A Nerd for Words

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rainbowsheeps
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A Nerd for Words

Post by rainbowsheeps » May 26th, 2010, 1:22 am

A few moments ago, I was looking over my sample pages and discovered a wrong word (possibly) in a sample page I sent out. I said "tight" rather than "tightly." It didn't come up as improper in one word processor, but it did in Word. I looked it up after, and found that "tight" can actually be used as an adverb. "The door was shut tight," for instance, is proper. As is "sleep tight." According to Merriam-Webster, anyway.

I subsequently sent a text message to a friend cheering that "tight can be an adverb!" She told me what a nerd I am.

Have you ever had a similar experience? When did you find out you were a nerd for words?

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Tycoon
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Re: A Nerd for Words

Post by Tycoon » May 26th, 2010, 6:51 am

I had to laugh because I have the same thing in my manuscript. Something to the effect of... "He held her tight in his arms" I'm not a expert but I think tight or tightly is correct either way and is still a adverb either ways. But just wait... an expert will come by and slap me for being wrong!!!!

xouba
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Re: A Nerd for Words

Post by xouba » May 26th, 2010, 2:20 pm

It's happened to me that I'm talking about something, use a rare word, and though I think I know what it means (that's why I'm using it!), I go to the RAE ("Real Academia Española") dictionary to know its exact meaning. Just in case.

It's always fun, because you find a lot of archaic meanings that now have little sense.

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dios4vida
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Re: A Nerd for Words

Post by dios4vida » May 27th, 2010, 12:36 pm

I learned early on when I would pull out my Mom's large, red-bound dictionary, open it to a random page, and start reading the entries just to see what cool words I could find.

Now I know I'm a word nerd because:

1. I almost won my eighth grade spelling bee without even realizing it was going on until that morning (a stupid mistake on the word "reference" made me lose).
2. I think being a lexicographer or an etymologist would be cool.
3. I randomly drop the word "lexicographer" or "lexicography" into conversation just to watch people's faces screw up in confusion.
4. Whenever someone doesn't know what a word means they automatically ask me. If I say I don't know, they look shocked.
5. People think I use big words when I talk, but I don't think so.
Brenda :)

Inspiration isn't about the muse. Inspiration is working until something clicks. ~Brandon Sanderson

Margo
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Re: A Nerd for Words

Post by Margo » May 27th, 2010, 1:02 pm

I had suspected I was a word nerd for quite some time, but my confirmation was the day I got hit in the back of the head with one of those open-handed 'stop-saying-nerdy-smart-things' slaps not once but twice in one day over the use of 'simpatico' and 'allegorical'.

Got weird looks just last week for having a conversation with another word nerd (in a particular big box store) involving the words 'alas' and 'conundrum'.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

Margo
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Re: A Nerd for Words

Post by Margo » May 27th, 2010, 1:03 pm

Tycoon wrote:But just wait... an expert will come by and slap me for being wrong!!!!
THWACK!

Just for the heck of it. :)
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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