I suppose that's true, but it's painfully obvious they're usually used incorrectly or plain old made up. He may talk a lot, but he's not a good speaker. A good speaker could probably throw in a made up word that sounds good, so long as it the whole thing is cohesive and doesn't sound like he's just talking to take up time.

Besides, in a room full of academics, wouldn't someone call him on it, or ask a question in relation, to see if there's a true understanding of it? Or is everyone else too afraid to appear as if they don't know? I've prided myself on knowing many a 25-cent word, and on my ability to question. I've always held the belief that just because I'm asking, doesn't mean I don't know... I'm testing the knowledge of someone that purports knowing.

Someone beat me to it.

Warning to NA: Link will bring you directly to Britcom.

I had another fun day at work today... Got to be shown off as a model employee for bigwigs from Florida - I might have a busier summer than I thought I would :D

In my experience, not often. And the less they feel like an expert on the subject the more likely they'd ask. However, if the expert (a professor) is confident in the boobish nature of the presenter (a student) then you're in trouble too.

But in general, academia rewards those who can say in 8 syllables what only requires two. That is why I did reasonably well there.

Tis sad but true. I am guilty of committing this egregious action.

Well, I would at least think the professor would pay attention to whether the word made sense or not. I could understand if it's praised if and when a multi-syllabic word is used correctly. Danny, on the other hand, uses 25-cent words when they're not even inappropriate, and worse yet - they don't mean what he needs to say. (I only know what he's trying to say because we're working on the project together, and really, the teacher should know what the words mean in the context he would use them in.)

8-syllable words that don't carry the appropriate meaning just means that the person saying it is trying too hard. Doesn't intelligence just convey itself with a smooth confident style?

Interestingly enough, during our presentation today, I think Danny heeded a little of what I'd said during practice. He trimmed down his portion to 6 minutes (that's almost 40% of the alloted time for the presentation), which is better than the 9 minutes we'd clocked him at three times during a practice session (The rest of us used 3, which brought us to our full 15). Classmates came up to my other group members after class asking how we'd gotten him to not do his usual long-winded schtick. (Because Danny is a notorious ass, and is notorious for making everyone else look like an ass - when other classmates found out which of us were grouped with Danny, they pretty much just apologized).

We shined in comparison to the next group. On speaking ability, they did well, but it was clear their research was lacking. They missed multi-million dollar class action lawsuits against 24 Hour Fitness that several students knew about, and had a hard time handling the Q&A session after their presentation. I'm relieved that my group actually did some hardcore research.
In other words, our presentation went *very* well. :D

That's cool E. I'm glad to hear everything worked out.

It's all about how you choose to verbalize the enlightenment you wish to bestow upon the populace. But in all honesty, why refer to prestidigitation when "magic" will suffice - unless you're trying to redirect your audience, as one might when the content of their discussion is noticeably lacking in substance.

See? I can be pretentious too! :)

(Though, to be fair, most of the 25-cent words I use are actually a natural part of my vocabulary. But I'm a weirdo.)

Because prestidigitation has a more specific meaning than "magic." And that is how the disease creeps into academic discussion. When focused on minutae, the fine gradations of meaning become important. But over time it becomes a habit that is hard to break and there is a certain pleasantness to creating a vocabulary that is only understood by those in the know.

The Sokal Hoax was an example of these tendencies taken to their horrible conclusion. I'd include my copy of The Sokal Hoax: The Sham that Shook the Academy when I send you your books but it is from my pseudoscience and junk science collection so it is only available for loan. If by any chance you're interested in it and you'd give it back, I'd be happy to send it.


As for 25-cent words, I once used "paucity" in an extemporaneous presentation back in grad school to much grief. But such things just happen to me naturally. Still don't know why it got such a reaction since I used it correctly.

Bring it to the camping trip. I'd love to spend the weekend reading something that's not a textbook!

Like Morrigoon, I tend to use big words, but I try to keep in mind its origin, because I'm a big nerd. So it bothers me that other people would use them incorrectly. Maybe I'm just irritated at that, because I have a subconscious fear that it cheapens my usage... to know that others may wield language like a toddler that picks up a heavy sword. Just 'cuz you can hold it doesn't mean you know what you're doing with it.

Yarrgh!

My elitist self is really shining tonight.

p.s. I haven't used paucity before (not one of the words that comes up, enough, for me. I should whip it out in econ and freak out the students and, perhaps, the professor.) (On second though, no.... bad idea.) And that stinks that you got a bad reaction for using a word properly.