Relative Nonsense
Today is National Dictionary Day, in honor of Noah Webster’s birthday. A piece on ABC News tonight suggested that the usage of a dictionary has apparently changed with the times. Instead of looking into a dictionary to actually learn something definitive that we can all accept and correct linguistic wrongs, it now is beginning to reflect and affirm our own ignorance.
They (who is that ‘they’, anyway?) took a poll on some common phrases, and asked people how to spell them, ie, “free reign” vs “free rein”, or “shoo-in” vs “shoe-in”, or “vocal cord” vs. “vocal CHORD” (they must be kidding) and a couple more maddening examples. They decided that since half the population felt each of these could be spelled/defined either way, and they are too illiterate to realize it should not be subject to their own silly interpretations, now Webster’s has decided to present BOTH possibilities as equally valid. Outcome-based Dictionaries. Does this make me nuts? Does anyone need to ask?
Watch at your own risk if you hate what has happened to our language and learning in general AND have hypertension issues. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3737179
