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Sunday 26 May 2013

Sunday Rest: Word Not To Use Today: genteel.

This word, as anyone can hear, is made of jelly.

Belch-flavoured jelly, at that.

Now, I realise I'm wasting my time, here, because visitors to The Word Den are all people of exquisite taste who would never think of using such a completely disgusting word as genteel in the first place, but just in case some tin-eared interloper has got in* then I suppose I should point out that, unless you want to show the world that you are extremely old-fashioned, have no taste, and are a snob, the word can have no place in your vocabulary.

The wretched word has an offshoot, genteelism: but, like all sane people, I wish it didn't.

Word Not To Use Today: genteel. This word comes from the French gentil, which means well-born, from the Latin gentilis, belonging to the same family, from gens, which means race.

*No, it's all right, you're very welcome anyway.

2 comments:

  1. *raises hand*

    I'm a tin-eared interloper!

    Well, Sally Prue, I rather like the word genteel, because a colleague once said to me they "appreciated my genteel and mannerly disposition".

    I respect your views on this matter, but I must politely (and with utmost gentility) disagree.

    There : o )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I respect your views, too, Ed, but, good grief, where were you working, the Henry James Re-enactment Society?

      ...or somewhere in Cranford??

      ...or St Mary Mead???

      Delete

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