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Blasted by a 'Trope'-ical Storm
Q: I've been hearing a word more and more frequently, mostly during movie or book reviews on NPR — "trope." My dictionary defines "trope" as the figurative use of a word or expression, a figure of speech. But the meaning …Read more.
'Overstate' Creates State of Confusion
Have you noticed that pundits and politicians sometimes use "understate" when they mean "overstate"?
Derel Schrock of Colorado Springs, Colo., sent me this example from comments by Congressman Allen West on Fox News: "I can'…Read more.
Plurality Presents a 'Pair'adox
Q: What is the plural of "pair"? I always thought it was "two pairs," but I often see "two pair of socks." —Geri Chmil via email
A: If you've seen two pair of socks, you're doing better than I am. I have enough …Read more.
Mastering the Peri'god'ic Table
In ancient Rome, Mercury (the messenger of the gods) was constantly zipping around from deity to deity. So when the Romans needed a word for the poisonous metallic element that flowed quickly at room temperature, they named it "Mercury" …Read more.
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Why I'm Reluctant to Use 'Reticent'During a recent interview on the "PBS News Hour," Middle East expert Andrew Tabler observed that President Barack Obama was very "reticent" to arm Syrian rebels. He meant, of course, not that Obama was reserved and unwilling to speak (the traditional meaning of "reticent") but that he was reluctant to arm the rebels. For me, hearing "reticent" used to mean "reluctant" is like watching someone use a dictionary as a doorstop. You can do it, I suppose, but it's not exactly what the thing was designed for. "Reticent," an adjective that has been cowering in the corner of English for 200 years now, derives from the Latin root "tacere," meaning "to be silent," as in "tacit." But recently that most gentle of military officers, General Parlance, has been coaxing little "reticent" out if its corner and persuading it to mean "reluctant." The now common use "reticent" to mean "reluctant" can produce some humorous results, as in this passage from a wildlife magazine: " ... bluefish are rather reticent to strike surface poppers." (Well, it's true they don't say much.) The confusion is understandable. After all, the two words look and sound alike, and they overlap in meaning; people who are reluctant are often also reticent.
In 2001, 83 percent of the usage panel of the American Heritage Dictionary condemned the use of "reticent" in this sentence: "A lot of out-of-towners are reticent to come to the Twin Cities for a ballgame if there's a chance the game will be rained out." (In Minnesota, there's probably a greater danger the game will be snowed out.) But the Usage Panel was more accepting of "reticent" when used in constructions such as "reticent to talk." Sixty-one percent of panel members approved this sentence: "Whenever I fail to arrange the chairs in a circle, the students have been more reticent to speak out." During the past decade, the use of "reticent" to mean "reluctant" has become so common that it's no longer considered an error. As Bryan Garner points out in Modern American Usage, "The difference between taciturnity and reluctance is extremely subtle." Even so, when it comes to accepting the use of "reticent" to mean "reluctant," I'm afraid I'm a party popper (and pooper). I just hope those bluefish don't strike me. 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, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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