Month: February 2009

A “quantum leap” is NOT impressive.

Euphemisms, Nouns, Self-negation

Have you ever heard someone say something similar to “The company made a quantum leap in productivity this past quarter.”, as if trying to say that a lot of progress was made?

I do not know the origin of the phrase “quantum leap”, but you should know that this euphemism, which is especially popular in American business, is essentially a self-negation.

The classic definition of the noun “quantum” is the smallest quantity of radiant energy that can exist independently.

A “quantum” in physics is the energy that is equal to the frequency of the associated radiation times Planck’s constant.

And a “quantum leap” refers to the discontinuous, instantaneous jump of an electron in an atom from one quantum state to another.

So taking a “quantum leap” truly refers to taking the smallest leap possible — not exactly what most Americans mean when they say it.

I suspect that many people misapply the phrase “quantum leap” so that they can sound smarter.

But they end up sounding a bit ignorant or pompous to anyone who has been exposed to even a little bit of modern physics.

“so different” but not “so same”

Adjectives

Why do people say “so different” but do not say “so same”?

A popular definition of the word “different” as an adjective is dissimilar, differing, or not alike in quality or character.

A popular definition of the word “same” as an adjective is being identical though perhaps having different aspects or names.

I often hear sentences such as “Jane is so different than her twin Mary that you will never find them in the same shop.”

But I never hear sentences such as “Jane is so same as her twin Mary that you will always find them in the same shop on Saturday morning.”

This puzzles me, and I have yet to find a good explanation of why it is common to hear “so different” but it is rare — if not impossible — to hear “so same”.

Kindle 2 Tricks

General

You may have noticed the recent news that Amazon is launching the Kindle 2 — the second version of its wireless reading device — on February 24, 2009.

I am super-excited about the Kindle 2, especially for people like you and me who care about better communication.

You probably read as much as I do.

And the Amazon Kindle is a revolution, in my opinion, in how you can get and read books.

The Amazon Kindle 2 takes this revolution to the next level.

Sure, there are critics who complain about such things as the Kindle 2 using a sixteen-gray-levels screen instead of a color screen, but many of these criticisms relate to cost-versus-benefit decisions that Amazon had to make.

For example, what manufacturer has created an affordable book reader with a color screen that is readable in bright sunlight? I dare say, “None.”

The day that I heard about the launch of the Kindle 2, I made two decisions:

  1. I was going to buy one.
  2. I was going to set up a website about Kindle 2 tricks.

Do you want to know something funny?

I was just about to click the submit-order button at Amazon to get my Kindle 2, when I decided to step away from my computer and tell my wife about it and how excited I was about the Kindle 2.

And guess what my wife said? She said that earlier that day she had ordered one for me for Valentine’s Day.

What a sweetheart, and what a coincidence! And my first goal became moot.

As I write this, another week must pass before Amazon starts shipping the Kindle 2. (I can hardly stand it.)

So I do not have one now, but this has not stopped me from pursuing goal #2.

I set up Kindle2Tricks.com as a resource for anyone who wants to know how to get the most out of the Amazon Kindle 2.

What do you want to know about the Kindle 2?

Go to Kindle2Tricks.com, and tell me!