On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:28:25 AM UTC-4, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 15:27:30 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>
>
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> > On Tuesday, August 5, 2014 1:00:51 PM UTC-4, sf wrote:
>

> >
>
> > "Best left to"?
>
>
>
> Yes. You people are the ones who rely on French words to say
>
> something that can be better understood by everyone when using
>
> English. If "fort" means "strong point", then say "strong point" and
>
> don't try to be cute.
>
> >
>
> > If we all cared about being well-read and well-informed in general,
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> > regardless of whether we had the chance to go to college or not, a lot
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> > of not-so-long words wouldn't sound "cosmopolitan," just part of the
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> > normal vocabulary of someone over 30 or even 20.
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>
>
> You're an East Coaster. French words are part of the fabric back
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> there. Words like "forte" are obviously not very well learned by the
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> natives or else people would know when it's appropriate to say fortay
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> and when they should say fort. If they did, the common misuse
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> wouldn't be made fun of by a comedian.
>

Yes, and very small kids in some rural parts of the country might get
angry and frustrated by the long, unfamiliar French word "restaurant"
when adults could just say "a place to eat." Not to mention unfamiliar
words like "gargantuan" or "substantial" or "vast" when you just say
"big."

Reminds me of the 16-year-old, book-hating Scarlett O'Hara. "She hated
people who used words unknown to her."

Why, exactly, was it civilized for her to hate such people, per se?

As if her preferences should rule the world?


Lenona.