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usageaster
Dec. 22nd, 2020 07:42 amusageaster (YOO-sij-as-ter) - n., (rare) a self-appointed authority on language usage.
A derogatory term, with a connotation of being often wrong about their usage pronouncements that is so strong it should really be denotation, but none of the dictionary entries actually include that. Frankly, this is too rare a word, and I urge everyone to hurl it with great force at anyone who carps about split infinitives and singular "they." Coined from usage + -aster, a Latin-derived pejorative suffix for something that imperfectly resembles the true thing, used in the more common words poetaster (inferior poet) and criticaster (incompetent critic).
Admin note: Posting may be erratic through the rest of the winter holidays.
---L.
A derogatory term, with a connotation of being often wrong about their usage pronouncements that is so strong it should really be denotation, but none of the dictionary entries actually include that. Frankly, this is too rare a word, and I urge everyone to hurl it with great force at anyone who carps about split infinitives and singular "they." Coined from usage + -aster, a Latin-derived pejorative suffix for something that imperfectly resembles the true thing, used in the more common words poetaster (inferior poet) and criticaster (incompetent critic).
Admin note: Posting may be erratic through the rest of the winter holidays.
---L.
