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Archives for 11 July, 2019

The Words We Use

11 July, 2019
Posted in: Reading etc.

A certain amount of mockery has made me aware that the following terms appear to have fallen out of use:

Tradesmen: Not in common use since the 1950s, I am informed. I do not find this credible.

Précis – meaning summary: I have discovered that any Irish person over 45 knows exactly what this means and younger people think I am describing a press release in my own weird argot.

Maiden Aunt: Not since the early 1900s, I am told. Again, I do not find this credible but yet, the levels of mockery makes me think that perhaps it may have fallen out of favour before most people I know were born.

Updated to add: I am informed by herself that précis is spelt thus with an acute accent, we have checked Chambers dictionary and found she is correct. I have amended the text to reflect this. Do you think we pedants are born or made?

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