http://www.strangechord.com/2003/04/22/further-evidence-of-the-dumbing-down-of-america/ ...reverberating Fri, 18 May 2012 05:55:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 http://www.strangechord.com/2003/04/22/further-evidence-of-the-dumbing-down-of-america/#comment-3687 Thu, 24 Apr 2003 00:05:52 +0000 http://www.strangechord.com/2003/04/22/further-evidence-of-the-dumbing-down-of-america/#comment-3687 What about just "comfort?" As in "the speaker's degree of comfort in front of the room." What about just “comfort?” As in “the speaker’s degree of comfort in front of the room.”

]]> http://www.strangechord.com/2003/04/22/further-evidence-of-the-dumbing-down-of-america/#comment-3686 Wed, 23 Apr 2003 16:25:39 +0000 http://www.strangechord.com/2003/04/22/further-evidence-of-the-dumbing-down-of-america/#comment-3686 Well, I have been called a grammar nazi more than once, and I think I have actually used the word comfortability. It makes a certain amount of sense to me, and certainly more sense than the actual noun listed at m-w.com, which is "comfortableness." That's just bizarre. I understand that comfortability isn't a word, but the thought train that would get you there isn't a strange one. If you look at able and ability, it's not much of a stretch to get to comfortable and comfortability. Well, I have been called a grammar nazi more than once, and I think I have actually used the word comfortability. It makes a certain amount of sense to me, and certainly more sense than the actual noun listed at m-w.com, which is “comfortableness.” That’s just bizarre. I understand that comfortability isn’t a word, but the thought train that would get you there isn’t a strange one. If you look at able and ability, it’s not much of a stretch to get to comfortable and comfortability.

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