# "Normalcy" is not a word! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589 "2002-12-09T20:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/41 "2002-12-10T01:30:01Z")
> [@](#): > > But that doesn’t mean that I like it! Now that’s a horse of a different color! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/42 "2002-12-10T02:08:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*Normality sounds fucked up to me, and harder to pronounce. \*\* Taken out of context, that’s a good sig line, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/43 "2002-12-10T02:43:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sivalensis \* > \*\* > I am curious those…this could be a british/american difference? Granted, I haven’t been looking at people’s locations (and sorry, but the Kingdom of Butter doesn’t tell me much 🙂 lol), but maybe one usage is more prevalent over here and one in britain? \*\* Yep! Not that I can speak for all the U.K. Dopers, but in general, I think we in Britain tend to think "normalcy " sounds horrible, while “normality” sounds normal. Two nations divided by a common language! I do wonder now, though what word was used _before_ 1849? ---
**Author:** ![pantheon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@pantheon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantheon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/44 "2002-12-10T03:43:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*You know what I hate? Otherwise intelligent people who insist on using the word “lonely” when they mean “melancholy.” > > Six centuries of this bullshit is enough. It’s time for people to stand up and reclaim the language. \*\* I can relate. I hate that people around me -constantly- use “jealous” when they actually mean “envious”. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/45 "2002-12-10T08:56:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francesca \* > \*\ ***Everton** , that statement was erogenous. \*\* Okay, now that actually made me burst out laughing. And I can’t even explain it to all the people here who are staring at me, because they don’t speak English. But that was priceless. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/46 "2002-12-10T09:09:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pantheon \* > \*\*I can relate. I hate that people around me -constantly- use “jealous” when they actually mean “envious”. \*\* Oh yes - I detest that one! Anyone worried about “infer” and “imply” yet? ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/47 "2002-12-10T09:29:45Z")
Normalness. It’s cromulescent. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/48 "2002-12-10T10:27:32Z")
> [@](#): > > The thread is full of bullshitness. If something in the past was a lot of crap, would you say that it was bullshat? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/49 "2002-12-10T11:19:56Z")
My biggest pet peeve used to be “aren’t I?” (watch those conjugations of “to be”!), but lately it has been replaced by “that begs the question”, as in “That begs the question of whether I should go or stay”. No, it doesn’t. It _raises_ the question of whether you should go or stay. “Begging the question” is stating a premise that presumes the conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/50 "2002-12-10T11:24:59Z")
How about politicians (for instance) who claim to “refute” certain allegations, but in fact only “deny” them? ---
**Author:** ![Marcus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Marcus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/51 "2002-12-10T12:01:18Z")
There seems to be a trend of late to quantify nonsense. Time and time again you’ll here someone say “That’s a nonsense!” To which I say harrumph! Are you sure it’s not two nonsenses? Or seven? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/52 "2002-12-10T12:10:44Z")
Bah. I’m the kind of person who, after reading a book set prior to the '70s, despairs over the fact that “faggot” has taken on such sinister tones in this day and age. Such a good word ruined by such terrible people… ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/53 "2002-12-10T12:12:10Z")
Ya know, immediately after posting, I realized that my words can mean something - heh - sinister themselves. Above, I am referring, of course, to the fact that “faggot” used to refer to kindling, and the “terrible people” are those who would choose to pursue people with a different sexuality than their own. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/54 "2002-12-10T23:30:26Z")
> [@](#): > > My biggest pet peeve used to be “aren’t I?” (watch those conjugations of “to be”!) So is “am’t I” correct? Guess I will stick with “ain’t I.”😃 ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/55 "2002-12-11T13:43:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Soup\_du\_jour \* > \*\*[Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) only lists it because it’s commonly used. Numerous obscenities are at the site, as well. It doesn’t make them words that one wants to use, if one wants to sound intelligent. \*\* These aren’t posts people want to post, if one wants to sound intelligent. Common use IS exactly how words get added to the lexicon. Lexicographers scan media for multiple instances of word use and when it reaches a critical mass it ends up in the Great Book. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/56 "2002-12-11T22:50:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*So is “am’t I” correct? Guess I will stick with “ain’t I.”😃 \*\* “Am I not?” is correct. When someone says “aren’t I?”, I like to respond with, “Yes! And I are, too!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589/57 "2002-12-12T01:19:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*Ya know, immediately after posting, I realized that my words can mean something - heh - sinister themselves. Above, I am referring, of course, to the fact that “faggot” used to refer to kindling, and the “terrible people” are those who would choose to pursue people with a different sexuality than their own. \*\* Those who would choose to pursue people with a different sexuality than their own are likely to end up mighty disappointed.😉 But I knew what you meant. Besides, if we’re going to be complaining about new words, how about the verb “to google”. And the change in the meaning of the word “mouse”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normalcy-is-not-a-word/141589.md?page=2)