When you google: ["decimation" means 10% died? 10% lived?]

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Post #434,022 by Ashton 5/13/20 8:22:01 PM 5/13/20 8:22:01 PM Reply	When you google: ["decimation" means 10% died? 10% lived?] ..you may be surprised to learn that there are 'authoritative' {cough} Sources both-ways, each didactic as to Its Correctness --though some agree at the dichotomy: in different Times. (I hew to: it kills/whatever 90%, as is the intention of '-mate'.. and common usage says that: a 'deci-Liter' contains 10%-of-a-Liter--not 90%. Rest case.
Post #434,024 by a6l6e6x 5/13/20 9:20:00 PM 5/13/20 9:20:00 PM Reply	Well, there is the Roman Army definition. From Wikipedia: Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of Roman military discipline in which every tenth man in a group was executed by members of his cohort. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #434,025 by static 5/14/20 4:36:08 AM 5/14/20 4:36:08 AM Reply	I'm sure there is a name for words like that. I am reminded of the word "bi-weekly". Does it mean twice a week, or once every two weeks? There are arguments for both! Wade.
Post #434,026 by malraux 5/14/20 10:13:01 AM 5/14/20 10:13:01 AM Reply	Actually there are two But which one is correct is of course contested. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #434,029 by mmoffitt 5/14/20 12:51:41 PM 5/14/20 12:51:41 PM Reply	No controversy. "biweekly" == "fortnightly" == once every two weeks. "semiweekly" == twice per week. bcnu, Mikem It's mourning in America again.
Post #434,030 by malraux 5/14/20 12:56:11 PM 5/14/20 12:56:11 PM Reply	Read Wade's subject again Then apply my response to it. :-) Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #434,031 by mmoffitt 5/14/20 12:59:15 PM 5/14/20 12:59:15 PM Reply	Mea Culpa. ;0) bcnu, Mikem It's mourning in America again.
Post #434,027 by drook 5/14/20 10:55:47 AM 5/14/20 10:59:34 AM Reply	Contranyms And the site that lists "literally" as an example makes me want to punch. This list is good: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/30-words-that-are-their-own-opposites -- Drew Edited by drook May 14, 2020, 10:59:34 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #434,032 by Ashton 5/14/20 3:24:46 PM 5/14/20 3:24:46 PM Reply	Excellent! ..but fatal. You have hewed the dastardly anti-homologous to a fare-thee-well. You've won Internet-Scrabble's 100-Yard Dash! ..wait: is that a thin-line 'twixt words? a deucedly fast race? a bit-of-spice? ... a boring-part of a car? DASH it all! [Red Queen] ~Words mean exactly what I want them to mean. Commits terminal lexicographic-seppuku. With a letter-opener. ..wait: a train-station? an end-point? an electrical connection-point? a _____? ..wait: is that like the big-A at opening page of a novella? a dull knife? a snoopy neighbor? Dies. Silently.**.
Post #434,045 by static 5/17/20 4:28:33 AM 5/17/20 4:28:33 AM Reply	That's the bunny! Thank you!
Post #434,068 by rcareaga 5/19/20 6:50:41 PM 5/19/20 6:50:41 PM Reply	The meaning of “decimation” …is baked into the fucking word. People use it these days as a synonym for “nearly destroyed,” which makes as little sense as assigning that same meaning to “halved.” uncordially,
Post #434,069 by Andrew Grygus 5/19/20 8:10:16 PM 5/19/20 8:10:16 PM Reply	Less sense than for halved. Halved is much closer to "almost totally" than decimated is.