2008 Banned Words

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

VISITATION
As in "suspended the troubled pop star's visitation rights."
What's wrong with "visiting"?

In English, a verb cannot modify a noun, as far as I can remember.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Perry Winkle

In English, a verb cannot modify a noun, as far as I can remember.

Isn't it common for the present continuous form of a noun to be used as an adjective? The Running Man? A weeping willow? The swinging sixties?

Or if you don't like that reading, consider treating "visiting rights" as a phrasal noun.

"Visit rights" would be a case of a verb modifying a noun. And it would be horrible. :p

I just dislike writers using a big word when a diminutive one will do. Actually, to me, "visitation" has connotations of spirits/ghosts/gods etc appearing.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Actually, to me, "visitation" has connotations of spirits/ghosts/gods etc appearing.

Or lawyers?

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Isn't it common for the present continuous form of a noun to be used as an adjective? The Running Man? A weeping willow? The swinging sixties?

Or if you don't like that reading, consider treating "visiting rights" as a phrasal noun.

"Visit rights" would be a case of a verb modifying a noun. And it would be horrible. :p

Any native speaker would understand what you were talking about if you said "visiting rights," but I think most would be uncomfortable with it. It doesn't sound natural, like it lies somewhere between "visit rights" and "visitation rights" in it's correctness.

'Running man', 'weeping willow' and 'swinging sixties' would be compound nouns, right?

'The running man' might break down thus (sorry, don't know how to subscript):
((THE)det. (((RUNNING)v)vp ((MAN)n)np)np)np[.subj]

One of the techniques they taught us in my linguistics classes was to use substitution. If you can substitute one word for another without changing the structure of the sentence, then it's likely serving the same functions.

Take your example: "[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's visitation rights" and substitute 'running.' It works fine, both mean the pop star's right to do something has been suspended. Try to substitute 'visitation' into 'the running man.' I'm not sure about "the visitation man."

Okay. That's not every enlightening. Maybe paraphrasing will help.

"The running man" == "The man that is running"
"The visitation man" == "The man that visits"
"The visiting man" == "The man that is visiting"

"[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's visitation rights"
== "[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's rights to visit [something]"

"[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's visiting rights"
== "[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's rights to visit [something]"

"[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's running rights"
== "[Someone] suspended the troubled pop star's rights to run"

Yes, I've officially confused the shit out of myself. There's something going on here that my sleep-deprived brain can't pinpoint...

[Kingswood]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I just dislike writers using a big word when a diminutive one will do. Actually, to me, "visitation" has connotations of spirits/ghosts/gods etc appearing.

So let me get this straight - it's supposed to be "visiting rights", except on Halloween when it becomes "visitation rights"?

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Kingswood

So let me get this straight - it's supposed to be "visiting rights", except on Halloween when it becomes "visitation rights"?

well, I was thinking more in terms of seances and genuine hauntings*, rather than the annual legalized extortion of harmful junkfood...

*If there are genuine hauntings, that is.


P.S. Classicman post #38: bahahahahahaha! : Classic, man!

[ZenGum]

FUELING

This one has been building for a while, TV reporters using fueling when it isn't appropriate. Recent examples:
* "The fire was fueled by strong winds".
No, it was fueled by all the dead wood and grass lying about. The winds were fanning, driving, or maybe even powering it.
* "A massive overflow from the dam is fueling the flood".
Great! Now water is a fuel source! Screw you, OPEC, screeeewwwww yyyooouuuuuu!!!!!
* "The stock market rose, fueled by bargain hunting."

There is a fuzzy line between being appropriately precise and being an anally retentive jerk. I believe it is context-dependent; in ordinary conversation these would be alright, but as the scripted utterances of professionals, I don't think they belong.