"You don't swing golf, you play golf"

DaveM said:
Well language evolves and what was incorrect, if it becomes common usage, then becomes “correct”. We ain’t exactly speakin’ the Queen’s English no more. Seriously though, I hate the degradation that we see lately because it indicates and fosters sloppy thinking which has consequences.
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The Queen would have had you flogged for a handful of the nouns you were dropping the last time we were together.
 
Of course you can say “pooling” instead of “playing pool.“ In English you can verb any noun.


That’s not original, but I don’t know the source to cite it. You can just be sure it isn’t Strunk and White or Fowler.
 
FranCrimi said:
Webster can be wrong, and it is in this case. What makes you think the person who included that into Webster actually plays golf or is an expert in English? Have you seen how journalists write these days? They have very little understanding of the English language. The bar keeps getting lowered --- SMH --- Golf is a noun. It's not suddenly a verb just because Webster is giving credibility to incorrect use of the English language.

Stick to Strunk and White's Elements of Style if you want to understand the proper use of English grammar.
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You are absolutely crazy if you believe the stuff you're typing.
 
I'm a golfer, hunter, programmer, farmer, writer (on occasion), driver, rider, runner (very rarely), thinker, drinker (too often), smoker and a player.
I'm not a pooler or a fisher...I do shoot pool; I am a fisherman.
The English language is fun
 
Language evolves through usage. Lexicographers add words to the dictionary when usage is sufficient to merit doing so and nobody is more qualified than them to judge when a word merits inclusion. Even words that are in the dictionary have new meanings that arise from usage alone. I doubt a California surfer of the 1960's would have ever thought that "surfing" would come to mean "moving around the internet" but that is one of its meanings now.

New words and new uses of old words explain why the dictionary has grown and grown for centuries.

Language is always evolving, and that's a good thing, as preferences in usage evolve with time and because new words are needed for new things and phenomena. The word "pilot" once pertained only to maritime personnel. Was it a mistake when it was extended to include those in aviation? No, it's typical of the evolution of language.

The Oxford English Dictionary, widely regarded as the definitive source for words in the English language, does not set the boundaries for usage of English, but instead records and represents the prevailing use of language.

I have limitless respect for Fran, but on this occasion, she is mistaken in viewing language as being so rigid. Finally, a phrase like LOL is called an acronym, not an abbreviation. An acronym is a way of representing multiple words (in this case "laughing out loud") by using the first letter of each word, Using "St." in place of Street is an abbreviation.
 
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Cue Stick said:
You don't shoot pool, you play pool.
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I shoot pool. It's more neutral a reference. Play implies too many things - most of them wasting time. (kidding)
<Shoot> leaves it open for practice or competition which, judging by most of the pool I've been around, is anything but play. It's not even detectably fun. And, you can shoot pool for fun too.

So there.:p
 
sjm said:
Finally, a phrase like LOL is called an acronym, not an abbreviation. An acronym is a way of representing multiple words (in this case "laughing out loud") by using the first letter of each word, Using "St." in place of Street is an abbreviation.
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As always, your post is thoughtful and presented in a respectful manner. I agree with everything stated, except what is quoted above.

All acronyms are abbreviations. Not all abbreviations are acronyms. LOL and etc. are both abbreviations. LOL is an acronym and an abbreviation, while etc. is an abbreviation but not an acronym. I don’t think it is accurate to say, “a phrase like LOL is called an acronym, not an abbreviation.” IMO, It is both.
 
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Scratch85 said:
As always, your post is thoughtful and presented in a respectful manner. I agree with everything stated, except what is quoted above.

All acronyms are abbreviations. Not all abbreviations are acronyms. LOL and etc. are both abbreviations. LOL is an acronym and an abbreviation, while etc. is an abbreviation but not an acronym. I don’t think it is accurate to say, “a phrase like LOL is called an acronym, not an abbreviation.” IMO, It is both.
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Happy to stand corrected. Hence, calling LOL an acronym is simply more specific than calling it an abbreviation. A little like the difference between calling a kangaroo a "marsupial" rather than an "animal."
 
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