The things you learn as a blogger
By Byron LaMasters
One of the best side effects of blogging regularly is the fact that it constantly improves your writing sklls, grammar and vocabulary. Here's what I learned yesterday when I wrote:
What I can't stand about President Bush is that he does not seem to grasp the seriousness and enormity of the office.
The message I wanted to convey was simple. The presidency is a enormus and serious position, and I do not believe that George W. Bush grasps that enormousness and seriousness. Why is enormity not appropriate? Well, after reading it a few times, I decided (as I frequently do) to check out Dictionary.com, and make sure that my usage was correct. Well, sure enough, it wasn't:
e·nor·mi·ty ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-nôrm-t)
n. pl. e·nor·mi·ties
1. The quality of passing all moral bounds; excessive wickedness or outrageousness.
2. A monstrous offense or evil; an outrage.
3. Usage Problem. Great size; immensity: “Beyond that, [Russia's] sheer enormity offered a defense against invaders that no European nation enjoyed” (W. Bruce Lincoln).
[...]
Usage Note: Enormity is frequently used to refer simply to the property of being great in size or extent, but many would prefer that enormousness (or a synonym such as immensity) be used for this general sense and that enormity be limited to situations that demand a negative moral judgment, as in Not until the war ended and journalists were able to enter Cambodia did the world really become aware of the enormity of Pol Pot's oppression. Fifty-nine percent of the Usage Panel rejects the use of enormity as a synonym for immensity in the sentence At that point the engineers sat down to design an entirely new viaduct, apparently undaunted by the enormity of their task. This distinction between enormity and enormousness has not always existed historically, but nowadays many observe it. Writers who ignore the distinction, as in the enormity of the President's election victory or the enormity of her inheritance, may find that their words have cast unintended aspersions or evoked unexpected laughter.
Well, add enormity to my vocabulary. I was unaware that the word conveyed a negative tone. Well, I guess I can even rephrase the sentence in question to use enormity appropriately. How about this:
It is an enormity that President Bush does not seem to grasp the seriousness of the office.
Bingo!
Posted by Byron LaMasters at April 11, 2004 06:05 PM
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On a more serious note, this post says something interesting about language, viz. that it is organic and constantly evolving. "Rules" of grammar are really not rules, but merely observations of usage based on consensus.
In your specific example, your dictionary points out that there is no "historical" difference between "enormity" and "enormousness" and that 59% percent of the "Usage Panel" see a distinction. I would say that 59% is hardly a consensus, more like a slim majority. Without a clear consensus, it is hard to say that there is a difference in connotation in the two words.
Consider me part of the 41% that think they have the same connotation, as well as denotation.
As long as we are on the subject of arcane words, I have to share one of my favorite (and humorous) examples, from a book entitled, "The Superior Person's Second Book of Wierd and Wondrous Words."
Bottomry: A type of mortgage under which a ship is put up as security for a loan to finance its use in a freight-carrying venture.
usage: "Son, I know that you have always wanted to join the merchant marine, but swear to me, that you will never, ever resort to bottomry."
