Csquared Thoughts

"ain't it awful"

I find myself using that phrase with some regularity, both in my own mind and in conversation.

Sample usage: "Before all the reorganizations and workforce reductions, the four of us used to have lunch together in the cafeteria and play ain't it awful."

I guess that dates me. You have to be a certain age to get the context of that phrase. And who has even mentioned Transactional Analysis since the 1970's?

sigh

"staycation"

The concept I'm all for. I'm really tired of hearing the word.

that said

That said, I'll probably keep using the phrase.

sanction

It's interesting how a word in English can have opposite meanings. "That event is sanctioned by the governing organization." "He was sanctioned for not following proper procedures."

Several years ago, in my days as a technical writer, I had an officemate who was a lesbian Wiccan Pagan who regularly participated in Episcopal worship. (She still is and still does. Not relevant to the current topic, but it informed her personality and my relationship with her. We're still friends.) We had a manager who, in my opinion, was not the best of managers and who would not always react rationally to a given situation.

My officemate was planning on doing something I had my doubts about, and I told her, "You better get sanction for that, or you might be sanctioned."

No wonder many of those who learn English as their second language often find it frustrating!

(P.S. If you're interested in such things, go to Bartleby.com, select the American Hertiage Dictionary, and look up "sanction." A very interesting word history note there.)

two language pet peeves

1. invite for invitation. Invite is a transitive verb. "I will invite both of them." Invitation is a noun. "I will send them an invitation." I hate, "This invite is for everyone in the building."

2. bathroom for restroom. Bathrooms are in private homes, hotels, and college dorms. They have a bathtub and/or shower in addition to a toilet and sink. Restrooms are in public places. They have sinks and toilets (and urinals on the men's side), but no bathtub or shower. Schools and some workplaces have "locker rooms" with showers and a place to put your street clothes while you are exercising. I hate, "There are not enough bathrooms in the shopping mall."

I suppose it's a lost cause on both, however.