This past Lord's Day I distinctly heard one of our umm-egos say something to the effect (is my credibility very high when I use the words "distinctly" and "something to the effect" in the same sentence?) that someone was equivocating when they tried to compare two things that this umm-ego thought could or should not be compared. Perhaps the word he was grasping for was "equating". I believe "to equivocate" means to hesitate between two positions or back off from a former position (but only tentatively). But I could be wrong. I am willing to express my lack of certainty. But perhaps* one of the umm-egos would like to come in here and defend himself or the other umm-ego, depending on which one comes forward first.
+"perhaps" is another of those words that appears to be falling out of favor.
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4 comments:
To be honest, I have never used the word "equivocate" as I did not know the concrete definition. My personal philosophy is as follows: what better way to nail down the proper use of a word if not by a little trial and error. I've been guilty of sticking words into a conversation, and I get nothing but stares.
Was I using the word wrong, was it too grandiloquent for their sensibilities? Did I create a malapropism? What?!?
So, while I sympathize with that umm-ego, I also realize that some sharpening of our word-wit need be addressed. You'll both, no doubt, be addressing some goofy error of mine in no time.
I obviously didn't proofread to discover my run-on sentence in that second paragraph.
Well, I am not only the one who used equivocate, but I am negligent in posting a reply timely.
I would hazard to say that equivocate is to "speak as if two different things are the same" I will check a dictionary...
The neophytes that put together the dictionary that I consulted agree with EslGed! Hrumph!
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