decimate

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yeah, but as a lexicographer I can tell you that "great destruction or harm"
isn't the same as "annihilation." The latter subsumes the former but not
vice versa.

It's easy to see how the def. could easily broaden, but "could" isn't the
same as "has."  "Coke" broadened to "soft drink," but "beer" has not
broadened to "alcoholic beverage." Could though. In tomorrow's Inglish.

JL

On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 10:57 AM, David A. Daniel <dad at pokerwiz.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
> Subject:      Re: decimate
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> MW likes it OK : 3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera
> decimated the population> b : to cause great destruction or harm to
> <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>
>
> I've said it before and I'll say it again: if one thinks to decimate can
> only mean one tenth, then one must think that to orient (or orientate) can
> only mean showing which way is east. (And other such logical truths.)
> DAD
>
>
> If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of
> Joel S. Berson
> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 10:51 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: decimate
>
>
>
> At 7/21/2010 09:09 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >Now it's moved all the way to "annihilate; wipe out":
> >
> >2008 Herman J. Viola _Warriors in Uniform_ (Washington, D.C.: National
> >Geographic) 52: The decimation at the Little Big Horn could have been
> >averted had Custer heeded the advice of his Crow scouts.
>
> This seems particularly egregious when "annihilation" is readily
> available, and correct.
>
> Joel
>
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