# Happy Birthday: tenning and tenthing! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-tenning-and-tenthing/546143 "2010-07-09T20:00:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ToborAton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/57b2e6/32.png) [@ToborAton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToborAton)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-tenning-and-tenthing/546143/1 "2010-07-09T20:00:55Z")
Tenning and tenthing were just born today: GQ: “Is there a word like decimate for an order of magnitude reduction?” > **[Is there a word like decimate for an order of magnitude reduction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=570207)** > > I suppose I should start out by saying that decimate has a very precise definition: to reduce by 10%. I’m not sure I have ever actually used the word except to talk about the word. I also just realized how wildly I would use a word that means to... Please be sure you use them correctly. Most importantly: these words are special because they are the first I know of which, by virtue of the fact that I _can_ say so, it is not possible to coerce people to use them correctly and also be using them correctly. Of course, I am the 0th tenner. The next ten people to start tenning will be the 1st tenners! ---
**Author:** ![ToborAton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/57b2e6/32.png) [@ToborAton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToborAton)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-tenning-and-tenthing/546143/2 "2010-07-09T20:14:47Z")
> [@ToborAton](#): > > I am the 0th tenner. The next ten people to start tenning will be the 1st tenners! Completely by chance, I am going to have to _literally decimate_ that! The next _9_ to start tenning will be the 1st tenners!