# People who think they're educated. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 6, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073 "1999-11-06T22:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/41 "1999-11-09T06:45:00Z")
OH,man…Sue. I liked that post very much good. I laugh very much lots. I laugh still. It is good. Sue is good. Sue is funny. Funny Sue. (BTW, I fourth it…and I’m submitting it to Opalcat’s, just in case anyone else hasn’t already.) * * * “Excrement. That is what I think of J. Evans Pritchard, PhD.” --Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society Chris’ Homepage: [Domestic Bliss](http://www2.crosswinds.net/~domesticbliss/) ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/42 "1999-11-09T15:02:00Z")
Two things: Thing the first – I appreciate good vocabulary and the well crafted sentence as much (or even more) as the next guy. Big words don’t bother me. But using a two dollar word when a fifty-cent one will do is annoying and pretentious. That’s what I took the OP to mean. I didn’t think it was a blanket denouncement of good vocabulary, simply a knock on folks who say “utilize” when they mean “use”. The second thing – On substance over form. I am well documented on this board as one who values form as well as substance. I confess, I am a grammar cop. Yes, the substance of a poster’s ideas are important. But the way those ideas are communicated (the form) contributes to the total substance of the ideas conveyed. It’s like Marshall McLuhan said, the Medium is the Message. The way you choose to communicate your ideas tells me something about you and the message you are trying to communicate. A post with poor grammar or vocabulary tells me something. When I read a poorly drafted post, I (fairly or otherwise) conclude the poster is either: a) dumb, b) uneducated or c) too lazy to take the time to present his ideas well. That opinion about the source of the ideas influences my perception of the substance of the ideas presented. Bottom line, in my experience, is that people who have good ideas usually care enough about them to communicate them clearly. * * * Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/43 "1999-11-09T16:52:00Z")
Call me nutty, but why is it that if someone appreciates the ribald wit of, say Benny Hill or Monty Python (or, dare say, Howard Stern), yet also enjoys more cerebral entertainment, like Garrison Keilor or Woody Allen, they are considered well-rounded, but if someone acts in both ways, they are being a jerk? * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![GirlFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@GirlFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GirlFace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/44 "1999-11-09T19:15:00Z")
Here’s what I think. Some writing is strictly informative (business writing). Some writing is entertaining (books and shit like that). Some is a little of both (the SDMB). I say, use all the flash you can muster to make me laugh or cry, and use clear, understandable vocabulary to teach me something. That doesn’t mean you have to use strictly monosyllabic words and stick-figure drawings. Good writing gets the point across and reflects the “voice” of the writer. 'kay? ---
**Author:** ![Konrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Konrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Konrad)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/45 "1999-11-09T22:17:00Z")
MajorMD sez: > [@](#): > > See the troll. See the troll pout. Pout, troll, pout. Good girl. _clap_ _clap_ I applaud. Watching you make a joke is interesting in the same way as watching a dog play piano is. It’s not as much that he can play it well as that he plays it at all. Satan: But like Frankd6 said, saying ‘utilize’ instead of ‘use’ doesn’t make you a good writer, or brainy, or witty, or anything. It’s just annoying. tracer sez: > [@](#): > > (Saying “ungood” instead of “bad” and “plusungood” instead of “awful”, f’rinstance, was based on the Esperanto uses of the “mal-” prefix and “-eg-” suffix.) Are you sure? I thought it was just about the Russian language, since so much of the rest of the book refelects communism. In Russian you also say ungood and so on. It also makes sense because the communist party like to make words like politburo. Shirley: I’m sure he meant something or otter. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/46 "1999-11-09T22:31:00Z")
Ah hahahahahaha! Here’s a little tidbit cribbed directly from good old Konrad’s website. > [@](#): > > As an example here is the old-style obsolete method of writing and the > equivalent in the modern and improved way: > > BEFORE > > Dear milkman, > > Please leave 3 bottles of milk today. Thank you. > > (signed) Wankel E. Rotary > AFTER > > Dear milkman, > > Milk is one of the most common household items. It is my sincere > intention to convince you to leave three bottles of milk today. It is a > great source of vitamins and I would certainly be righteously indignated > if you do not leave some, besides, milk does a body good. Let me explain > in detail. > > The FDA as well as many other organizations have found milk to be a > splendid source of vitamins and minerals. In the FDA’s public health > announcement #01071976-A it cites research attesting to this fact. > > My good man, I would feel righteous indignation if you did not leave us > three bottles of milk! It is a daily part of our morning. Surely you > would not deprive us of our breakfast cereals? > > Milk does a body good. Those are wise words. Obviously one would have > to be crazy to disagree. > > In conclusion I opine that you must furnish us with three bottles of > milk. Not only is it rich in vitamins that do a body good but it will > appease my outrage. Someone once said “Milk makes the world go round”. I > hope this quick note was in our mutual interest. > > Yours truly, > > Rotary E., Wankel (Mr.) > Sure, it may be unnecessarily long, but just think; it’s structured. > Once in the confines of this arrangement the text must be further > regulated by assigning a topic lest the student choose something > interesting or new. Maybe he does understand satire after all. ## Schmuck. **Dopeler effect:** The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![smilingjaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@smilingjaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingjaws)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 1999, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/47 "1999-11-13T14:25:00Z")
Sorry I didn’t reply to this before–didn’t bother to read it until someone pointed it out to me. Sir, I would like to inform you that I use the word Sir to address you because that indicates that I want to distance myself from you because you are a stupid jerk. I hope that is simple enough for you. Having pretty old fashioned manners, I believe that addressing you by name would indicate that I would actually associate with someone as repulsive as you. And, yes, I do talk that way because I enjoy doing so. I only address friends and respectable people by name. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 1999, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/48 "1999-11-16T21:23:00Z")
MR. SPACELY: Jetsooooooon! What are you doing?! JETSON [caught off-guard]: Goofing off, **SIR!** ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/49 "1999-11-20T21:13:00Z")
Heh, heh, heh. Dang! Got to remember to keep short – Eh, eh, eh. P.S.: Tris. I’m rather impressed. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 1999, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073/50 "1999-11-21T04:33:00Z")
Tsk, tsk. The hoi polloi, getting uppity and pretentions to education. Don’t it make your blue blood curdle? Well, sheeeYIT, I’d sure like to take on ol’ Konrad here, but he sure is just too sharp and subtle for the likes of me. He’s just a master of sarcasm and well placed emphasis and high thought. Yessir, he’s just so fine he’s a threat and a reproach to all lowly scum who have the goddamn gall to aspire to his heights. Dunno, since he seems to be full of _something_ I say we use him for fencing practice and see what dribbles out. En garde. Veb [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-think-theyre-educated/3073.md?page=2)