Adjectives

“Anticlimatic”

Adjectives, Common English Blunders, Devolution toward Simpler, Nouns

I too frequently hear people say “anticlimatic” when they mean something else.

Problem:
“Anticlimatic” is a nonsense word.

Explanation:
Except for that use by those who have turned “anticlimatic” into a word applicable to climate — although it’s difficult to imagine what it means to be “anticlimatic” — this is a nonsense word.

Nearly everyone who says “anticlimatic” actually is trying to say an adjective whose meaning is expressing or pertaining to anticlimax.

“Anticlimactic” (notice the ‘c’ before the ‘tic’) — not “anticlimatic” — is the adjectival form of the noun “anticlimax” (just as “climactic” is the adjectival form of the noun “climax”).

I believe that the use of “anticlimatic” is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” linguistic hypothesis. It’s simpler to say “anticlimatic” than to say “anticlimactic” (which requires the speaker to emphasize the middle ‘c’).

For fun, I searched Google for each of the following words and got about the indicated numbers of matches:

  • anticlimatic — 283,000 matches
  • anticlimactic — 401,000 matches

Assuming that the co-opting of the nonsense word “anticlimatic” by climate writers is an insignificant portion of the “anticlimatic” count, this tells me that Web authors have written the word correctly vs. incorrectly by a ratio of 1.4:1, which is a bit pathetic.

Solution:
“Anticlimactic”

“… it could have a material adverse effect …”

Adjectives, Adverbs, Commas, Devolution toward Simpler

I saw this in AT&T’s 2007 annual report.

Problem:
Either an adjective was used where an adverb was required, or a comma is missing.

Explanation:
The noun “material” can be used as an adjective to modify another noun, and adding “ly” converts it to an adverb.

The adjective “adverse” is modifying the noun “effect” in this example from the 2007 annual report from AT&T Inc., so the word “material” does not correctly modify the adjective “adverse” in this example.

Instead, we need one of two possible solutions (depending on the desired emphasis):

  1. If modifying “adverse” is the desired emphasis, then we need the adverb “materially” as the modifier.
  2. If modifying “effect” is the desired emphasis, then we need the adjective “material” as the modifier, but we also need a comma immediately following “material” because a second adjective (“adverse”) modifies “effect” (the noun).

I believe that the use of “material adverse” instead of “materially adverse” or “material, adverse” is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” linguistic hypothesis. It’s simpler to omit the “ly” and the comma than to use one or the other.

Using “material adverse” lets one avoid thinking about whether to use the “ly” or the comma.

Solutions:
“… it could have a materially adverse effect …”
or
“… it could have a material, adverse effect …”

“The storage in this kitchen is very minimum.”

Adjectives, Adverbs

I heard this during an HGTV television program a few days ago.

Problem:
The word “very” is meaningless and should not be in the statement, unless the speaker meant to say a different adjective.

Explanation:
The speaker made the statement during a house-makeover show on HGTV.

She was complaining that there was very little storage in the house’s kitchen.

The word “minimum” can be used as an adjective — e.g., to modify the noun “storage” — but the adverb “very” should not be used to modify the adjective “minimum” because the adjective “minimum” means least possible.

The adjectives “minimum” and “unique” already indicate the ultimate in something. Adding “very” to the front of either of these adjectives is meaningless and should not be done.

The speaker might have meant to use “minimal” instead of “minimum” in her statement. The adjective “minimal” would be appropriate because “minimal” can mean barely adequate.

We would then have “The storage in this kitchen is very barely adequate.” as the intended meaning of the statement, which would be appropriate (because “very” may modify “barely adequate”).

Solutions:
“The storage in this kitchen is minimum.”
or
“The storage in this kitchen is very minimal.”