Disinterested/Uninterested......Arrrghhh!!!!!!!!!

[alfiesbabe]

I've just read a MN post where 'disinterested'is used where the poster means 'uninterested'. Am I the only one who gets so hacked off with this! And I'm not even a real pedant (first visit to pedant's corner) but I think this one winds me up because the meanings are TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

[mybabysinthegarden]

Did you inform the poster? 'Tis us pedants' (even not real ones) job to educate the masses!

[RosaIsRed]

I find people can take it the wrong way when you attempt, in a friendly manner, to put them right on matters grammatical or correct the more egregious errors in their posts. Can't understand it myself, but there you go.
Though I was SORELY tempted to protest about the unwarrented use of the word 'myself' today.
As for disinterested, apparently there is evidence to suggest that until the 18th century it was in fact used as a synonym for uninterested. Annoyingly. But it still hacks me off as it is a jolly useful word.

[llareggub]

RosaIsRed, as a pedant surely you must spell correctly?

Unwarranted..repeat..unwarranted!

[smiled] sorry, could not resist.

[edam]

Very irritating. It's a useful, meaningful distinction that is being lost, sadly.

[BoysOnToast]

hah
i am pedants worst nightmare.
shit education, reasonably well read (at least until adulthood since when ive been busy with one or two other things)
means some mistakes bug the hell out of me... and i make others all the time... and suspect i am pissing you pedants off on daily basis. (diff ones obv. doubt im special enough to have come to full attention of any of you in particular)

am a totally shite typist too, which doesn't help.

[smile - coz im lovely really]

[RosaIsRed]

llareggub - as a pedant I ought to spell correctly, but in this case there was an unfortunate typographical error which, I will admit, gave the word the appearance of being incorrectly spelt. Although, obviously, I had spelt it right in my head. So there.

[llareggub]

I always spell correctly in my head. Unfortunately, the information in my head rarely makes it to my fingers.

[thomsc]

This one bugs the hell out of my brother, a fellow pedant.

And you have to correct people, always, it is your duty. Just make sure you do it out of punching distance.

My brother corrected his boss on Disinterested/Uninterested last week in a large meeting of colleagues...

Must go, I think my brother needs a hand with his new CV.

[IorekByrnison]

yes kama - disinterested means impartial as opposed to not interested.

However, I think Rosa is right that this is a relatively recent distinction. I have a dictionary from 1867 which gives both meanings:

"Disinterested, not interested, or influenced by private feelings or considerations; impartial."

[Desiderata]

You see, when I see the word disinterested, I take it to mean that interest was once there, but is no more.

As in disillusioned, which suggests that illusions have been shattered.

Uninterested, to me, suggests that interest was never there to begin with.

[fortyplus]

BoysOnToast...

That'll be 'I am pedants' worst nightmare.'

[IorekByrnison]

What the fuck happened to Pedants' Corner? Can we go back to heated debates about bad spelling soon?

About Islam and racism: of course Islam is a religion and not a race. Unfortunately though, Islamophobia is a big problem in the UK at the moment, and often far more akin to racism than to a reasoned critique of a belief system. So, yes, if you suspect someone of being Islamophobic you should say so and not say "racist" (especially in Pedants' Corner), but I don't think the two are very far apart.

What has this got to do with circumcision anyway? Most (Christian) men in North America are circumcised.

[IorekByrnison]

Shit! Wrong thread!!!!

[Desiderata]

Twathead