucous conversation than converse.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/47 "2013-11-14T17:30:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> I didn’t realize “commentate” was weird. It’s distinct from “comment.” “Commentate” means to offer running commentary on something. When I used to go to church as a kid, I used to sometimes serve the rule of a commentator, as well, and you would use the “commentate” verb form if you wanted to ask when you were commentating and stuff like that.
It would appear in [this definition](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commentate) that whatever weirdness it has/had goes back a while. To me, unless you’re actually doing commentary and are just commenting on something, the term is excessive. YMMV, obviously! 🙂
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/48 "2013-11-14T17:37:41Z")
Well, I don’t use the word as a synonym for “comment.” “Commentating” is something newscasters do.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/49 "2013-11-14T17:45:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Well, I don’t use the word as a synonym for “comment.” “Commentating” is something newscasters do.
I hear you. If I ever use the term – and I usually go with a synonym like “call the plays” or “do commentary” or something to that effect – I do restrict it to that specific usage.
What bothers me is when somebody goes with that word when they’re trying to sound more authoritative than the situation deserves. Same with conversate. Something like, “Charlie and me was conversating about Wanda’s attributes.”
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/50 "2013-11-14T18:50:06Z")
Oh… (v)CONSENSE
As in, to arrive at a consensus.
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### Author:  [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/51 "2013-11-14T22:20:00Z")
The radio show I listen to during my morning commute has three hosts. One of them, at least once a week, will use the word “efforting” rather than “trying” or “attempting.”
“Charlie raised a good point earlier, and we’re efforting to get an expert on the line to address it.”
I want to make enough money to purchase this radio station so I can walk into the studio the next time he says it and scream, “It’s TRYING, you dip! You’re fired!”
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### Author:  [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/52 "2013-11-15T00:01:52Z")
I have a client who will ask me if we can set up a meeting to _dialog_ about something. No, can’t we just talk about it instead?
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### Author:  [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/53 "2013-11-15T00:25:29Z")
Arguments
Agreements
Advice
Answers
Articulate announcements
Babble
Burble
Banter
Bicker bicker bicker
Brouhaha
Boulderdash
Ballyhoo
Back talk
SERIOUSLY - no one mentioned elephant talk yet? ELEPHANT TALK!
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/54 "2013-11-15T01:32:29Z")
[Bingo](http://www.businessbuzzwordbingo.com/) is always fun to play in a meeting.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversate-orientate-commentate-what-else/673743/55 "2013-11-15T06:16:12Z")
I know it’s not a word, but I won’t, nor will I ever “put a pin in it.”
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