# Is it feasible to stop a word becoming popular? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2006, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061 "2006-03-27T08:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galaxyhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7bcc69/32.png) [@Galaxyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galaxyhorse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/1 "2006-03-27T08:51:51Z")
I am sure everyone has their words which they dislike. Is it possible thru writing letters, posting threads etc to stop people using a word ? It is obviously possible with some politically incorrect words which have been phased out. What about words one just does not like to become popular? The word I have is “edged”-meaning beat in sports. As in Liverpool edged Chelsea or NY Yankees edged Boston Red SOX. I first noticed this word in the English language newspapers of South East Asia. Now I see it being used by Australian media. I do not know the actual history of ‘edge’ meaning beat in sports. Just giving my experience. I do not like this word. I would be happy not to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/2 "2006-03-27T09:13:42Z")
I was able to get a friend not to use “cunt” (“Cunt = Vagina. You tell me the bad part of a vagina and I’ll let you call people cunts.”) But outside of that. lolz ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/3 "2006-03-27T10:06:18Z")
I think if you seriously started some kind of campaign against the word, it’ll just encourage its use. Do you have an actual example of the Australian media using “edged” the way you’re describing? I have seen it used like this, “Carlton edged out The Eagles in a closely fought contest,” but I haven’t seen it used the way you are saying. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/4 "2006-03-27T10:54:35Z")
[semi-obscure joke] Get Dave Evans to slap around anyone who uses the term. [/s-o j] ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/5 "2006-03-27T14:20:17Z")
I don’t know, I’ve been hearing “edged” as one of many, many synonyms for “beat” in American media for as long as I’ve been alive. I think it’s actually _less_ common today, because TV and radio announcers spend less time reading sports scores than they once did. Nowadays scores scroll by on the screen, or people read them off of the Internet. Whereas when people would watch the nightly news just to get sports scores, you’d have a long litany of teams that were trounced, edged, whipped, squeaked past, upset, blasted, and smeared, but never beat, because beat would be trite. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/6 "2006-03-27T14:27:53Z")
> [@Galaxyhorse](#): > > I am sure everyone has their words which they dislike. Is it possible thru writing letters, posting threads etc to stop people using a word ? > It is obviously possible with some politically incorrect words which have been phased out. What about words one just does not like to become popular? Not likely. Language does whatever the hell it wants to do. It’s like telling the wind that it’s blowing the wrong direction. > [@](#): > > The word I have is “edged”-meaning beat in sports. As in Liverpool edged Chelsea or NY Yankees edged Boston Red SOX. I first noticed this word in the English language newspapers of South East Asia. Now I see it being used by Australian media. I do not know the actual history of ‘edge’ meaning beat in sports. Just giving my experience. I do not like this word. I would be happy not to see it again. I’m amused at the arrogance in the final two sentences – you assume that the language has to accomodate _your_ preferences. :rolleyes: As for the usage, the OED says it’s been used since 1953. So it’s a bit late to be objecting to a half-century-old usage, isn’t it? Especially since the usage is perfectly understandable to anyone hearing it. > [@](#): > > c. To defeat by a small margin. N. Amer. > 1953 Springfield (Mass.) Sunday Republican 20 Sept. 8B (heading) Bellows Falls edges Windsor eleven, 12-6. 1966 N.Y. Times (Internat. ed.) 22 Apr. 12/1 The Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Houston Astros, 3-2. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 41/8 Malvern edged Parkdale 4-3 in the first game. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/7 "2006-03-27T16:03:53Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > I was able to get a friend not to use “cunt” (“Cunt = Vagina. You tell me the bad part of a vagina and I’ll let you call people cunts.”) But outside of that. Cunt is one of my favorite words! Obviously it is only appropriate in certain company and certain contexts, but it’s highly effective both as an insult and as an…uh…intimate word. My personal grudge word is “blog”. I hate it. Oddly, it has continued to enjoy popular usage despite my protestations 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/8 "2006-03-27T16:24:05Z")
Personally I dislike corruption of the word “through” into “thru.” > [@Galaxyhorse](#): > > Is it possible thru writing letters, posting threads etc to stop people using a word ? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/9 "2006-03-27T16:30:26Z")
Perhaps you could launch a NEW word to compete with “edged.” ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/10 "2006-03-27T16:38:56Z")
