Dull thoughts on a shiny, shiny world.
cactoblasta's Articles In Writing
May 12, 2009 by cactoblasta
It's amazing how influential our perception of certain words is in determining fact from fiction. Just off the top of my head I can think of heaps of words that immediately add a little something to what I perceive a person is saying: clearly - I can't even back this up It's beyond me - I am resorting to hyperbolae because I don't care enough to think trust me - I am the last person to trust family values - my family is bigger than my IQ/I'm a convicted pedophile/I'm cheating on my p...
April 20, 2008 by cactoblasta

We all know the value of a good dictionary. For a child or a young adult making their way in a world of antiquated literature and the diseased mutterings of the overly erudite, a dictionary is a good friend, a fine companion and an essential aide in gaining the vocabulary of adulthood.

Where it fails is in any other usage. Now, don't get me wrong - a good dictionary can probably stop a small bullet in a pinch, or be used for starting a fire.

But when you're looking to define your position in an argument a dictionary is a liability.

You see, dictionaries aren't written by the spectral god of the English language, or put together by a magical team of accuracy pixies in a mystical fairyland of unconvincingly rhythmic hammers and toys.