# Somebody Buy Joe Biden a Dictionary **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653 "2008-10-13T00:38:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/21 "2008-10-13T02:17:21Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Edit: which you now concede in a post that appeared before mine. There’s no concession there; I never denied that the word means what you say it does. My point was, and still is, that Biden’s usage is largely understood by the English-speaking public and is perfectly valid because of that and that this usage is recognized by major dictionaries and not “obscure” at all. But I suspect _you_ know that was my point. Deliberately disingenuous, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/22 "2008-10-13T02:18:05Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > There’s no concession there; I never denied that the word means what you say it does. My point was, and still is, that Biden’s usage is largely understood by the English-speaking public as is perfectly valid because of that. But I suspect _you_ know that was my point. Deliberately disingenuous, indeed. I knew what he was trying to say, yes. I can usually figure out what LOL cats are saying, too, but I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and find out IME IN UR THRED BEIN DINISNGUS isn’t good grammar just because a normal person can tease out the meaning. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/23 "2008-10-13T02:20:09Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > It isn’t just pit threads. [Behold the creamed cheese gambit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10280231&postcount=15). Wow, what a pompous ass s/he was in that thread. Also? Wrong and proven so numerous times, especially by **Words on the Interweb** and **WhyNot**. I applaud you for not throwing a cream(ed) pie in this person’s general direction. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/24 "2008-10-13T02:21:20Z")
I take the “creamed cheese” incident as being a hilarious send up of lame grammar threads like this one. Even better that it was dropped into another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/25 "2008-10-13T03:54:25Z")
> [@choie](#): > > So this thread shouldn’t be a total loss, I shall entertain everyone with a quote from Rex Stout, a word fetishist (and creator of Nero Wolfe, a word purist): Indeed, you have made this thread very much not a total loss. You remind me once again that I must re-read the Wolfe canon once again. ---
**Author:** ![Hellestal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hellestal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hellestal)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/26 "2008-10-13T04:26:39Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I knew what he was trying to say, yes. I can usually figure out what LOL cats are saying, too, but I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and find out IME IN UR THRED BEIN DINISNGUS isn’t good grammar just because a normal person can tease out the meaning. If you’re so damn keen on “proper” language, then you ought to have known that there are no _grammar_ problems in that sentence. None at all. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/27 "2008-10-13T04:40:18Z")
Get him a dictionary, then when he uses it, we can all say he is plagiarizing! Sounds cromulent to me. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/28 "2008-10-13T11:07:27Z")
Can I still be annoyed when I see someone write “Old fashion Ice cream served here”? ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/29 "2008-10-13T12:39:58Z")
This seems like a fun thread to throw in this real-life anecdote: Judge asking routine questions of professor on witness stand: “Do you have any children?” Professor: “No. I have two adult daughters.” Aftermath: Contempt of court charges for the professor. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653/30 "2008-10-13T13:15:38Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Can I still be annoyed when I see someone write “Old fashion Ice cream served here”? Depends – do they serve ice tea there as well? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-buy-joe-biden-a-dictionary/467653.md?page=1)