# World's worst enwordifications **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586 "2004-02-05T01:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/41 "2004-02-06T20:27:30Z")
> [@Rue DeDay](#): > > Hi **dutchboy**. Yes it is. Sorta. > > The oriented/ orientated divide is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. Pretty much [“orientated” is a British useage while “oriented” is preferred in the U.S.](http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutgrammar/oriented). Did you know they both come from the same French verb? And were introduced into [into English about 150 years apart](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-ori1.htm)? Even [United Statesian dictionaries](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=orientated&x=13&y=14) admit it’s a synonym for “oriented” and means "to face or turn to the east ". > > Sometimes I do a little research to verify my claims around here. I’ve never heard “orientated” used by anyone other than estate agents on either side of the pond. That said, you have cites and I don’t, so I take it back. ---
**Author:** ![ebok47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@ebok47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ebok47)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/42 "2004-02-06T20:59:30Z")
stold. (stoled?) you know, in place of “stole” people at my school use this “word” too often. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/43 "2004-02-07T01:53:43Z")
tenaciousness As in… “that linebacker showed good tenaciousness in getting to the quarterback”. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/44 "2004-02-07T03:28:03Z")
I also have unfortunately been subjected to the use of “incent” as a verb. It makes me cringe every time I hear it. I’m surprised no-one has mentioned “presentate” yet. Yes, people DO actually say that. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/45 "2004-02-07T03:53:34Z")
An _alcoholic_ is somebody who is addicted to alcohol. A _workaholic_ is somebody who is addicted to…workahol??? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/46 "2004-02-07T06:23:33Z")
> [@Achernar](#): > > I like neologisms, especially if they’re useful like _neitherbody_ or _penpenultimate_. Penpenultimate? _Penpenultimate_? What the hell is wrong with the perfectly good word antepenultimate? Ideation is one that bugs me. It’s used as a synonym for brainstorming. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/47 "2004-02-07T08:53:04Z")
Minor hijack… > [@jjimm](#): > > Thusly - very sly, adding that extra couple of letters to “thus”. In my English class, when we were assigned to assess each other’s papers, I found that my friend had used this. I circled it and wrote “not a word.” She angrily grabbed a dictionary. It was in there, but you could tell the editors were reluctant. There was a usage note that said something like “This word is usually used only for humorous effect.” I argued that in a serious essay, “thus” would be more appropriate. She refused to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Schnauzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@Schnauzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnauzer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586/48 "2004-02-07T12:49:04Z")
OK, so this word now appears in dictionaries, but that doesn’t stop it being irritating: _Hospitalization_. Yuk! Don’t say “He’s been hospitalized”, just say “He’s in hospital” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-worst-enwordifications/227586.md?page=2)