In my editing travels I have come across this error far more often than you’d believe. Indeed, I find “expedient” used incorrectly with greater frequency than I find it used correctly.
For the record, expedient means advantageous or advisable.
I surmise that, because the word is similar in spelling to “expedite,” people sometimes conflate the two. Also, the second syllable sounds like speed. It’s as if the word gods set a bear trap for us. What did we ever do to offend them? Other than mangle the language all day, that is.
Some example of incorrect and correct usage of “Expedient.”
Incorrect:
Captain Kirk seduced the green alien woman in an expedient manner, having beamed down to her planet only minutes earlier.
Correct:
It would be expedient for the green alien woman to get tested for an STD after spending the night with Captain Kirk, a noted lothario.
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Incorrect:
Usain Bolt ran the 100-meter dash expediently.
Correct:
If you intend to run the 100-meter dash against Usain Bolt, it is expedient to practice as often as possible. Nevertheless, you are going to lose.
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Incorrect:
Republicans and Democrats worked together and passed the anti-Godzilla legislation in an expedient fashion.
Correct:
It was politically expedient for Republicans and Democrats to work together on an anti-Godzilla bill, what with the massive beast closing in on Los Angeles.
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Incorrect (though, in its wrongness, still true):
When you write expediently, you run the risk of making silly mistakes.
Correct:
If you think “expediently” means “quickly,” it is expedient for you to buy a dictionary.
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Today’s theme song is Faster than the Speed of Light by Swedish hard-rock guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, whose fingers sure are speedy. Vocals by the great Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow. They don’t make rock singers like that anymore.
Very amusing examples, Eric, particularly the one about Capt. Kirk, that noted lothario. I’m fairly certain I’ve misused “expedient” before, perhaps even in my WIP. I’ll have to do a Find-and-Replace on it.
You should do a post on the correct meaning of “peruse”. People always get that one wrong.
I’d better look up “peruse” to make sure I haven’t been using it incorrectly!
It means to read something thoroughly, but people often mistake it to mean skimming through quickly. I encounter this incorrect usage most commonly in work situations (e.g. a supervisor will inform me s/he only perused a document and therefore needs me to provide a summary of its contents.)
I agree with Janna there. Thanks for sharing, I loved the examples. <3
I used to torment my middle school English teachers with bizarre sentences when demonstrating vocabulary words. Useless talent # 67.
Thanks you for stopping by and commenting!
Thanks grammar dude.Long time listener. First time caller.
p.s. What is your band’s name? It is closer to “Flesh Ripper,” or “The Eric Baker Project?”
I can’t get Tony to commit to a name. He’s still mad that The Beatles is already taken.
Sometimes, it is expedient to expedite our efforts to excise excess from our lives, our waists, and our vocabulary.
Easy for you to say.
If you were a teacher, your English students would love you!
My math students would love me even more. I’d be like, “I don’t know. It looks good to me. How about sticking a decimal point in there somewhere and we’ll call it a day.”
Republicans and Democrats worked together on something?
Only in my fantasies.
That sure is some flashy but of course non-expedient guitar playing.
I aim to be the world’s slowest guitar player. It’s less glamorous, but also less pressure.
This is a gem. I’d live to narrate on my podcast. Here is the link, http://kriskkaria.podbean.com/. The idea is to get both of us more followers. Do I have your permission? Thanks!
I don’t have to do anything but sit back and listen? What’s not to love about that?
Please, feel free!
Just sit back and listen. Here it is, http://kriskkaria.podbean.com/. Thanks for letting me narrate it.
Fantastic! Your voice belongs on National Public Radio, if it hasn’t been there already. Thanks for making me sound cleverer than I am!
She has done the same for me a couple of times. . . she’s great. Why don’t we start a campaign for her?
Kris for President? A WordPress superpac?
I’m in!
Let’s put it this way, EJB: Yngwie Malmsteen’s parents could have created a more expedient way through life for their son, if they had just named him “Bub..”
Next, will you tackle the spectacular, incredible, and almost mind-numbing misuse of the word “unique.” A sentence certain to drive me around the bend would be to say to me, , “PTC, you are the most unique writer ever known,” That sentence is wrong on so many levels, it boggles the mind. However, if you will check my blog post for today, you will see that I write like Margaret Mitchell. Fiddle-dee-dee!
Ooh. That is a good suggestion. In fact it’s the most unique suggest you’ve ever given. But seriously folks…
Yngwie’s parents may have saddled him with an unwieldy name, but they did pass on their ability to form finger callouses quickly. You might say it was an expedient thing to do.
And after that, let’s get on to whether or not to use or not with whether! Then we can infer what others have implied, all along. . .
I can settle that one right now. “Or not” is superfluous. Not only that, it’s not necessary.
Whether or not I believe you is of no real consequence. And really, who knows whether or not you do believe me, and what you think? Do you think whether or not that I do believe you whether or not? You realize now, of course that I am implying that I have inferred you inferred that I implied that the not was subfluous – it’s the “or” that is superfluous. Help me NOW! Get me out of this place. My husband insists that I stay here at this desk until I make sense. I wonder whether that will happen or not? Or whether I exist or not? Maybe time will tell me, ’cause i can’t tell time.
Hubby wants you to start making sense?
How long have you been married?