I heard this during a conference call.
Problem:
The speaker used one noun where another noun would be preferable.
Explanation:
The person who said “Put a notation in the document.” was asking another conference-call attendee to record something in a document that we were reviewing during the call.
However, the noun “note” is preferable in this context to the noun “notation” for a few reasons:
- Most dictionaries define the noun “notation” primarily as the method or process of noting.
- Use of the noun “notation” as a substitute for the noun “note” adds nothing to what is defined for the noun “note”.
- “Notation” is an eight-letter, three-syllable noun, whereas “note” is a simpler, four-letter, one-syllable noun.
The conference-call speaker who said “notation” where “note” would be preferable probably was trying to sound more educated, but this is an example of someone sacrificing clarity and simplicity for appearance.
Solution:
“Put a note in the document.”