All morning Lily has been talking. When I take out the camera she slows down a little, but you can get an idea about our little Chatty Cathy.
And all I have to say about this picture (taken yesterday evening) is seriously? Again?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lacksadaisical is Not a Word
The word is lackadaisical... notice that the 5th letter is not an S, and there is no X (as in laxadaisical). I think that people try to combine the word 'lax' with the word 'lackadaisical' and come up with a brand new word... laxadaisical! Unfortunately, I think that most of the people who use the world laxadaisical don't realize they're making up a brand new word. They think that laxadaisical is the word. (And by the way, I think I hear the word laxadaisical twice as often as I hear the word lackadaisical... so if you say laxadaisical you are not alone... but you are wrong.) I feel that it is my mission to inform everyone that the word is lackadaisical and not lacksadaisical or laxadaisical. And now you know!
All morning Lily has been talking. When I take out the camera she slows down a little, but you can get an idea about our little Chatty Cathy.
And all I have to say about this picture (taken yesterday evening) is seriously? Again?
All morning Lily has been talking. When I take out the camera she slows down a little, but you can get an idea about our little Chatty Cathy.
And all I have to say about this picture (taken yesterday evening) is seriously? Again?
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14 comments:
We don't have the same snow issues here...but it is colder than it had been! I'm ready for Spring...
Thank you for rescuing the word "lackadaisical"--it's a great one!
And I felt the same way watching the snow pile up! I kept watching the news sites to see if schools would close today--the roads on the way to work were icy and slick, the worst I've seen them all year!
I think everyone here is in a state of denial regarding this fresh batch of snow. I didn't see a single driveway shoveled off this morning and schools are probably just saying, "What snow?". Personally, I refuse to acknowledge it myself and look forward to mother nature melting it away for me. That's why Alyson has the Santa Fe now, so I don't have to clear the driveway anymore.
While we're on the subject of nonexistent words let's talk about exspecially or ecspecially. The word is especially. (NOTE: I am guilty of this one myself.)
And on a side note would the northern folk please keep their northern weather where it belongs - up north! It was 75F here over the weekend then tonight the temperature is supposed to dip below freezing. ARG!
We're trying, but it cannot... be... contained.... aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!! (that's the sound of all the cold leaking out to infiltrate the rest of the US, especially those areas where the residents wear sweaters in 60 degree weather.)
Hey leave my sweater wearing habits alone!
lackadaisical
1.without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt
2. lacking life, spirit, or zest : languid
Thank you for asserting the correct form of "lackadaisical". Can I be so bold as to assert a correction to a common "Americanism"? A speech writer, following World War I, invented the word "normalcy" because he couldn't recall an already extant word: "normality". A politician was expressing the sentiment that, now that the "war to end all wars" was over, it was time for the U.S. to return to its previous, usual state, or a state of "normality". The speech writer dreamt up "normalcy" and it has stuck in the U.S. lexicon but everywhere else in the English-speaking world the earlier, older word is used. It is related to other words describing a state or condition: reality, (not "realcy") individuality, conformity. I only post this because it sounds so weird and I give a little shiver whenever I hear it! Let's return the definition of being in a "normal" state to its "normality"!!!
And I've noticed that spaces are omitted when I posted my earlier comment. I really do know how to type and place spaces, usually, in the appropriate... um... spaces!
So why were the spaces I typed not omitted on my second (and perhaps this third) comment?? Hmmmmmm...
Thank you for the help with the word lackadaisical. I've been one of the folks out there saying laxadaisacal. Now I am cured. Spelling is still a tough one. Best, Peter
I admit to being a second generation (at least) incorrect user of lackadaisical as I have always said lacksidaisical, as in, "Katherine, you can't go through life with this lacksidaisical attitude toward ..." and I can't remember what else my mother said because this word made me picture myself out in a warm field dreamily plucking the petals off daisies. And so this word was born in my mind.
Now much older, I tried to use it in an e-mail and couldn't get the spelling right and that led me to you.
You have a charming blog.
Thank you for this posting!
Love this site. I've written and looked up this word on the internet multiple times and I did not write it this time the same way I did last time, but you're the first result on the way I wrot it this time. I even thought about it for like an hour the last time. I meant to spell check last night but said f it.
Good work
Thanks for your blog entry on this topic. My wife was mocking me for using the correct word, so a quick search, a compellingly titled result and all I had to do was start reading to her. End of conversation. Thanks again!!
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