Thanks a heap, Merriam-Webster
A colleague has forwarded the sentence that Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day feature saw fit yesterday to illustrate the word feckless (weak, ineffective, worthless, irresponsible):
Although Trevor was admired by his colleagues at the newspaper, he turned out to be a feckless reporter, and so he was reassigned to the copy desk.
If Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day should ever consider presenting the word nebbish (a timid, meek, or ineffectual person), this illustration is available:
Though as a teenager Trevor had dreamed of wealth and power and the love of beautiful women, he was such a nebbish that the only career open to him was lexicography.
(Messrs. Sheidlower and Barrett and Ms. McKean, don’t your colleagues know better than to mess with the copy desk?)
Comments
Oooh, buuuurn.
Posted by: Brian White | March 15, 2009 5:21 PM
As the Irish would say, feck 'em
Posted by: Terry Collmann | March 15, 2009 7:23 PM
Reminds me of what my colleague George Thompson told the New York Times in explanation of why he spends hours researching word histories in the library: "It's a cheap hobby, and it keeps me from falling into the company of frolicsome women."
Posted by: Grant Barrett | March 16, 2009 12:16 PM
Trevor?
TREVOR?
No one on the copy desk would bear such a name.
Wranglin' tenses is a manly trade, worthy of Teddy Roosevelt.
Posted by: craig o'donnell | March 18, 2009 10:11 AM