Gaslighting, from the movie Gaslight, is being used frequently lately by people who think they are on the cutting edge of the latest phrases. They seem to think it means arguing someone out of their own beliefs.

In fact it refers to a form of psychological manipulation that is intended to make the person think they are losing their mind. They end up questioning their own judgment. A form of brainwashing.

Which reminds me about the word systemic. Biden is going to root out systemic racism. No, actually he's not. If something is systemic it's inherent. It's throughout the whole. Probably a more accurate use of the word is to say that with some people, stupidity is systemic.

You have high expectations of the American public. Speaking proper English is a lost art.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
You have high expectations of the American public. Speaking proper English is a lost art.

It's a systemic problem.

Yep, just like loose for lose. It's a lost cause.

Systemic racism hasn't existed in the white community since around the 60s or so.

It does exist in the black community however.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
Systemic racism hasn't existed in the white community since around the 60s or so.

It does exist in the black community however.

If racism was truly systemic in whites during the 60s, it would still be there today. That's a good example of the misuse of systemic.

Oh boy! Another misused words and phrases thread!

(Just messin' with ya, RogB .)

Can we do "begging the question" again? Even though that one's been mentioned here numerous times, even SF's membership is still Getting It Wrong {*}.

{*} That should probably be "wrongly" to be syntactically correct.

Uhm, can I ask a question here?

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Uhm, can I ask a question here?

I bet you can!

For all intensive purposes, it is what it is.

Please note, this does not cover any non-intensive purposes.

Yeah, I noticed that. No one consumes classic literature anymore. Sad, cause it is an awesome movie.

People are literally too stupid to breathe. Hahaha.

quote:

Originally posted by Loswsmith:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
You have high expectations of the American public. Speaking proper English is a lost art.

It's a systemic problem.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water at the kabuki theatre.

^^^^ Ha. I sea what you did their.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Yeah, I noticed that. No one consumes classic literature anymore. Sad, cause it is an awesome movie.

People are literally too stupid to breathe. Hahaha.

Nowadays they're too stupid to breath.

Misuse of 'breath' for 'breathe' was a specific one I was going to mention.

quote:

Originally posted by ugeesta:
^^^^ Ha. I sea what you did their.

A twofer in one sentence!

I'm trying to overlook these issues. In the past I've been a bit of a grammar Nazi, but it's hard. It especially bothers me when "journalists" use the wrong word, spell it wrong, etc. I do have blood pressure issues, though, so I try.

Seems like the "rules" for journalists now force them to say "film" for recording video on a smart phone, and "tape" for recording audio on a smart phone. They are all doing in uniformly now.

Gaslight is a good example of common misuse. Lying is not gaslighting. Making someone disbelieve their own direct observations of their environment and believe in a false narrative IS gaslighting.

Your crazy!

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Uhm, can I ask a question here?

Of course you can, but may you is the proper question.

That is the issue in western society now, the redefinition of terms and words from what they really mean to distorted meanings. It is right out of George Orwell's 1984.