PSA - "Misogynistic" isn't a word

[Hygro]

Contradict connotes information as focus, gainsay connotes antagonism toward the person as focus.

 

[Gori the Grey]

oppose, contradict, deny, challenge, dispute, contest

Ok, so, let me give my sense for how it differs from these. As has been noted, it means to "speak against." As I see it used (in the early modern literature I read) it usually just means "say no to what you've said." It's often in the negative, "I'll not gainsay you." And I think that's the special circumstances in which I want to be able to use it and think it has no equivalent. All of the possible synonyms you've listed seem to me to carry with them the notion of "and say something else opposing." "I'll not gainsay that" simply communicates "I'm not going to say no to what you've said" without committing you to saying why you're not going to dispute it (I think you're wrong, I think I have a better idea, I can't be bothered to, I won't deign to, maybe it's even because I agree!) or even what form negating would take (logical argumentation, obstinate denial). It's a way of marking the possibility of dissent without having to actually move to the process of explicitly dissenting.

If I'm right about any of this, I now do know why it has dropped out of the language: the demise of civility and tact in our era. An elegant lexeme for a more civilized age.

Now that I think on it, I'm going on a one-man campaign to restore gainsay to currency. I've changed a recent post use it. I daresay you will all be seeing a good bit of gainsaying, and especially of not-gainsaying around here in the future.

Edit: Star Wars allusion emended as per Farm Boy's correction.

 

[Borachio]

Who could gainsay that?

Isn't it strange, though, how clouds of meaning develop around words?

I think we all have our own pet definitions of words (often without being expressly formulated), in spite of which we usually more or less understand each other.

 

[W|M]

''PSA - "Misogynistic isn't a word"'

only the hottest, finest takes on CFC lmao

 

[Borachio]

Actually, PSA is an interesting acronym.

There's Public Service Announcement, of course.

But also Prostate Specific Antigen. Which might turn out to be very useful for some us, one day.

 

[warpus]

Could also be a Polish Space Announcement

 

[Borachio]

Could be. But given Poland's space programme at the moment, I think even Photographic Society of America is more likely.

Gah! "Poland cannot into space" won't load.

edit:



Hmm. Not good. Never mind.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Going to have to agree with the OP. There's already a perfectly fine word to use, no need to mutilate an already-existing one. Looking at you there, "bae".

 

[Farm Boy]

An elegant lexeme for a more civilized time.

I no rite? link 4 u ben.

Spoiler :

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Re the thread, it's always fun watching a pedant get owned on the first page. Brilliant and hilarious

Meh. It's not like I wasn't aware it was in the dictionary, but there are a lot of stupid things in the dictionary since it reflects what stupid people say. Having said that, once someone pointed out "sadistic" and... whatever the other example was, I was convinced it wasn't that bad after all and was quite happy I still won't use it though. Plus lots of other people said some amusing things and took it in the correct spirit, so I'm happy with that too. If that's what constitutes getting owned/rekd in your opinion, then I'm more than happy to oblige.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Going to have to agree with the OP. There's already a perfectly fine word to use, no need to mutilate an already-existing one. Looking at you there, "bae".

BAE are misogynous?

 

[Borachio]

I've just learned that bae is Danish for poop.

Might prove handy to know.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

BAE are misogynous?

They're associated with the military and business, so they're double misogynastic.

 

[Mise]

I just had to decide between using "historic" and "historical" and I thought of this thread. An interesting distinction, quoting TFD:

Usage Note: Historic and historical have similar, though usually distinct, meanings. Historic refers to that which is associated with significant events in history: the historic first voyage to the moon. Thus, a historic house is likely to be of interest not just because it is relatively old, but because an important person lived in it or was otherwise associated with it. In contrast, historical refers more generally to that which happened in the past, regardless of significance: a minor historical character in the novel, the historical architecture in the center of town. These distinctions are not always observed, however, and a historic tour of a city might include the same sights as a historical tour. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the context makes the intended meaning clear.

Meh. It's not like I wasn't aware it was in the dictionary, but there are a lot of stupid things in the dictionary since it reflects what stupid people say. Having said that, once someone pointed out "sadistic" and... whatever the other example was, I was convinced it wasn't that bad after all and was quite happy I still won't use it though. Plus lots of other people said some amusing things and took it in the correct spirit, so I'm happy with that too. If that's what constitutes getting owned/rekd in your opinion, then I'm more than happy to oblige.

You are often quite obliging in that regard, it's true.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

You are often quite obliging in that regard, it's true.

Indeed. *rolly eye emote*

 

[Kyriakos]

They're associated with the military and business, so they're double misogynastic.

Misogymnist would be a nicer word, tbh

 

[Borachio]

What? Hating naked people?

I can't say I like naked people en masse, but just one or two can be quite pleasant.

 

[Kyriakos]

^Or hating nudity?

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Misogynic is the best word for describing examples of misogyneity

 

[Borachio]

^Or hating nudity?

Well, quite. But I've yet to encounter nudity that didn't feature at least one naked person.

Abstract nudity?

I suppose that might be a thing. Somewhere.

Hmm. You're probably right, though. It's not the person that's being hated but their nudiness.