# 'Embolden' (weak) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 26, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628 "2007-01-26T21:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/41 "2007-01-26T23:53:19Z")
[QUOTE=Canadjun] I notice you used “hubris” in one of your replies. Do you consider that common? I suspect many people wouldn’t. [/QUOTE] It’s not his fault! He was just walking by that Dungeons and Dragons convention on his way to a pimp convention and happened to overhear it! He doesn’t know what it means, honest! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/42 "2007-01-26T23:58:25Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] Seventy three. “Maiden maiden embolden?” we would ask. “Embolden!” they’d shout, joyfully. “Embolden maiden codpiece!” [/QUOTE] Can you introduce me to this Maiden Codpiece? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/43 "2007-01-27T00:07:28Z")
This thread isn’t an unmitigated loss, it allowed **Giraffe** to assiduously inspirit me. ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/44 "2007-01-27T00:16:46Z")
[QUOTE=Canadjun] I notice you used “hubris” in one of your replies. Do you consider that common? I suspect many people wouldn’t. [/QUOTE] I see your point. Let’s turn that around. Just because Contrapuntal (or anyone else) claims to hear a word often, does that make it common usage? As for ‘maiden’, the word was chosen to fit in the context of the insult, not the OP. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/45 "2007-01-27T00:21:03Z")
Whatever you do, don’t tell him about the title of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=405782). ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/46 "2007-01-27T00:41:41Z")
[QUOTE=born too late] How many people are there that you talk to each day say maiden or embolden? […] and for anyone that could read above a 5th grade level, that probably was apparent [/QUOTE] OK, so… let’s see if you can follow pretty basic logic here. You aren’t familiar with how often specific, quite common words are used, and you think someone didn’t understand what you intended in a post. Which of the following is most likely: A) People with demonstrated vocabulary skills far superior to yours are somehow suddenly incapable of reading what you wrote for understanding B) You’re just a dumbass who can’t express himself properly with the limited number of words you are familiar with (and probably with half or more of those having different definitions than you think they do) C) You’re just a clumsy troll saying things you know to be extremely ignorant to watch people dance It’s certainly not A. If it’s B, let’s hope you find a website more in line with your limited intellectual skills so that everyone is happy. If it’s C, maybe you’ll do something more obvious and get yourself banned. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/47 "2007-01-27T00:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] I used to work in a town called Maidenhead. [/QUOTE] I’d love to see the headlines if that town went bankrupt. ‘MAIDENHEAD BROKE’. Even better, if it went bankrupt because of the incompetence of the town’s leadership: ‘MAYOR BREAKS MAIDENHEAD’. ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/48 "2007-01-27T00:57:53Z")
[QUOTE=Dan Norder] A) People with demonstrated vocabulary skills far superior to yours are somehow suddenly incapable of reading what you wrote for understanding. [/QUOTE] What evidence is there here that any of my detractors have demonstrably better vocabulary skills? They use big words? There’s plenty of PhD holders that might have eidetic knowledge of a dictionary out there, but can’t critically think their way out of a paper bag and a few of them even post to this message board. [QUOTE=Dan Norder] You aren’t familiar with how often specific, quite common words are used. [/QUOTE] If you’re so smart, where’s your cite for just how common ‘embolden’ is in today’s usage? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/49 "2007-01-27T00:57:54Z")
Hymeny more maidenhead jokes are there? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/50 "2007-01-27T01:02:05Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] This thread isn’t an unmitigated loss, it allowed **Giraffe** to assiduously inspirit me. [/QUOTE] :dubious: Don’t you mean inspiriten? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/51 "2007-01-27T01:06:01Z")
I’m delighted to report that one of my co-workers, entirely unprompted by me or anything in this thread, just used the word “codpiece” in casual convsersation. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/52 "2007-01-27T01:08:06Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I’m delighted to report that one of my co-workers, entirely unprompted by me or anything in this thread, just used the word “codpiece” in casual convsersation. [/QUOTE] Ask him if he wants to play Dungeons and Dragons with us. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/53 "2007-01-27T01:10:28Z")
Can I play? I’ll even DM if ya want, but I only use First Edition with parts of Unearthed Arcana rules. ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/54 "2007-01-27T01:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I’m delighted to report that one of my co-workers, entirely unprompted by me or anything in this thread, just used the word “codpiece” in casual convsersation. [/QUOTE] On the off chance that it might be relevant, what was that conversation about? Ren Faires? “I’m going to AnachronCon this weekend - gotta shine up my codpiece.” ---
**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:** [January 27, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/55 "2007-01-27T01:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=born too late] What evidence is there here that any of my detractors have demonstrably better vocabulary skills? They use big words? [/quote] Yes. Also, we use them correctly, something with which you clearly struggle. > [@](#): > > There’s plenty of PhD holders that might have eidetic knowledge of a dictionary out there, but can’t critically think their way out of a paper bag and a few of them even post to this message board. That may be true… well, no, it’s clearly pure bullshit, but even if that were true, that has nothing to do with the claim that you have a substandard vocabulary, which was the charge you were attempting to rebut. > [@](#): > > If you’re so smart, where’s your cite for just how common ‘embolden’ is in today’s usage? Well, for one thing, dictionaries usually tag words that are no longer in common use with the word "archaic,’ or some similar designation. [Forsooth](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/forsooth), for example, is a word that nobody uses anymore, and you can see the word “archaic” right next to it. Let’s look at [embolden](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/embolden) again. See the word “archaic” in there? No? That’s cause it’s a common word in modern language. More proof that it’s not an obsolete term? George Bush uses it regularly. Remember, this is the man with the second smallest vocabulary in the world. If he uses a word, it’s either something he just invented, or it’s about as common a word as “the” or “and.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/56 "2007-01-27T01:21:56Z")
Like a rat fleeing to a sinking ship, I shall stand up, er… whilst fleeing, and say that I also hate the word “embolden.” ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/57 "2007-01-27T01:23:32Z")
[QUOTE=born too late] If you’re so smart, where’s your cite for just how common ‘embolden’ is in today’s usage? [/QUOTE] Googling “embolden” gets 775,000 hits. “born too late” gets 182,000. You archaic bushistic sheepspeak spitfaced motherloving wallywick melonheaded termagant. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/58 "2007-01-27T01:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=born too late] If you’re so smart, where’s your cite for just how common ‘embolden’ is in today’s usage? [/QUOTE] But weren’t you the one who claimed it was becoming more common because of the President’s use of it? Wasn’t that the reason for your trying to coin “ensheepen”? So how do you know that? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/59 "2007-01-27T01:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Like a rat fleeing to a sinking ship, I shall stand up, er… whilst fleeing, and say that I also hate the word “embolden.” [/QUOTE] Better wait till you hit dry land. Stopping in the middle of a rat stampede is contra-indicated. (Did you hate it before it was bushisized? It’s really a lovely word in the right context.) ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628/60 "2007-01-27T01:36:40Z")
[QUOTE=thirdwarning] Wasn’t that the reason for your trying to coin “ensheepen”? [/QUOTE] Emsheepen! EMsheepen!! Geez! [QUOTE=jsgoddess] Like a rat fleeing to a sinking ship, I shall stand up, er… whilst fleeing, and say that I also hate the word “embolden.” [/QUOTE] Yeah, **born too late** is not without his fans, you emsheepening pile-ons! I detest the way Bush attempts to make terrorists sound more ominous by using words he gets from watching “Lord of the Rings”. It reminds me of when Reagan called the USSR “The Evil Empire”. (He must have been reading a lot of comic books that month!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embolden-weak/389628.md?page=4)