RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008

Getting Divisive About 'Divisive'

Today, some random dispatches from the word front...

— When Sen. Barack Obama delivered his speech last month about race relations in America, he pronounced "divisive," not as "di-VY-siv," but as di-VIS-iv," a rendering that's gaining popularity. Many broadcasters, including NPR's Robert Siegel and PBS NewsHour commentator David Brooks, now say "di-VIS-iv."

Not to be divisive or anything, but most dictionaries favor "di-VY-siv" — and so do I.

PASS WORDS — Has anyone used "passport-gate," based on "Watergate," to describe the recent scandal involving snooping into the passport applications of the presidential candidates? I haven't seen it, and that's too bad, because this term would include three words meaning "entry or passage": "pass," "port" and "gate."

LINGUISTIC "ODE"-ITY — Technically, an "ode" is a lengthy lyric poem, usually meditative and serious in tone and written in a stately or elaborate style. Think of Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind," or Keats' "Ode to Psyche riding a Nightingale on a Grecian Urn" — or something like that.

But many people today use "ode" as a general term for any verbal tribute. We might, for instance, write a prose testimonial called "Ode to Uncle Charlie" or pen a limerick titled "Ode to My Husband", e.g.

"There once was a hubby named Rob. ..." Hey, wait a minute!

Similarly, the recent newspaper headline, "Ode to a Grecian jewel," introduced not an elaborate poem but a standard feature story about the island of Corfu.

But here's the snafu: Not one dictionary I consulted includes this broader definition of "ode" to mean a general tribute or paean.

SEXY SIXTY-FOUR — Sportswriters can't seem to resist labeling each step of the NCAA basketball brackets with alliterative or assonantal phrases: "Sweet Sixteen," "Elite Eight," "Final Four." What's next? "Fortunate Forty-eight"? "Thundering Thirty-two"? "Twinkling Twelve"? "Sizzling Six"? "Towering Two"?

RETIRE THEIR JERSEYS! — I recently learned a clever term for northern retirees who move to Florida, dislike it there and then move halfway back north to mid-South states, such as North Carolina or Tennessee: "halfbacks."

Meanwhile, lifelong Tar Heels, fed up with know-it-all halfbacks telling them how to run things, are sporting bumper stickers reading, "I don't care how you did it up North!"

Now, THAT's divisive, no matter how you pronounce it.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.