# Words imposed on us which we do not need **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 3, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707 "2024-09-03T23:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/81 "2024-09-15T10:57:54Z")
Stuartship? Stewardship, surely… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/82 "2024-09-15T14:22:52Z")
Yeah, mindfulness. I have no idea what this is supposed to mean. They basically describe it as being a normal person. “Hey, pay attention to stuff.” If you are at all a decent person isn’t this the default? It seems a lot like coming up with a word for telling people not to set themselves on fire. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/83 "2024-09-15T22:45:30Z")
Antidismonoimmolationism? 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/84 "2024-09-15T23:29:41Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Yeah, mindfulness. I have no idea what this is supposed to mean. They basically describe it as being a normal person. “Hey, pay attention to stuff.” If you are at all a decent person isn’t this the default? > > It seems a lot like coming up with a word for telling people not to set themselves on fire. That’s not at all what it means. It’s basically a set of techniques for introspection, paying attention to your cognition, living in the present/momenr, that sort of thing. More towards meditation and stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/85 "2024-09-16T01:38:16Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > favourited > _“That’s a made up word”_ > _“They’re all made up”_ > _“Mind blown!”_ There is no single word meaning “to record as being a favourite in a computer context” and “favourited” is therefore needed at least as much as any other word. > [@wolfpup](#): > > I haven’t come across “favourited” before, but there is an abominable and growing artificial dialect of English that I call “computerese” which is almost as objectionable as biz-speak. You know there used not to be convenient words about fire, wheels, and stone tools, right? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/86 "2024-09-16T06:20:54Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > There is no single word meaning “to record as being a favourite in a computer context” and “favourited” is therefore needed at least as much as any other word. “Preferred” works for me. > [@Princhester](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > I haven’t come across “favourited” before, but there is an abominable and growing artificial dialect of English that I call “computerese” which is almost as objectionable as biz-speak. > > You know there used not to be convenient words about fire, wheels, and stone tools, right? You know there was more to my post than what you quoted, right? Like this part: > Computerese is annoying but at least some of the words serve some nominal purpose I’m not aware of fire, wheels, and stone tools having much effect on the language, but I acknowledge the point that new technology does require new terminology. My objections are that (a) we tend to overdo the invention of pretentious new terms, and (b) those terms tend to migrate to general use. For example, “client-server” is an important concept in distributed computing. “Thin client” is just a pretentious term for “using a PC with a browser”. “Booting” and “rebooting” refer to starting up a computer by using its more primitive functions to enable higher-level functions. Speaking of “rebooting” a television series is just meaningless babble. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/87 "2024-09-16T07:29:02Z")
Pretty standard usage on _Bake Off_. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/88 "2024-09-16T07:37:31Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > “Preferred” works for me. That’s not remotely the same meaning. “Favorited” is no different than “bookmarked” in a computer context. It means you clicked the favorite/bookmark button for that post/site/etc. It doesn’t even mean it is your favorite post or that you particularly liked it. Just that you executed that function. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/89 "2024-09-16T08:39:53Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > “Preferred” works for me. > > That’s not remotely the same meaning. “Favorited” is no different than “bookmarked” in a computer context. It means you clicked the favorite/bookmark button for that post/site/etc. It doesn’t even mean it is your favorite post or that you particularly liked it. Just that you executed that function. This. “Favourited” has a specific meaning that “preferred” does not. Telling me you prefer a particular website in no way indicates that you have exercised the function in software to store the website in a list of preferred websites. > [@wolfpup](#): > > I’m not aware of fire, wheels, and stone tools having much effect on the language, but I acknowledge the point that new technology does require new terminology. My objections are that (a) we tend to overdo the invention of pretentious new terms, and (b) those terms tend to migrate to general use. Are you unaware of fire, wheels and stone tools having much effect on the language because they didn’t have any effect; or because you are so habituated to the language those technological advances provoked that you don’t think about the fact that the words we use about them were once invented by some pretentious person? [And the next day Og complained to Grog about trendoids inventing a new verb when it was perfectly possible to use five existing words to express the same thing, I suspect.] Since you haven’t come up with a single word that has the same precise meaning as “favourited” I don’t think that you have a basis for saying its invention is overdone. And as to migration to general usage, well, King Canute has a lesson for you. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/90 "2024-09-16T09:47:33Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Telling me you prefer a particular website in no way indicates that you have exercised the function in software to store the website in a list of preferred websites. “Liked” is another one. But that has the unfortunate normal meaning of actually liking a post. You may like a post that you dislike! At least with favorited, there’s no ordinary meaning to get confused with. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/91 "2024-09-16T11:39:43Z")
Here’s one I just encountered - “reboot”. I was on vacation recently, and today my computer said I need to reboot. The shut down or sign out link gives the option to sign out, sleep, shut down, restart. No option to reboot. Why use the word reboot, if that is not immediately meaningful to the entire population of users? Is this like the JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot? I have no idea which aspects of my computer/operating system/software are providing those instructions/options, but it is not obvious to me what reboot means. And - yes - I have looked it up and asked before, but this sort of thing does not stick with me. As far as things like this go, I’m just a monkey pressing keys. Clearly tell me exactly which ketys to press, and I’ll do my best. Now give me my banana! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/92 "2024-09-16T12:13:31Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Why use the word reboot, if that is not immediately meaningful to the entire population of users? I would have honestly thought most people know what that word means. I mean, you’ve heard of booting up the computer, right? Or maybe not? I’m a bit younger than you (almost 50), so perhaps it’s a matter of when you grew up. I always remember using the words “boot (up)” and “reboot” since being in my teens. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/93 "2024-09-16T12:24:39Z")
