Jack William Bell on Nostr: Aaargh! OK, I've had enough. I'm speaking out on this idiocy! This message is to the ...
Aaargh! OK, I've had enough. I'm speaking out on this idiocy!
This message is to the 90% of people, including journalists and other writers who should know better, who use the word 'decimate' incorrectly to mean 'nearly wiped out'.
'Decimate' means removing ONE TENTH of something – not all of it or nearly all. The word comes from an execrable Roman Legion practice of executing every tenth soldier in a cohort as a group punishment.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(punishment)
#language #stupid #WTF
This message is to the 90% of people, including journalists and other writers who should know better, who use the word 'decimate' incorrectly to mean 'nearly wiped out'.
'Decimate' means removing ONE TENTH of something – not all of it or nearly all. The word comes from an execrable Roman Legion practice of executing every tenth soldier in a cohort as a group punishment.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(punishment)
#language #stupid #WTF