[Ads-l] eerie

Sun Apr 26 11:29:47 UTC 2026

Now "eerily" is morphing into "surprisingly." I've read it and heard it
many times over the past several years, but this one seems diagnostic:.

MSNOW reports that the "scene at the White House [is] eerily calm at the
moment."

Scarily? Threateningly? Supernaturally?  How about just "weirdly" ? I don't
think so. "Eerily" is being used a lot these days. "Eerie," not as much.

It reminds me of the news fad, now somewhat subsided, for using
"ironically" whenever possible to mean "surprisingly" and "coincidentally."

And while I'm bellyaching like some aged and crotchety prescriptivist, for
several years at least the same news media seem incapable of  saying "not"
without tacking on the word "necessarily," no matter what.

 JL

On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 10:13 AM Paul <paulzjoh at mtnhome.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Paul <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM>
> Subject:      Re: eerie
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> paul johnson
>
> And isn't that eerie!
>
> Bill Palmer wrote:
> > Oops. I now read that the Russia fire was caused by fireworks, too.
> >
> > Coincidence? I think not. Eerily similar, indeed.
> >
> >
> > Bill Palmer
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 8:20 AM
> > Subject: Re: eerie
> >
> >
> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> >> header -----------------------
> >> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> >> Subject: Re: eerie
> >>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >> Some years ago a number of people died in a horrible nightclub fire in
> >> Rhode
> >> Island.
> >>
> >> The cause was determiend to be bad wiring.
> >>
> >> A second case has now occurred in Russia. The cause: bad wiring.
> >>
> >> According to Fox News Channel, the two incidents are "eerily similar."
> >>
> >> Naturally I was waiting for the analysis of the sinister occult force
> >> that
> >> linked the events, making them "eerily similar," but that was that.
> >>
> >> JL
> >> On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 1:06 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>> -----------------------
> >>> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>> Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >>> Subject: Re: eerie
> >>>
> >>>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> At 11/15/2009 05:01 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >>> >Allow me to suggest that the OED definition is a poor one, at least in
> >>> >my
> >>> >experience. Note, too, how the at least the first three of the four
> >>> >cites
> >>> >are from Scots/ Scots English sources, the latet being 1875.
> >>> >
> >>> >In fact, I think def. 1 could use some work as well.
> >>> >
> >>> >Also, while this particular reminder might be considered
> >>> >"fear-inspiring,"
> >>> >"gloomy" is a big stretch in context, and "weird" and "strange" are
> >>> out.
> >>> >
> >>> >Cf. Merriam-Webster:
> >>> >
> >>> >"_Weird_, _eerie_, _uncanny_, mean mysteriously strange or
> >>> >fantastic. _Weird_ may imply an unearthly or supernatural
> >>> strangeness or
> >>> it
> >>> >may stress queerness or oddness <*weird* creatures from another
> >>> >world>. _Eerie_
> >>> >suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign
> >>> >powers are at work <an *eerie* calm preceded the bombing raid>.
> >>> >_Uncanny_implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness <an
> >>> >*uncanny*resemblance between total strangers>
> >>> >."
> >>> >
> >>> >Christiane Amanpour's use today of "eerie" is thus either wrong or
> >>> >novel.
> >>> >Take your pick.
> >>>
> >>> My pick is "fear-inspiring". I agree that her use is novel (I
> >>> wouldn't have picked "eerie" in that context), and that the other
> >>> three characterizations don't fit. Therefore the OED senses probably
> >>> should be reorganized and fitting examples found. But as Jesse
> >>> always says about 1875, "when we come around to it".
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> >JL
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 3:32 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>> > > -----------------------
> >>> > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>> > > Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >>> > > Subject: Re: eerie
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> >
> >>>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>
> >>> > >
> >>> > > How about "2. Fear-inspiring; gloomy, strange, weird"? Although
> >>> > > perhaps to Jon 1792 is recent.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Joel
> >>> > >
> >>> > > At 11/15/2009 02:04 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >>> > > >CNN says that the thwarting of a terrorist plot against the NYC
> >>> > > >subway
> >>> > > >system is "an eerie reminder" of the Brcelona subway attack.
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > >"Dramatic," "troubling," yes. But not "eerie." Until recently.
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > >JL
> >>> > > >--
> >>> > > >"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the
> >>> Duck-Billed
> >>> > > >Platypus"
> >>> > > >
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> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >--
> >>> >"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >>> >Platypus"
> >>> >
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >> Platypus"
> >>
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>
>
> “There is always an easy solution to every human problem — neat, plausible
> and wrong.”
>                                         H L Menkin”
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