I fail to see why American English needs to be compared and ridiculed against English.

I’m not ridiculing American English. I’m ridiculing silly neologisms, which seem to be popular in America. I like neologisms in general, just not when it’s either pretentious or just plain daft.

I agreeciate your point gears_suck, but the two dictionaries do colliderate given our close linkages with the US

Try the buzz-phrase generator on here. It will make you sound much more important:

http://www.sewallspoint.com/buzzphrase_generator.htm

I work day-in day-out with an American identity management product. Some of the functionality includes:

“Provisioning”, “Deprovisioning” and “Attestation”. 😯

What else would you use for ‘provisioning’ then? Bear in mind it’s a widely used term with a specific definition.

We invite passengers to de-plane by the rear exit….

De-plane…???????

What else would you use for ‘provisioning’ then? Bear in mind it’s a widely used term with a specific definition.

maybe he wishes that those who had inventorated the terms had not bastardemated other words when envisioning them.

We invite passengers to de-plane by the rear exit….

De-plane…???????

Well if folk start getting off at the rear of the plane, in public, some people might get offended. Mind if the rear of a plane gets you off, that’s pretty niche… 😉

Provisioning (when applied to users, or objects in a directory) is only really known to those who have to administer those objects. Before IDAM solutions, or more specifically before SAP and Novell got into the game, everyone just knew it as managing users. It makes it sound like you’re installing kit.

It’s much nicer and less impersonal to say “I created an account for xxx”, “We added xxx to this group” “Please grant mrs XXX access to this application” rather than “I provisioned Mr xxx with xyz” or “mr y has been terminated, apply rapid deprovisioning to their account”

We invite passengers to de-plane by the rear exit….

Well, if you will travel out the back, what do you expect?

We invite passengers to de-plane by the rear exit….

When they arrive in the first place, do you plane them?

Back when the foot-and-mouth epidemic was in full flow, I had cause to be in an airport in Dallas.

I was met by security in the form of a Dallas sheriff, a walking stereotype good ol’ boy with a white handlebar moustache and a Stetson. He stopped me and drawled, “scuse me son, have you been on or near a ranch recently?” Gave me pause for a moment whilst I parsed what he was getting at.

Have French Canadians committed similar crimes against the French language?

It’s much nicer and less impersonal to say “I created an account for xxx”,

I thought provisioning meant a whole package of things the users need, rather than simply an account.

I work day-in day-out with an American identity management product. Some of the functionality includes:

“Provisioning”, “Deprovisioning” and “Attestation”.

Never mind the provisioning etc, WTF is an identity management product? Do you make name tags?

he puts the staples in your passport

Outwith and redouble
grrrr

(Yes I know outwith is a real Scottish word – still annoys me though)

I find I can be quite hypocritical at times where neologisms and phrases are concerned.

On the one hand, I like the changing language we use and enjoy new words, especially from da kidz, but on the other hand I can be quite sniffy about business phrases like “going forward” etc.

I only found out recently that “outwith” does only seem to be a Scottish word. Had never even occurred to me, I just thought of it as a normal word. It’s very common to hear it used up here.

“In life”

Used more on Facebook than at work (sorry, “in the workplace”). It adds absolutely nothing to any statement, it’s just a poor attempt at sounding deep. Brits and Americans equally guilty.

Irregardless, I fink dis as all gotten a bit outa hand init. Nahwa I meen man.

All words were neologisms once. This is worth a listen: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03phrwl

molgrips – Member
I think that’s a habit though – lots of professions have a strictly defined vocabulary so that there can’t be any of the usual misunderstandings and implications we get in everyday speech.

Really?

(Yes I know outwith is a real Scottish word – still annoys me though)

Commented on that during a peer-review the other day (software company, in Scotland, but with international clients).

Thing is, the alternatives sounded much clunkier and didn’t parse as well. (“Outside of” doesn’t really convey the same meaning IMHO) So really I think it’s fine and the heathens should just get used to it. 😉

And what’s wrong with “redouble”. That’s Shakespeare that:

If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorize another Golgotha,
I cannot tell.
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.

(Macbeth)

Somehow I find myself questioning the over use of words or discriptions.
We here ride horses while the Americans go horse back riding. Why the back bit. It’s like going bicycle saddle riding or boat paddle rowing. You don’t need to tell us which part of the animal your using when only one part can be thanks.

My American colleagues never “use” anything…. they “utilize” it.

“We will utilize a spreadsheet”. Annoying.

Also, everything seems to have a “price point” now. How is that different from a “price”?

A price might be “£10” whereas a price point might be “£5 – £15” perhaps?

I’m not entirely sure as I’m comfortable with using “point” to mean “range”, but I think that’s the intended difference.

Price point means how much you intend it to cost full price when you are designing it. Price is what the retailer ends up selling it for, which could be very different especially in markets where discount sales are prevalent.

When they arrive in the first place, do you plane them?

I believe “enplane” is the preferred word. 😐

And what’s wrong with “redouble”. That’s Shakespeare that:
If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorize another Golgotha,
I cannot tell.
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.
(Macbeth)

Nothing wrong with it when used to mean it’s been doubled and then doubled again (quadrupled).
It’s too often used to mean a general increase though (I think).