Wordwatch: Convinced
When did the word “convince” begin to replace “persuade”?
When did the word “convince” begin to replace “persuade”?
The term “hang in” is a jumbled up Americanism of the British expression to “hang on.”
The word enjoy has been stripped of its traditional usage by convention and overuse.
The word mitigate, which means to alleviate or lessen often gets muddled with the word militate, to oppose or fight against.
The phrase “to double down” has emerged in journalistic prose recently yet it seems to contradict itself.
The word “carnage” used to have a very specific meaning but it is now carelessly used to describe any sort of damage.
This week’s poem by Samuel Johnson celebrates the life, while mourning the death, of his friend Dr Robert Levet.
The word “multiple” seems to be replacing the simpler “many” in the vocabulary of journalists and other writers.
The use of the word “excited” by advertisers and promoters is dangerous because it tries to involve us in a false-hearted relationship.
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