empirical (+double-edgedness)

[Michael H Covarrubias]

A friend of mine used to indulge the annoying habit of supporting his arguments
by saying "It's empirically true!"

Since "empirical" is used so often in the phrases "empirical proof" or
"empirical evidence" I would assume it's gathering a connotation of
verifiability and accuracy.

To merge two message threads: It may become a double-edged word meaning

1)related only to observation, thus not provable
2)clearly seen, thus proved

MC

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Quoting "James A. Landau" <JJJRLandau at NETSCAPE.COM>:

an odd use of "empirical" (from a gossip column)
Jonathan Storm "The feud that just won't stop" Philadelphia Inquirer, January
11, 2007, page E2

"That man [Donald Trump] is obsessed with me, and I'm happpy his show tanked,"
Rosie [O'Donnell] chortled, reffering to the latest installment of _The
Apprentice_.  Thought it may not be the dominant force of yersteryear, it didn't
tank, but why be empirical when you're having so much fun?"

    - Jim Landau
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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   English Language & Linguistics
   Purdue University
   mcovarru at purdue.edu

   web.ics.purdue.edu/~mcovarru
  <http://wishydig.blogspot.com>

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org