I despite the word “conversationalist.”
According to the internet–and the internet is never wrong–the word “conversational” means appropriate to informal conversation. Thus, a conversationalist must be someone who “practices appropriateness to informal conversation.”
No, that doesn’t make a bit of sense, which is the reason I despise the word.
“Conversation,” on the other hand, means the exchange of ideas by spoken words. A conversationist, therefore, is someone who exchanges ideas by spoken words, which is crystal in its clarity and explains why I have been using the term for years. Which, in turn, explains why people frequently correct me and say, “You mean ‘conversationalist’?”
No, I bloody don’t mean “conversationalist.” I meant what I said, which was “conversationist.”
No one can make a logical case, on a semantic level, justifying “conversationalist” as a legitimate term. I bite my thumb at this abomination masquerading as a dictionary entry. All that badass stuff Ricardo Montalban said to Captain Kirk at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? That’s what I’m saying right now (go watch it if you haven’t. It’s a lovely bit of acting).
Remember well this day, my friends, because it will be looked upon by history as The Day the World Changed. It is the day a new word is born, courtesy of Eric John Baker:
Conversationist.
Book it.
August 25th, 2014 at 10:28 pm
I’m assuming ye chose that image so we would be too cowed by the might of thy blood soaked sword to challenge your authority to coin a new word.
But I say the pen is mightier than thy sword! 😎
August 25th, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Nah, I just like the sculpting.
😛
That picture is a metaphor for me slaying a longstanding flaw in the English language. It’s also a metaphor for how I wish my abs looked.
August 26th, 2014 at 12:49 am
And be sure and use it in your novels.
August 26th, 2014 at 7:30 am
Hmmm. I’ll need to make sure my characters have read this post and agreed with it.
😉
August 26th, 2014 at 8:28 am
So, what’s with the photo? Is this post a response to my blog post, where in the comment section I inferred that you are a “charming conversationalist”? Seriously Eric, you didn’t have to retaliate by writing a blog post! 😉
I’m shocked, outraged, I’m lost for words, I cannot carry on this conversation . . . 😀
August 26th, 2014 at 8:57 am
Never, my friend. If someone describes me as “charming,” I don’t need to read whatever comes next. 😉
The photo is Benvenuto Cellini’s “Perseus” sculpture from 1545, which resides in Florence. It represents me slaying a flaw in the language, only with much lower body-fat content.
August 26th, 2014 at 9:20 am
Ah, I see. Well, we can start a conversation about “much lower body-fat content,” and I can decide if you’re a good conversationist. 🙂
August 26th, 2014 at 8:58 am
Maybe Mercury?? (the bloke with the lovely body) is fed up with that ratty woman yattering? She was TOO Conversationist-IC!
August 28th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Yes. Part of being a good conversationist is knowing when to STFU!
August 28th, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Oh, since you mentioned it, this is Cellini’s “Perseus Slaying Medusa” in Florence. Could easily be seen as Mercury due the winged helmet.
August 26th, 2014 at 9:28 am
Sadly that opening picture reminded me of a certain unfortunate journalist in Syria.
But I see where you’re coming from and completely agree.
August 28th, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Sorry to trigger unpleasent thoughts. If it helps, the head in this scene belongs to Medusa.
August 28th, 2014 at 5:24 pm
No probs. I reckon I’ll cope! Medusa, of course. Should have known by the “hair”!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:04 am
Now I’m confused about the word “sexist.”
August 26th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
Hahahahahahaha Good one! 😀
August 26th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
😝
August 28th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Now I’m wondering what an “exist” does.
August 28th, 2014 at 3:06 pm
A word coiner’s work is never done!
August 26th, 2014 at 12:51 pm
The Free Dictionary lists both words as interchangeable…but in order to save my head…I’ll go with your way! 🙂
August 28th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Don’t let MS Word’s squiggle shaming stop you!
August 28th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
Ugh! MS Word squiggled everything!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:17 pm
I think that by its classical definition, a conversation is inherently informal – a subtly that your definition has omitted. According to the Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (which contains numerous archaic words and meanings, as well as the English of Britain, Canada, the US, Australia-New Zealand, Indian, and South Africa), one definition of conversation is “familiar discourse”. Not surprisingly, Chambers considers conversationist and conversationalist interchangeable.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:35 pm
I take the much more scientific approach of seeing what Microsoft Word flags with a red squiggly line.