decimate: i don't think that word means what you think it means
ok people, listen up. it's happening again, a lot lately. decimate does NOT mean to wipe out. it means to REDUCE BY 1/10TH. there are wayyyy to many people mis-using this who should know better.
Comments
Brian and I fight about this about once a year. He's on your side. I say the English language is an ever-changing beast, and decimate has come to take on a different meaning.
From the Oxford American Dictionaries:
decimate |ˈdesəˌmāt| verb [ trans. ] (often be decimated)
1 kill, destroy, or remove a large percentage or part of : the project would decimate the fragile wetland wilderness | the American chestnut, a species decimated by blight. • drastically reduce the strength or effectiveness of (something) : plant viruses that can decimate yields.
2 historical: kill one in every ten of (a group of soldiers or others) as a punishment for the whole group.
Posted by: sarah | August 16, 2007 03:59 PM
Any strong feelings about "irregardless" or "hopefully"?
Posted by: meg | August 16, 2007 07:09 PM
Yes.
It's like when people use penultimate ("next to last") to mean "really ultimate."
You go girl!
Posted by: shelley | August 16, 2007 07:40 PM
Uh, decimate what?
It was great to see you. Jack is much more cool in person then the wonderful photos that I have seen of him can convey. I really should have focused more on you and Brian, but it is very hard to when there is such a star in the room. I really love you guys! I am happy for your new found situation. I am jealous of the discovery of joy that it will create! Supreme being bless!
Posted by: Donna | August 16, 2007 09:13 PM
Technically, doesn't it mean to kill every tenth man in your Roman legion?
Posted by: Scott | August 16, 2007 10:03 PM