tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744467645262956806.post1026067414809310272..comments2013-02-02T06:58:49.884-08:00Comments on Tidd's Bits: What words or phrases do you hate? (1)TiddKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06194335182530169873noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744467645262956806.post-87376488629413084382010-04-21T13:59:45.537-07:002010-04-21T13:59:45.537-07:00Thanks for an eminent grammatical explanation of w...Thanks for an eminent grammatical explanation of why Attendee is bad English.<br /><br />I fear I may be guilty of having misused electrocute in the past. But NEVER AGAIN!<br /><br />When you rack your brains, you are torturing them to extract information - it's a reference to stretching on the rack. Now, of course, you want more than just my word on that ... the paper edn of the SOED gives meaning 3b of Rack (v) as: to strain, task severly (the mind, brain etc.) and has it recorded in this sense from 1558. (Though it doesn't seem that Shakespeare used it.)<br /><br />I'm not sure about second guess. It seem that it ought to mean (as you suggest) predict what someone is going to say before they say it. But I can't find it in the SOED. Could be originally American usage and/or developed since 1922. (My SOED is not the most up to date.)<br /><br />Cheers, fellow lexicomaniacs.John TheSupercargohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04089948770700580713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744467645262956806.post-60715112801114832942010-04-21T08:31:48.347-07:002010-04-21T08:31:48.347-07:00Good point, bub :-) I've racked my brains (and...Good point, bub :-) I've racked my brains (and what does THAT mean!? I've been brainwashed and now it's drying on the rack?) but cannot come up with a reason for 'second guessing'. Unless it's a combination of 'guess' and 'second sight', i.e. you're trying to mind-read someone before they act?TiddKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06194335182530169873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744467645262956806.post-79749653842773906822010-04-03T10:02:34.292-07:002010-04-03T10:02:34.292-07:00I think I'm guilty and have used attendee in s...I think I'm guilty and have used attendee in some of my work (but that's only because it's in general parlance) she says in her defence.<br /><br />This is one of my gripes - second guessing. What is first guessing, pray?Kate Jay-Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00949531996279399373noreply@blogger.com