Pet Peeve #1 : Simple vs. Simplistic
I got a letter home from school last week asking for parents to come in and do 'simplistic' cooking demonstrations. AAAAHHHHH! This one really gets to me!
In an effort to sound sophisticated people replace the word 'simple' with 'simplistic'. If something is 'simple' it is clear and uncomplicated. But if it is 'simplistic' it has been overly simplified. Dumbed down. Simplicity is beautiful. Simplism is base.
I remember a uni lecturer once saying that the widespread misuse of a word will eventually change its meaning. No! I won't accept this! Will you stand with me and fight to protect our language from such vulgar simplism?
posted by Simone R. @ 11:50 am
2 comments
2 Comments:
Can you start a campaign about 'enormity' too? If I hear one more minister preach about the 'enormity' of the cross, I'm going to start handing out dictionaries.
'enormity' means 'unbelievable badness' as in 'the enormity of the crime'. It does not mean 'enormousness', as in bigness!
Dave ... Now I know why you get to work at 7am ;)
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