Friday's English Language Lesson #1

[ajva]

The word "infer" should generally be used to mean "deduce" or "conclude by reasoning from evidence". It may sometimes be used to mean "imply". However, this latter usage is, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, not universally accepted, and in fact if you use it like this in my presence you are likely to get a frying pan round the head.




Watch out for next week's thrilling installment of Friday's English Language Lesson.

Comments

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

*nods* You infer from, but imply by.

[adjectivegail]

*brainfoom* I've never known/come across the use of "infer" to mean "imply". It's like saying... I don't know. That two things that are slightly different are actually the same when of course they're not.

It seems rather diplomatic of the OED to say "not universally accepted" because to me it just seems plain old wrong.

[sgloomi.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's only really *used* when someone gives you it as an adversorial gift. As in:

"Are you inferring that I'm stupid!?"
"No, I'm implying that you're stupid. You're inferring it. Well done."

Ah well

[bootpunk.livejournal.com]

In for a penny, infer a pound.

[conflux.livejournal.com]

Can I infer that you have seen this used in the wrong way recently?

[louis_mallow]

I never even imagined it could be used that way. Weird.

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

Are you inferring that there's something wrong with this sentence?

[kelemvor.livejournal.com]

This post brought to you by the Lynne Truss fan club!

[jhg.livejournal.com]

I though the OED was there to uphold standards, not capitulate to the ignorant deviations of the unwashed masses.

The barbarians are at the gate!!!


J

[random-goblin.livejournal.com]

isn't there a good yes minister! episode where Sir Humphrey, eloquently makes those very distinctions?

nothing to do with this entry

[danser23.livejournal.com]

okay yea im that girl fromur ahist entry. anf i have one last question:
you say i'm living a lie to escape from dieing.......but how do you know ur not living a lie to escape having to be well all moral and good and confess???? jw thats all

Re: nothing to do with this entry

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Why assume that I'm not moral? A lot of religious people think that you have to be religious to want to be moral; it's as if we're all nasty selfish people who would be horrible to each other all the time unless there's a parent-like God standing over us threatening us with punishment.

In fact, most atheists I know try to do the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do. You don't need to be religious to be moral.