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I have been disheartened lately by reading a plethora of made-up words coming from educated people. Here are a few examples from various print sources.
“Adventurist Dean Potter.” The word is “adventurer.”
“For some people, there is no need to quest.” “Quest” is a noun. Use “seek adventure.”
“That touch of mysteriousness is half of what attracted me.” Itap “mystery”!
“Showing a clip from a falling apple 100 times would be more educative than this movie.” The word is “educational.”
“A sixth-grader with some impulsivity issues.” Itap “impulse.”
“The pervasive dismantlement of the freedom of expression.” Itap “dismantling.”
And finally: “There is a lot of intentionality around everything that you do in school.” The word is “intention.”
Many writers, in an effort to sound intelligent, end up sounding either pretentious or ignorant. I don’t believe misusing English advances anyone’s argument.
If you’re not sure, look it up!
Don Batt, Denver
This letter was published in the Nov. 26 edition.
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