Posted by IsoM on March 8, 2002, at 13:19:20
In reply to when did THIS start?, posted by trouble on March 8, 2002, at 12:06:45
> Anybody notice that the non-word "upped" is being used in place of "increased" lately? It's going on right now in the Andrea Yates trial.
> Her doctor upped her medication. Not her dosage, mind you, just her medication.
> And when he decreases the amount, does that mean he "downed" it? Her doctor downed her meds, well now you're talking. I just might pay to see that.
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In chem labs, when one is titrating & similar things, the level in the various containers rise or go up. Maybe it came from that idea, from the chemists?
But couldn't we also say the amount of medication went higher? Then we could say they "highed" the meds. It would soon evolve into "highed-ing" & become confused with "hiding" the meds. Lowering the amount could be called "lowed" the meds which would evolve into "lowed-ing" to become confused with loading meds or perhaps even finding the mother "lode" of meds?
I love the English language! It's so easy to become confused with all similar sounding words with entirely different meanings. Our language is so much fun to play with. I'm glad I grew up English-speaking - I'd sure as hell hate to try to learn it as an adult!
Trouble, did you know that our "th" sound is pronounced in two different ways? I was surprised to learn this but when I said the words I could hear it but never realised it before. A quick, harder th sound in the word "the" & a softer, drawn out sound in "thistle". Ah, English - so convulated.
poster:IsoM
thread:19491
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020305/msgs/19494.html