[Ads-l] eerie

Wed Apr 29 15:38:34 UTC 2026

More like "oddly" than "surprisingly."

JL

On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 at 7:29 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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>> >>> >
>> >>> >--
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>> >>> >Platypus"
>> >>> >
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>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
>> >> Platypus"
>> >>
>> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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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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>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>

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