Author Topic: Language Log (Read 1620 times)

Jonathon · « **on:** August 21, 2006, 12:54:20 PM »

This post really made my day. One of my coworkers used "verbiage" as a transitive verb this morning. >.<

Porter · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2006, 12:58:16 PM »

As in "He really verbiaged that document"?

Jonathon · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2006, 01:00:29 PM »

More like, "If you need me to, I can verbiage it for you."

Porter · « **Reply #3 on:** August 21, 2006, 01:00:59 PM »

I'll be he can.

pooka · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2006, 03:12:24 PM »

Did he mean jargonize or something?

Jonathon · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2006, 03:15:37 PM »

Well, it was a she, and I think she meant something more like "write something." Though "jargonize" was probably more realistic. This same coworker has talked about utilizing staplers.

rivka · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2006, 01:25:25 PM »

Someone should utilize a stapler on whatever part of her anatomy she uses to verbiage.

Porter · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2006, 01:33:56 PM »

I doubt she uses anything to verbage. I'll be she utilizes it.

rivka · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2006, 03:59:51 PM »

Good point.

pooka · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2006, 05:27:48 AM »

I can't say I've never used "utilize" where I could have utilized "use". I could maybe see "verbiaged" in a regulatory context, like when marketing materials have to be made FDA compliant.

Jonathon · « **Reply #10 on:** September 01, 2006, 12:37:32 PM »

Geoffrey Pullum was on NPR's Here and Now talking about Language Log and some of the popular topics they discuss there. Here's a link to a streaming RealAudio file.

Edit: Okay, so apparently UBB code doesn't like non-http links. Go to the post and follow one of the links from there.