From the "I don't think that word means what you think it means" Department

dclary · Oct 22, 2006

piv·ot·al (pĭv'ə-tl)

adj.

Of, relating to, or serving as a pivot.
Being of vital or central importance; crucial: “Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions” (Henry A. Kissinger).

I guarantee you that in the following title, the AP does NOT mean meaning #1, and unfortunately for them, meaning #2 doesn't work either.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061022/D8KTCI080.html

"Democrats Leading Many Pivotal Races"

I'm sorry, guys. I *know* how badly you want to convince everyone that the Democrats are going to charge into the majority this time, but you still gotta use words the way they were designed. You can't have "many pivotal races". You can have A pivotal race. That's what central means. And if they're ALL vital, then what you're really saying is that none of them are vital. Or at least, none of them are any more vital than another. Or are they only vital because these are the ones you hope they can win?

This is a classic example of subtextual bias in today's mainstream media.

Thank you.

Opty · Oct 22, 2006

I found the answer to your question here.

Alan Yee · Oct 22, 2006

DrSpork said:
I found the answer to your question here.

Ouch. Dave got told.

Rolling Thunder · Oct 22, 2006

**in my best Beavis voice**

heh heh heh...he said subtextual.......

Unique · Oct 22, 2006

dclary said:
This is a classic example of subtextual bias in today's mainstream media.

Thank you.

Maybe. I blame it on the piss poor public schools. Colleges can't correct in 4 what should have been learned in the previous 12.

YMMV

wordmonkey · Oct 22, 2006

DrSpork said:
I found the answer to your question here.

Class.

Opty · Oct 22, 2006

wordmonkey said:
Class.

Dave knows I'm just kidding with him.

ColoradoGuy · Oct 22, 2006

So your point is that AP doesn't know what words mean and that this fact shows evidence of liberal bias in the mainstream media? That's endearingly silly in a right-wingy, paranoid sort of non-subtextual way.

Opty · Oct 22, 2006

ColoradoGuy said:
endearingly silly in a right-wingy, paranoid sort of non-subtextual way.

That was originally gonna be Dave's avatar "title," but it wouldn't fit so he just went with "Archneocon."

If anything, Dave, that should be your new sig line.

cree · Oct 22, 2006

ColoradoGuy said:
That's endearingly silly in a right-wingy, paranoid sort of non-subtextual way.

Will you write me a blurb for my book jacket? Using most of the same words?

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

Cree on Dclary:
~~That's~~ endearing~~ly silly in a~~ right~~-wingy, p~~aranoid sort of ~~non-subtextual way~~awesome.

(paraphrased)

wordmonkey · Oct 23, 2006

DrSpork said:
Dave knows I'm just kidding with him.

Still way funny, dude.

badducky · Oct 23, 2006

Typical of the archneocon, local politics are not going to pivotal. Only the emperor-in-chief's chair is pivotal.

Yet, I suspect local elections are pivotal, because senatorial and speaker seats crossing the aisles are certainly pivotal questions for the each local constituency.

Sorry, dclary, but changes in the wind can occur at many levels, and each level is pivotal to the people beneath.

Joe Unidos · Oct 23, 2006

Deek--
Your post, like your poor elastic waistband, is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge stretch.

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

Joe Unidos said:
Deek--
Your post, like your poor elastic waistband, is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge stretch.

I'll have you know I only use the FINEST quality elastic.

wordmonkey · Oct 23, 2006

OK, given the stated purpose of this thread, can someone who lists their location as:
"On a hill overlooking a mountain of magic."
really be a watch-dog of our language?

Mountains are bigger than hills.

If the hill overlooks the mountain, either the hill is a mountain or the mountain is a hill. Any which way, it's not what proper English should be writed like.

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

wordmonkey said:
OK, given the stated purpose of this thread, can someone who lists their location as:

"On a hill overlooking a mountain of magic."
really be a watch-dog of our language?

Mountains are bigger than hills.

If the hill overlooks the mountain, either the hill is a mountain or the mountain is a hill. Any which way, it's not what proper English should be writed like.

I live on a hillside with a view of Magic Mountain, a local amusement park. There is nothing either grammatically or factually wrong with my location.

Scribhneoir · Oct 23, 2006

wordmonkey said:
OK, given the stated purpose of this thread, can someone who lists their location as:

"On a hill overlooking a mountain of magic."
really be a watch-dog of our language?

Good point. But I always figured it meant he lived in Santa Clarita.

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

See, monkey? Folks who know, understand.

wordmonkey · Oct 23, 2006

Magic Mountain or Mountain of Magic.

Which is it, sir? Which is it? I demand accuracy in little bits of fluff under screen names on forums!

Or is this simply another example of the neocon magic-based initiatives?

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

"What do you think about my report?"

"You know that phrase that with an infinite amount of time, an infinite number of monkeys could repeat the works of shakespeare?"

"Yeah?"

"Six monkeys, three months."

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

wordmonkey said:
Magic Mountain or Mountain of Magic.

Which is it, sir? Which is it? I demand accuracy in little bits of fluff under screen names on forums!

Or is this simply another example of the neocon magic-based initiatives?

Well, better not read my full profile then!

blacbird · Oct 23, 2006

dclary said:
Well, better not read my full profile then!

So far I've resisted the temptation.

caw.

wordmonkey · Oct 23, 2006

dclary said:
"What do you think about my report?"

"You know that phrase that with an infinite amount of time, an infinite number of monkeys could repeat the works of shakespeare?"

"Yeah?"

"Six monkeys, three months."

Well yeah, if you wanna out-source to foreign monkeys that "might" be doable. But I'm committed to an infinite number of good ol' US monkeys.

dclary · Oct 23, 2006

Harumph. And I bet they're UNION monkeys, to boot!

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