Anyone else annoyed by the constant use in Dennis Shanahan’s columns of the word “contestable” in the sense of “in the contest”? Was it Shanahan or the Beazer who started it?
Beazley’s defence was always that the polls showed Labor under him contestable.
And who was it last week who said they opposed a “precipitative” withdrawal from Iraq?
Not as much as ‘favouritism’ when describing someone or something being regarded as having a better chance of winning.
Subeditors and journalists: ‘favouritism’ refers to the unfair process of discrimination and the workings of power, for instance between children by a parent, not the entirely fair workings of odds within sporting or TV contests.
For instance:
Correct (and Liam agrees).
Liam sobs lightly into his beret.
I think Beazley did mention Labor being “contestible”, but the term had been around before that.
Does âprecipitativeâ? come from the same root as “precipice”?
I really hate the word “reportage”, pronouncing as French, as designating something other than “reporting”.
In sport reporting: the use of “medal” as a verb.
Perhaps what Bomber meant to say was that the ALP leadership was contestable, as it has every year recently.
The word was used in economics back in the early 1980s to describe a particular type of industry structure. See for example:
Baumol, WJ (1982), “Contestable markets: An uprising in the theory of industry structure”, (Presidential address delivered at the ninety-fourth meeting of the American Economic Association on 29 december 1981), American Economic Review 72(1), pp. 1-15.
So, we blame the economists?
Why not? We get blamed for most things. We are probably even responsible for some of them!!!
While we are being pedantic, that should have been a capital D at the beginning of the word “December” in my previous comment!!!
*ahem* That would be a capital ‘D’.
I am annoyed by any column by any Shanahan!
Apart from that, yes. It would be nice if commentators, when commentating in English-language media, used English words, with their English meanings. Given the profusion of dictionaries and language courses that are available so cheaply these days, I am amazed by the rapid radiation of bizarre idiolects in the media.
And now that the world no longer stops at the beach, it would be great if the ABC could start up a unit like the BBC has got which advises radio/TV people on how to pronounce foreign words and names.
I’d better stop, before I start condemning blatantly…
Is it time already for another condemnation thread?
From outside the Collective, is it time for another Lurkers Thread, upon which no regular is allowed to tread? Haven’t seen one for a while.
… … …Suggestin’.
It’s a good idea. Tomorrow morning might be a good time.
Oooooooh….
Sounds fascinatin’
Having never seen one, and now having ben too regular to be in one, I can’t help but feel left out.
Bring it on, all the same!!!!!!
They don’t always produce a massive response. But it’s a nice idea. Often people baulk at commenting because they fear they’ll go unnoticed among all the regulars.
Ok done. We’re a reader focussed blog here!
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/13/do-you-come-hear-often/