• ericwdhs@discuss.online
    4·
    2 months ago

    If we’re putting effort into fixing how society uses words, can we work on flammable versus inflammable first? Then I vote for fixing the odd one out in the terrible, terrific, horrible, horrific quad. Then the split between awful and awe. Then…

      • ericwdhs@discuss.online
        3·
        2 months ago

        I didn’t miss it. It just doesn’t cleanly fit into this framework (imagine it as a square table instead of a list):

        Horror + -ble = horrible (bad)
        Horror + -ific = horrific (bad)
        Terror + -ble = terrible (bad)
        Terror + -ific = terrific (good)

        • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          I’m suggesting we need a terrid and it should have something to do with, um, fish. no! whales! they’re so afraid of dirt they went back to the sea

          • ericwdhs@discuss.online
            2·
            2 months ago

            Genius! Also, did you know “whale” comes from “large sea fish?” Ridiculous. Another one for the list.