Isn’t “favourite” the British spelling in the first place? I always see it as “favorite” when it is used. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/94 "2024-09-16T12:37:27Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > > > “Preferred” works for me. > > > > That’s not remotely the same meaning. “Favorited” is no different than “bookmarked” in a computer context. It means you clicked the favorite/bookmark button for that post/site/etc. It doesn’t even mean it is your favorite post or that you particularly liked it. Just that you executed that function. > > This. “Favourited” has a specific meaning that “preferred” does not. Telling me you prefer a particular website in no way indicates that you have exercised the function in software to store the website in a list of preferred websites. So tell me, if I click the “Buy Now” button on eBay as an alternative to bidding, or the “Buy Now” button on Amazon, have I just “buy-nowed”? If not, why not? This is the sort of nonsense that opens the door to mellifluous prose like “I greatly disliked the post that I liked” (as @Dr.Strangelove pointed out himself). Although frankly that’s not as egregious as “favorited” which simply is not a word at all. “Favorited” sounds like it was written by a failed ESL student from some benighted foreign land. “Preferred selections” or “selected favorites” sounds like it came from someone who can tell the difference between an adjective and a verb. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Why use the word reboot, if that is not immediately meaningful to the entire population of users? “Booting” and “rebooting” are terms that have been in common use since the earliest days of computing. It’s a short form of “bootstrapping” (lifting yourself by your own bootstraps) and refers to the process by which a sequence of more primitive operations automatically bring a computer up to a fully operational state. For PCs it will be the BIOS that loads and executes initialization code, for larger computers it may be something like an entire minicomputer whose sole job is to perform the necessary initializations for the larger one. Microsoft probably uses the “restart” terminology in its options list because its meaning is unambiguously clear. I agree that telling you that you have to “reboot” in one place and then giving you the “restart” option in another is poor UI design, but that’s not due to poor use of language but just lack of coordination between different software groups. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Is this like the JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot? This sort of thing drives me nuts. Computers reboot, movies and TV shows do not. They might get remade, but they can’t reboot because they were never booted in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/95 "2024-09-16T12:43:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > “Favorited” sounds like it was written by a failed ESL student from some benighted foreign land. “Preferred selections” or “selected favorites” sounds like it came from someone who can tell the difference between an adjective and a verb. “I have stored that link into my computer’s favo(u)rites facility.” Now recast that into “I [verbed] that link.” I sincerely doubt you can torture “Preferred selections” or “selected favorites” into that structure. And if you did, you’re going to have major collisions with the now-technical term “select / selected / selection / selections” meaning a data element on a GUI that has been visually highlighted by the user for some subsequent action. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/96 "2024-09-16T12:52:43Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > You know there used not to be convenient words about fire, wheels, and stone tools, right? Oh, I remember those days. Lots of confusion, in our cave at least. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/97 "2024-09-16T13:04:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > “I have stored that link into my computer’s favo(u)rites facility.” > > Now recast that into “I [verbed] that link.” I sincerely doubt you can torture “Preferred selections” or “selected favorites” into that structure. Why is it essential to use that exact structure? There are many actions in this world of sin and woe (as in my example of clicking on Amazon’s “Buy Now” button) for which there are no exact corresponding verbs. I wouldn’t say “I just buy-nowed this nifty coffee mug shaped like a cow”. We generally restate the action following rules collectively known as the English language. There are certainly instances in which new verbs – or new words in general – need to be invented because they represent important new ideas. The act of “favouriting” is not one of them, in my view. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > And if you did, you’re going to have major collisions with the now-technical term “select / selected / selection / selections” meaning a data element on a GUI that has been visually highlighted by the user for some subsequent action. Isn’t that quite literally what you do in order to declare some item to be a “favourite”? Even if it wasn’t, the word “select” has a well-understood general meaning. When I select several baking potatoes from a large bin, it’s clear that I’m not highlighting them in a GUI. I’m picking out the ones I prefer. They are my favourites! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/98 "2024-09-16T13:16:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Microsoft probably uses the “restart” terminology in its options list because its meaning is unambiguously clear MacOS also uses “restart.” “Favorited” is perfectly cromulent, and I enjoy how language evolves and adapts to take into account new contexts. It’s a beautiful and fascinating thing and what I love about words. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/99 "2024-09-16T13:42:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I enjoy how language evolves and adapts to take into account new contexts. It’s a beautiful and fascinating thing and what I love about words. So so I. I’m just tend to be more conservative than some other folks about what’s acceptable at any given time. If everybody and their dog invents new words on a whim, the language starts to become balkanized\* into niche dialects\*\* and its fundamental role in communication is undermined. What would someone who doesn’t use computers much make of a word like “favourited” when it insinuates itself into more general use? Does it have a present and future tense, too? \* Yes, itself a relatively new word, just over a hundred years old. I’m fine with that. \*\* “Excuse me, stewardess, I speak jive.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707/100 "2024-09-16T13:52:44Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Does it have a present and future tense, too? Why wouldn’t it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-imposed-on-us-which-we-do-not-need/1006707.md?page=6)