More on 'disenfranchised'
My preference for disfranchised over disenfranchised, expressed in a post last Saturday, has drawn a response from Michael Covarrubias at Purdue — he maintains the blog Wishydig. He challenged my position on etymological and morphological grounds, and I am compelled to admit, as they say in British criminal circles, it’s a fair cop.
What impressed me more, however, was a couple of sentences in the note by which he informed me of his post: “I read your blog regularly and appreciate it very much. I'm a linguist and an obnoxious descriptivist. It's voices like yours that give me hope that prescriptivism is not the enemy.”
In this season of goodwill, or attempts at goodwill, it’s encouraging to see the prescriptivist and descriptivist sit down together in mutual respect.
I’m also indebted to Mr. Covarrubias for a new word, hathos, a term for attraction to something one finds repellant. It is a delight to be able to name a phenomenon of which one was dimly aware without having previously brought it into focus. Hathos is just the word to describe one’s attitude to fried bologna sandwiches, the oeuvre of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Paula Deen’s cookery, the films of Adam Sandler, the New York Post — perhaps this word is worth a separate post, with a call for nominations.
Compliments of the season, Mr. Covarrubias.
Comments
hathos, a term for attraction to something one finds repellant.
Owl meat gravy
Posted by: Lemon Girl - Blog Tart | December 23, 2008 11:52 AM
perhaps hathos explains why I'm compelled to watch those shows on TLC about the super-morbidly obese; people with huge, disfiguring tumors; and rare and disgusting skin afflictions.
Wishydig has been bookmarked. Thanks.
Posted by: patricia | December 23, 2008 1:20 PM
Hathos is just the word to describe one’s attitude ...the oeuvre of Creedence Clearwater Revival...
"Put Me In Coach" doesn't stir your soul? It's pretty much the story of my life.
Posted by: Eve | December 23, 2008 2:04 PM
Hathos:
NewSong's "Christmas Shoes," the worst song ever recorded. I hate every line, but when it came on the radio today I was compelled to listen so I could marvel again at how thoroughly phony and cheap it is.
Posted by: Brian Throckmorton | December 23, 2008 3:14 PM
I believe "Centerfield" was solo John Fogarty, therefore, not technically part of the CCR oeuvre.
Posted by: patricia | December 23, 2008 3:39 PM
Hathos: Dan Brown novels, lutefisk, 1776 the musical
As for hathos-inducing Christmas carols, they include, but are not limited to, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer",
"Mele Kalikimaka", and that holiday classic, "Crabs for Christmas".
Posted by: Abigail Carlson | December 23, 2008 3:43 PM
If I'm getting this "hathos" thing (and I'm not clear that I am) wouldn't "Santa Baby" sung by ANYONE from Eartha Kitt to Taylor Swift be an example?
Posted by: Bucky | December 24, 2008 10:01 AM
' "Put Me In Coach" '
A song about an overbooked holiday airplane trip, I guess.
Posted by: c o'donnell | December 24, 2008 10:14 AM