[Ads-l] eerie

Sat Sep 19 20:54:39 UTC 2026

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/jimmy-fallon-highlights-eerie-trump-114135026.html
 :

"Jimmy Fallon made a joke on his show about a fake Trump supporter hoping
for a costly war and high gas prices, which now feels eerily relevant as
gas prices soar."

On Wed, Apr 29, 2026 at 11:38 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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>>> >>> > >
>>> >>> >
>>> >>> >
>>> >>> >
>>> >>> >--
>>> >>> >"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
>>> >>> >Platypus"
>>> >>> >
>>> >>> >------------------------------------------------------------
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>>> >>>
>>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> >>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
>>> >> Platypus"
>>> >>
>>> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
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>>> >
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>>> >
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> “There is always an easy solution to every human problem — neat,
>>> plausible and wrong.”
>>>                                         H L Menkin”
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> truth."
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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