> [@Galaxyhorse](#): > > I am sure everyone has their words which they dislike. Is it possible thru writing letters, posting threads etc to stop people using a word ? > It is obviously possible with some politically incorrect words which have been phased out. What about words one just does not like to become popular? > The word I have is “edged”-meaning beat in sports. As in Liverpool edged Chelsea or NY Yankees edged Boston Red SOX. I first noticed this word in the English language newspapers of South East Asia. Now I see it being used by Australian media. I do not know the actual history of ‘edge’ meaning beat in sports. Just giving my experience. I do not like this word. I would be happy not to see it again. Xerox attempted to stop the use of their company name as a word meaning, “to copy” but it ended in the word being used even more. Have you ever used a kleenex? According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleenex), "Kimberly-Clark consciously places the terminology “brand tissues” after “Kleenex” in all of their advertising so as to inform the general public that Kleenex is a brand of tissue, not the actual term for “tissue”. Yet people still use the word “Kleenex” to mean a tissue. So to answer your question, no, I don’t think it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/11 "2006-03-27T18:07:22Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Cunt is one of my favorite words! [snip] it’s highly effective both as an insult and as an…uh…intimate word. If I ever tried to use it as an intimate word with my wife, I can _guarantee_ you I would not be getting any that night. ---
**Author:** ![Galaxyhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7bcc69/32.png) [@Galaxyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galaxyhorse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/12 "2006-03-27T22:59:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’m amused at the arrogance in the final two sentences – you assume that the language has to accomodate _your_ preferences. :rolleyes: > > As for the usage, the OED says it’s been used since 1953. So it’s a bit late to be objecting to a half-century-old usage, isn’t it? Especially since the usage is perfectly understandable to anyone hearing it. I do not see why you think it is arrogance. I am sure everyone has words they do not like. I am just stating my opinion. I do not assume the language has to accomodate my preferences. I know that it will not. I accept that. Why do many people on SDMB think that if you give your opinion you are being arrogant? The usage of edged was not obvious to me the first few times I heard it (which was only a few years ago). I presume it is much more common in the USA than in Australia or New Zealand. The first few times I heard it was in Thailand. In Thailand they have made up some English words which are only understandable there.I though"edged" was one of those words. I did not understand the first time I heard “Liverpool edged Chelsea” and the until I actually saw the score was Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1. I thought maybe it meant drew with. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/13 "2006-03-27T23:47:09Z")
When you get the technique figured out, do me a favour and put ‘teh,’ ‘pwned,’ ‘ghey’, ‘suxx0rz’, and similar such slang on the list. thanks! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/14 "2006-03-27T23:58:44Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Cunt is one of my favorite words! Obviously it is only appropriate in certain company and certain contexts, but it’s highly effective both as an insult and as an…uh…intimate word. Curb Your Enthusiasm leaps to mind. _Uproarious laughter at the poker table._ Larry David: Haha, why didn’t you bet, you cunt? _dead silence_ ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/15 "2006-03-28T01:13:23Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Curb Your Enthusiasm leaps to mind. > > _Uproarious laughter at the poker table._ > > Larry David: Haha, why didn’t you bet, you cunt? > > _dead silence_ _audible sigh_ great episode ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/16 "2006-03-28T01:23:51Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > Do you have an actual example of the Australian media using “edged” the way you’re describing? I have seen it used like this, “Carlton edged out The Eagles in a closely fought contest,” but I haven’t seen it used the way you are saying. I’d agree. I’ve seen only the “edged out” variation. Never “edged” on it own. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/17 "2006-03-28T03:08:35Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Not likely. Language does whatever the hell it wants to do. It’s like telling the wind that it’s blowing the wrong direction. Right. It’s one thing to struggle against usages or patterns that muddle the function of properly communicating ideas, but avoiding a word catching on? Futile. You have a better chance in letting it become established and _then_ creating a groundswell to denounce/discredit it as offensive, clichéed or just passé. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/18 "2006-03-28T03:17:35Z")
> [@Galaxyhorse](#): > > Just giving my experience. I do not like this word. I would be happy not to see it again. So don’t use it. Or, better yet, make up your own language with your own words–then everyone’s happy. Dnoo schramfwi poodle bilung, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Galaxyhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7bcc69/32.png) [@Galaxyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galaxyhorse)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/19 "2006-03-28T11:02:08Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’d agree. I’ve seen only the “edged out” variation. Never “edged” on it own. On TV -yes. In print -not yet. Middlesbrough edged Bolton 4-3 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061/20 "2006-03-28T19:18:37Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Dnoo schramfwi poodle bilung, eh? _I CANNOT believe you said that!!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-feasible-to-stop-a-word-becoming-popular/350061.md?page=2)