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Spot on

Posted by Beth Alexander (07.13.08, 2:53 PM)

What is it with the Tennessean and the Britishism “spot-on?” The social writer uses the term almost weekly (not today or last week, which makes me think someone has pointed out to her its frequency). But in this morning’s paper, there is was again, in a story by staff writer Maureen Patzer about the Icon: “Knabe, an artist management professional, is spot-on the demographic Icon’s developer’s identified when they…”

I had to read that sentence twice to understand it (and it goes on for several more lines). Did the writer mean he epitomizes the demographic? He’s represents the heart of the demographic? He’s precisely the demographic? Then, she should say one of those things. It’s enormously affected to use a phrase that rings of British dialect. I’m not talking about using unfamiliar, two-dollar words that suit the occasion—the key phrase being “suit the occasion.” I’m talking about affectations.

The other new often-misused word in the Tennessean, every week, is “replete.” Today a boat was replete with a captain. Does she mean “complete with?” Even though that’s a hackneyed expression, it’s the correct one. A single thing can’t be replete; a bunch of things might be replete. To quote directly from the American Heritage Dictionary: “Replete stresses great abundance. It is not the equivalent of complete or equipped (with), for which replete is often used loosely.”

Great word. Use it correctly. Or risk running stories that are replete with errors.

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Comment by rfbkixfx (07.20.2008, 05:24 AM)

I dont even read the Tennessean anymore because I just feel like most of their contributors are fake. They do not know much about the area but what they do know is not something I am interested in. British dialect being one of them.

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