charlatans and quacks

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

NOAD uses the word "fraud" in defining "charlatan" and "dishonest" in 
defining "quack." All the definitions convey a sense of devious and self-serving 
motivation, and this is highlighted in the context of GN's expressed wish to 
"bring him down." Payack could plausibly argue that his "million-word" 
pronouncements are the result of HIS attempt at scientific measurement and therefore 
subject for disagreement--but not properly the object of name-calling in pursuit of 
a deliberate and self-confessed campaign to ruin his reputation (for which 
there might well be legal "remedy"). 

I'm emphatically NOT disagreeing with GN that Payack is wrong in some of his 
statements about language, and I understand GN's righteous indignation that 
someone who claims expertise could be so wrong (even while 
wondering--again--just why GN finds Payack harmful enough to spend so much effort on). But I AM sug
gesting that in the name of scientific objectivity--and prudence--it would be 
better to avoid strongly pejorative labels--and especially to avoid confessing 
to having undertaken a blanket-condemnation campaign to discredit Payack (or 
indeed anyone who has not committed an actual crime). 

In a message dated 1/5/09 1:08:21 AM, nunberg at ISCHOOL.BERKELEY.EDU writes:


> The OED defines the words more amply; it gives for "charlatan' "An
> assuming empty pretender to knowledge or skill; a pretentious
> impostor" and for  'quack', after the first sense of a medical
> imposter, "2. In extended use: any person who dishonestly claims to
> have special knowledge or skill in any field; = CHARLATAN n. 3." Seems
> like a fit to me.
> 
> Geoff Nunberg
> 
> > From: RonButters at AOL.COM
> > Date: January 4, 2009 6:55:13 PM PST
> > Subject: Million words?
> >
> >
> > I looked at the Wikipedia article referenced below, and at Grant
> > Barrett's
> > article. Like Grant, it seems clear to me that Payack's linguistic
> > pronouncements are often ridiculously wrong. However, it is not
> > clear to me how he can make
> > much of a profit from this kind of enterprise. While it is
> > infuriating to
> > have someone given so much credence by the popular press, I'd
> > reserve the words
> > "charlatan" and "quack" for con-game people who make money selling
> > worthless
> > goods to innocent, gullible people, who are materially damaged
> > thereby. Is this
> > guy really hurting anyone, or is he just someone who likes to get
> > his name in
> > the papers? WE all know that the million-word thing is nonsense, but
> > is a
> > concerted effort to "bring him down" maybe just a bit of overkill? I
> > don't have a
> > strong opinion on this--just wondering (the libel laws being what
> > they are,
> > etc.)
> >
> > In a message dated 1/3/09 12:35:14 AM, nunberg at ISCHOOL.BERKELEY.EDU
> > writes:
> >
> >
> >> There was another one of these just the other day in the National
> >> Post. I've had a Google News alert out on this guy for a while and
> >> have been making a point of writing to every journalist who cites him
> >> to tell them that the man is a charlatan -- I want to see as a point
> >> of interest whether it is in fact possible to bring a quack like this
> >> down. In my notes I include the following list of URL's.
> >>
> >> 
> http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/comments/a_quick_debunkin
> >> g_of_a_language_quack/
> >>
> >> http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002809.html
> >>
> >> http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002795.html
> >>
> >> http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=816
> >>
> >> http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004189.html
> >>
> >> http://www.slate.com/id/2139611/
> >>
> >> http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~nunberg/payack.html
> >>
> >> There's also Payack's Wikipedia entry to be dealt with at some point:
> >>
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Language_Monitor
> >>
> >> Geoff Nunberg
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> 




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