Durst is still a dumbass. It's only an act of the highest coincidence that the word was rarely used in the 1500s and considered obsolete by the 1700s, and as such can be found in the behemoth that's the Oxford English Dictionary. It's up there with "irregardless" and "judgement" - you may find them in some liberal dictionaries, but no self-respecting grammarian would consider them proper, let alone formal. The way he viciously shot back at his critics as though he had foreknowledge of the word's arcane history and wasn't just using a somewhat colloquial, albeit incorrect, term only serves to underscore what a jackass he is.

das

What's wrong with "judgement"? I don't spell it like that, though, I spell it "judgment".

The problem with all of this is you can't say 'xxxxx isn't a word'. There's no such thing as 'isn't a word'. People create words all of the time.

Spam wasn't a word in the 1800s. Would anyone doubt that it is now? Jedi wasn't a word in the early 1970s. Would anyone doubt that it is now?

Language is, by its very nature, fluid. When someone says 'that's not a word!", what they usually mean is that careful, educated speakers would never say that. And the fact that such a word appears in Merriam-Webster or the OED doesn't change that fact. Those references just track common usage. If something gets used often enough, it makes the grade.


That being said, I'm a pretty big fan of Jennifer. She seems like a very funny, natural, talented, beautiful individual. She is great in Alias. She was the only thing worth watching in Daredevil. Much like Clara Bow, she seems to have the elusive 'IT'. She has a long, long career ahead of her.

• Quoth immortal_zeus •<HR SIZE=1>What's wrong with "judgement"? I don't spell it like that, though, I spell it "judgment".<HR SIZE=1>

I believe you've answered your own question.

• Quoth bboisvert •<HR SIZE=1>Spam wasn't a word in the 1800s. Would anyone doubt that it is now? Jedi wasn't a word in the early 1970s. Would anyone doubt that it is now?<HR SIZE=1>

Both proper nouns, unless you refer to Internet spam, in which case it derived from an emerging technology for which no term currently existed. Your point is valid, though, even if the examples aren't the best.

The fluidity of language is most annoying. Words like "agreeance" exist today out of ignorance that "agreement" is the proper noun form, and "judgement" exists for those who can't spell it properly. I often wonder how many words we use today that were popularized from ignorance. 500 years from now, will "irregardless" be accepted as proper, while those who use "regardless" are the ones who are mocked? Hmm ...

Garner definitely has "it".

das

Isn't "judgement" also in the dictionary? If it is, how can it be considered an improper spelling of "judgment"?

Oh, and to keep this thread somewhat on topic, any idea as to what perfume Garner was wearing last night? Dave said she smelled fantastic and I assume that it was her perfume and not something else like lotion (Victoria's Secret lotion smells goooood).

True, that. I was just dumping out the first examples that came to mind.

'Party' (as a verb) is probably a better example. This has definitely entered the lexicon. I'm sure the OED probably lists this now, and can trace its earliest appearance in print. It is -- for all practical purposes -- a 'word'. But that doesn't mean that a careful speaker (and, particularly, a careful writer) will use it.

But if I did use it when talking the Jennifer (for example, "Hey Jen, nice to meet you. Let's go party!") and her response was 'That's not a word, and you should know that"... well, I'd have to respectfully disagree.

... and, just to keep this on topic:

That's just my point. Just because something is in a reference guide, doesn't make it 'correct' or 'generally accepted'. Dictionaries (especially the OED) just track common usage. If enough people start pronouncing the "T" in often, they mention it. If enough people start spelling a word differently, they put that it as an alternate spelling. But that doesn't mean that it is considered by most to be 'correct'.

Who knows ... one day we may see "penitration" in the OED. Or Hell, even "Durst" may enter the lexicon. Example: "I cannot believe that man just ate his own feces. What a durst."*

das

P.S.


Ironically, "durst" is probably in the OED as an obsolete past tense of "dare".

Thanks to everyone keeping this thread "on topic".

If dictionary inclusion doesn't mean a word is necessarily spelled correctly, why do we have spelling bees with dictionaries as the absolute determining factor as to whether or not a word is correctly spelled?

I guess I should revise my comment.

She may well be very intelligent - I'm not making any comment on that. She just comes off like a ditz, at least from when I saw her on Leno. But, this may be more attributed to what das said - nervousness.

Or you could just say that she comes off a bit "goofy" and not get attacked about it all. It seems to have worked for me.

Well, I wouldn't say I got attacked about it - people just disagreed with me, and that's fine.

True, I could have said goofy - but that's not how I would have described it. I have friends that are goofy - when she was on Leno, she seemed ditzy. But, it's good to know that she isn't; I'm happy that she's actually as intelligent as Sydney Bristow.

I have seen her quite a bit and I think she is just nervous as hell when she is being interviewed on these shows. She may be a bit ditsy, but I would attribute most of it to nerves. Either way, I still like her...a lot.

Jennifer Garner is not a ditz, but Conan did get her good not too long ago when she called his verbal skills out.

You know, it's the strangest thing. I see pictures of Garner done up all sexy, and I admit she's in good shape, but she does absolutely nothing to carbonate my hormones. I know guys that drool over her with intensity, just not me.

are there any pics from the appearance floating around??

I like her because she is just average looking, IMO. She has a great body that seems to be just right...(meaning not too thin) and she seems to have a decent personality. All the qualities I admire anyway.