www.alphadictionary.com

I know better than to use this word unless I'm around close, educated friends (and all y'all here, of course)...

But then, I was taken to a conference room and reprimanded for using the word commensurate. I was led to believe that the incident would go into my PERMANENT RECORD.

I told my boss later that a friend had recommended a way for me to overcome this kind of problem: go ahead and use your normal vocabulary; just drop one syllable off each word. They won't know the difference there.

Whut, like "concier.." {wince}??

Land sakes Gail, that's unbelievable. You've many far better words on your PERMANENT RECORD here and proudly so. Take it as a badger of honor.

Dare I ask: what on earth did they imagine the word (I could take the time to retype the word here but it would be too many keystrokes) meant...?

PW, you better tell me you had Nothing to do with the terrible geico commercials!

mark

Nothing. I much prefer the FedEx caveman commercial from the latest Superbowl. Didn't do that one either, though (sigh).

- PW

I've seen that (Geico) commercial about umpteen times now and have yet to understand the joke. One's hungry, one isn't -so what? But since this is a language board, wassup with that stupid accent? If a gekko could actually talk, somehow Cockney is not among the first 400 styles I'd expect. How many gekkos are crawling around East London?

Yah, Geiko's agency is rather niggardly with their creativity. The FedEx one was much better, insofar as one can say that of a commercial.

That Gekko's accent must be a really bad one cuz I sure thought It was an Australian accent.
You would think with all the patriotism these days, they would have at least used an American accent (what ever that is these days).

I know better than to use this word unless I'm around close, educated friends (and all y'all here, of course)...

But then, I was taken to a conference room and reprimanded for using the word commensurate. I was led to believe that the incident would go into my PERMANENT RECORD.

I told my boss later that a friend had recommended a way for me to overcome this kind of problem: go ahead and use your normal vocabulary; just drop one syllable off each word. They won't know the difference there.

Whut, like "concier.." {wince}??

Land sakes Gail, that's unbelievable. You've many far better words on your PERMANENT RECORD here and proudly so. Take it as a badger of honor.

Dare I ask: what on earth did they imagine the word (I could take the time to retype the word here but it would be too many keystrokes) meant...?

I second that, gailr. Sluggo has a point. You could use this trashing of your pristine work record to your advantage in future. It goes to show that we all, at some point in time, work with mentuly chalanjed people (and I mean people that are not on the offical radar of "mentally challenged"[p.c.] people). What did they think you were saying? I even looked the word up in my dictionary just to see If I was missing something(like other meaningsfor the word).I came up with nada-zip-zilch.

commensurate
commensurate
commensurate

Alas, not quite the same zing as neener, neener, neener.

Actually, it's not what they thought it meant. It's that I used a word that someone didn't know. And (please sit down, or maybe even recline to spare yourselves an injury) I used it on the telephone. Flogging's too good for folks what does that.

But I understand why the thread topic word scares people who haven't encountered it before. The solution: burn all the dictionaries! No, wait, that's not it...

-gailr

That Gekko's accent must be a really bad one cuz I sure thought It was an Australian accent.
You would think with all the patriotism these days, they would have at least used an American accent (what ever that is these days).

Australian would make more sense- Spanish, French, Portuguese (lagartixa, B.D.?), any number of African or Asian tropical languages, creoles or pidgins... Cockney is just climatically cockeyed for a gekko. Makes no sense.

Actually, it's not what they thought it meant. It's that I used a word that someone didn't know. And (please sit down, or maybe even recline to spare yourselves an injury) I used it on the telephone. Flogging's too good for folks what does that.

-gailr

You were reprimanded for using a word someone didn't understand!? Unbelievable! (Actually, I do believe you!)

I guess we're all supposed to be psychic and KNOW what words someone we're speaking to will understand and then speak only to their level.

Heaven forbid that someone feels like someone is smarter or better educated than they...I'll start filing formal complaints when I speak to IT people and the rocket scientists around here instead of quietly nodding sagely while puffing on my pipe!

At one point in my life I went to an inner-city High School and was beaten up for using 'big words' (oh yes, just for that, I was too small to be mouthy) I learned to dumb down my speech. I think anyone with a vocabulary of more that single syllable words has had some kind of problem with the masses of those who prefer to use as many four -letter words as they can cram into a day.

mark

I've seen that (Geico) commercial about umpteen times now and have yet to understand the joke. One's hungry, one isn't -so what?

They are gay, one is too 'cultured' and swish to be mollified by food.

mark- I like mollified, we should have it as a goodword.

Australian would make more sense- Spanish, French, Portuguese (lagartixa, B.D.?),

Precisamente.

Brazilian dude

I've seen that (Geico) commercial about umpteen times now and have yet to understand the joke. One's hungry, one isn't -so what?

They are gay, one is too 'cultured' and swish to be mollified by food.

mark- I like mollified, we should have it as a goodword.

One's too angry with the GEICO talking head to be mollified by food. The other is showing his sophistication by what he orders. If you've seen the other commercials in the series, the Cave Men don't live in caves, but in luxurious homes with pianos, art, all the good things in life.

As to the Gecko, he (it's hard to determine its gender) was better when he was silent as in the earlier ads (say, the one with the miniature sports car pulling into the miniature "Employee of the Month" parking space) or when answering the phone with "GEICO? This is GECKO! You have the wrong number!"

Aha! A short search discloses this picture. The GEICO Gecko looks suspiciously like the New Zealand tree gecko. Right. A New Zealander with either and Aussie or Cockney accent.

... one is too 'cultured' and swish to be mollified by food.

mark- I like mollified, we should have it as a goodword.

Now I had the impression that one would have been more mollified by a trip through the drive-through. He doesn't have anything much to contribute, just keeps nursing his hurt feelings. Wah.
-gailr

I agree Gailr, he makes me a bit urpy, snobbery is not attractive.

mark

I agree Gailr, he makes me a bit urpy, snobbery is not attractive.

mark

OK, yer gonna have to elucidate here Mark... Wikipedia no know.

Actually I think I've heard urp once before years ago, used by Bill Cosby as a verb. To this day I haven't figured out what he was saying either. I inferred it might be something to do with pregnancy or female cycles (like commensurate?)

Urp(as used by Bill Cosby)=technicolor yawn...(there are SO many choices here!)

urpy as in technicolor yawn, of course.

mark IOW he makes me want to hurl, I am just not young enough to use the colorful slang used for vomiting now. I prefer urpy to vomit or nausea.