Month: March 2008

“We have slows in the area.”

Devolution toward Simpler, Nouns, Verbs

I heard a traffic reporter say this on a local TV news program the other morning.

Problem:
The word “slows” is not a noun.

Explanation:
“We have X in the area.” requires that “X” be a noun.

The word “slows” is not a noun.

I suppose that the traffic reporter was trying to be clever or was just lazy.

It seems that she was trying to use “slows” as a substitute for “slow traffic” (given what she covers — automotive traffic on local roads).

I believe that this use of “slows” is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to say “slows” than “slow traffic” (one syllable vs. three syllables).

Solution:
“We have slow traffic in the area.”

“Invite” vs. “Invitation”

Common English Blunders, Devolution toward Simpler, Nouns, Verbs, Versus

I increasingly hear “invite” where “invitation” is required.

Problem:
The word “invite” is not a noun.

Explanation:
Sentences such as “I’ll send you an invite.” or “Could she send them an invite?” drive me crazy.

How lazy can one be?!

The word “invite” is a verb, not a noun.

We have a perfectly good noun for what is intended: “invitation”.

I believe that this growing tendency to use “invite” where “invitation” is required is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis.

It’s simpler to say or write the two-syllable “invite” than the four-syllable “invitation”.

Solution:
Use “invite” when you need a verb; use “invitation” when you need a noun.

“150,000 net video adds in first quarter”

Common English Blunders, Devolution toward Simpler, Nouns, Verbs

I saw this in a corporate announcement yesterday.

Problem:
The word “adds” is not a noun.

Explanation:
This phrase appeared in a sentence talking about how a company’s net increase in video customers was expected to be 150,000 in the first quarter of 2008.

Unfortunately, one could misread this as “150,000 net video ads in first quarter” — as in “150,000 net [Internet?] video advertisements in first quarter”.

In other words, one could misread “adds” as “ads” and believe that the writer was referring to advertisements.

More important than this possible misreading is the fact that “adds” is a verb, not a noun.

I believe that this growing tendency to use “adds” where “additions” is what is meant is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis.

It’s simpler to say or write the one-syllable “adds” than the three-syllable “additions”.

One could say the same thing about “installs” versus “installations”, about which I wrote last December.

Solution:
“150,000 net video [customer] additions in first quarter”