I need to say something. And even though I'm going to refrain from typing in all caps, I urge you to pretend I did.Read the complete column here.
The word "nonplussed" does not mean unfazed, unperturbed or unconcerned. I know just about everyone uses it that way, but I really wish they'd stop.
"Nonplussed" comes from the Latin non plus, meaning "no more," which landed almost intact in English as "nonplus," meaning "a state in which no more can be said or done."
The standard definition of "nonplussed" is "bewildered, confused or perplexed." Got that?
I couldn't agree more, and -- I will use all caps here -- I see "nonplussed" misused ALL THE TIME. I've almost (almost) given up on being upset about it. Daum interviews a linguist about how words change meaning sometimes -- they seem to "evolve" in some cases -- which is very interesting.
Daum also wrote a brainy chick-lit novel called The Quality of Life Report, about a Manhattanite who relocates to Nebraska looking for greater meaning in life and cheap rents. She also wrote a memorable essay for The New Yorker about going broke in New York (abstract here), hence her real-life move to Nebraska.)And finally here's an interesting article about how she got from Nebraska to Los Angeles.
No comments:
Post a Comment