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1. Threddy 🦖 (threddyrex@mastodon.art)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:40 UTC Threddy 🦖

   Asks.

   #Comics #WebComics

   • Ariaflame (ariaflame@masto.ai)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:39 UTC Ariaflame

     in reply to

     @threddyrex Apparently 'An ask' was used as early as 1892

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   • Mans R (mansr@society.oftrolls.com)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:55 UTC Mans R

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt It's not in the Cambridge Dictionary either: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ask

     I don't have a copy of the OED at hand.

   • Mans R (mansr@society.oftrolls.com)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:56 UTC Mans R

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt If a particular usage of a word is over 100 years old and still not described in a major dictionary, that is a good indicator that said usage is uncommon and probably widely considered incorrect.

     I realise that dictionaries are not always up to date with the latest developments, but 100 years is usually more than sufficient time.

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:56 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     • Mans R

     @mansr please also know that Collins is a dictionary for language learners, not a dictionary for dictating language. Check OED for more comprehensive language usage.

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:57 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     • Mans R

     @mansr be careful about using discyionaries to justify things. Dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive. ‘Ask’ as a noun has been in use since at least 1800s, and had a surge in popularity in 1980s.

     It sounds like what you’re saying is you hate middle manager people, and so ‘ask’ is standing in for that.

     Given the spread of the word, I’d be surprised if you didn’t know many people who say it, possibly even yourself.

   • Mans R (mansr@society.oftrolls.com)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:58 UTC Mans R

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt It's a word form that (today, at least) is only used by middle manager types who are better at office jargon than their actual jobs, the same sort of people who would say "touch base" without flinching.

     Besides, ask as a noun isn't listed in Collins dictionary (usually quite comprehensive) outside a specific meaning used in finance: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ask

   • Mans R (mansr@society.oftrolls.com)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:59 UTC Mans R

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt Fine, but I don't have to like it.

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:52:59 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     • Mans R

     @mansr you don’t, that’s true. But consider why you don’t like it. Language policing often hides other forms of bigotry

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:53:00 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     • Mans R

     @mansr it actually does. language is how we use it. If it’s been used as a noun it’s a noun

   • Mans R (mansr@society.oftrolls.com)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:53:01 UTC Mans R

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt @threddyrex That doesn't make it right.

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 09:53:02 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     @threddyrex it’s been in use as a noun since at least 1892!

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 11:43:09 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     • Mans R

     @mansr and yet it appears in other dictionaries as a noun. Indicating that it’s use is widely known and considered correct.

     English verbs nouns and nouns verbs, it has been happening for as long as there has been English.

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   • Thomas 🔭✨ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 11:43:14 UTC Thomas 🔭✨

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt @threddyrex Just proves there were wrong people in 1892.

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   • Threddy 🦖 (threddyrex@mastodon.art)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 11:43:15 UTC Threddy 🦖

     in reply to

     • PharaohKatt

     @pharaohkatt omg, I was not aware!

   • PharaohKatt (pharaohkatt@aus.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 11:43:15 UTC PharaohKatt

     in reply to

     @threddyrex me either! Whenever I see people talking about a new word thing my first instinct is to look it up on Google Ngram viewer. I was shocked by how early it was!

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