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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Kudo
The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack at deficit" by Patricia Lopez, in yesterday's Minneapolis *Star Tribune.* The people involved are the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, a Democrat, and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican. The quote comes from page A14:
"The one kudo Johnson held out was Pawlenty's refusal to endorse non-Indian gambling as a means of raising more revenue."
To my surprise, I found "kudo" listed in MWCD11. It's also in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary at www.m-w.com . It must be relatively rare, however, because I don't remember having encountered it before. I have encountered "kudos" used as a plural, but never expected to see "kudo".
I don't remember it, however, I see after having done a search of the Google Groups archive at www.deja.com that T. Max Devlin, replying to a post of mine in alt.usage.english in 2001, mentioned "kudo" as being the result of folk etymology. The quote from the Star Tribune can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use.
(As it happens, my spell-checker doesn't recognize it.)
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
"The one kudo Johnson held out was Pawlenty's refusal to endorse non-Indian gambling as a means of raising more revenue."
To my surprise, I found "kudo" listed in MWCD11. It's also in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary at www.m-w.com . It must be relatively rare, however, because I don't remember having encountered it before. I have encountered "kudos" used as a plural, but never expected to see "kudo".
I don't remember it, however, I see after having done a search of the Google Groups archive at www.deja.com that T. Max Devlin, replying to a post of mine in alt.usage.english in 2001, mentioned "kudo" as being the result of folk etymology. The quote from the Star Tribune can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use.
(As it happens, my spell-checker doesn't recognize it.)
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
Top answer
* ... can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use. )[/nq] OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural.
- * ...
- can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use.
- )[/nq] OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural.
- Earliest cite > John Dean Oxford
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21 Answers
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[nq:1]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack at deficit" by Patricia Lopez, in yesterday's Minneapolis *Star Tribune.* ... can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use. (As it happens, my spell-checker doesn't recognize it.)[/nq]
OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural. Ear
OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural. Ear
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[nq:1]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack at deficit" by Patricia Lopez, in yesterday's Minneapolis *Star Tribune.* ... "The one kudo Johnson held out was Pawlenty's refusal to endorse non-Indian gambling as a means of raising more revenue."[/nq]
A specimen worth preserving in amber, though they can only become more common.
Michael West
A specimen worth preserving in amber, though they can only become more common.
Michael West
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[nq:2]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack ... actual use. (As it happens, my spell-checker doesn't recognize it.)[/nq]
[nq:1]OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural. Earliestcite : >[/nq]
As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in MWCD11, "It may have begun as a misunderstand
[nq:1]OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural. Earliestcite : >[/nq]
As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in MWCD11, "It may have begun as a misunderstand
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[nq:1]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack at deficit" by Patricia Lopez, in yesterday's Minneapolis *Star Tribune.* ... folk etymology. The quote from the Star Tribune can serve as an example of the word "kudo" in actual use.[/nq]
Oh dear. This back-formation is unlikely over this side of the pond because of the different pronunciation.
Adrian
"Am I the only
Oh dear. This back-formation is unlikely over this side of the pond because of the different pronunciation.
Adrian
"Am I the only
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[nq:1]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack at deficit" by Patricia Lopez, in yesterday's Minneapolis *Star Tribune.* ... don't remember having encountered it before. I have encountered "kudos" used as a plural, but never expected to see "kudo".[/nq]
Confusion with kudu, perhaps?
It can't be related to kudos, surely? How do you "hold out" kudos? You either have it or yo
Confusion with kudu, perhaps?
It can't be related to kudos, surely? How do you "hold out" kudos? You either have it or yo
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[nq:1]OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural. Earliest cite[/nq]
Well, perhaps he can hold out a prai next.
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/773
Well, perhaps he can hold out a prai next.
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/773
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[nq:2]The following is from the article "Pawlenty takes a whack ... used as a plural, but never expected to see "kudo".[/nq]
[nq:1]Confusion with kudu, perhaps? It can't be related to kudos, surely? How do you "hold out" kudos? Youeither have it ... or prestige next? It seems that it must mean some thing different, if it is something thatrone can "hold out".[/nq]
Interesting. It never occu
[nq:1]Confusion with kudu, perhaps? It can't be related to kudos, surely? How do you "hold out" kudos? Youeither have it ... or prestige next? It seems that it must mean some thing different, if it is something thatrone can "hold out".[/nq]
Interesting. It never occu
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[nq:2]Raymond S. Wise cited:[/nq]
snip
snip
[nq:2]OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural.[/nq]
snip
[nq:1]As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in MWCD11, "It may have begun as a misunderstanding, but then ... perfectly well the grammatical nature
[nq:2]OED says 'kudos' is Greek for praise and that 'kudo' is an erroneous back-formation based on the assumption that 'kudos' is plural.[/nq]
[nq:1]As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in MWCD11, "It may have begun as a misunderstanding, but then ... perfectly well the grammatical nature
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[nq:1]On 07 Mar 2004, Raymond S. Wise wrote[/nq]
[nq:1]snip snip snip[/nq]
[nq:2]As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in ... back-formations would obviously be "deliberate back-formation" rather than erroneous ones.[/nq]
[nq:1]Burchfield calls "kudo" a "degenerate back-formation", which strikes me as a more appropriate term than "erroneous".[/nq]
[nq:1]
[nq:2]As it says in the usage note for "kudo" in ... back-formations would obviously be "deliberate back-formation" rather than erroneous ones.[/nq]
[nq:1]Burchfield calls "kudo" a "degenerate back-formation", which strikes me as a more appropriate term than "erroneous".[/nq]
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[nq:2]On 07 Mar 2004, Raymond S. Wise wrote snip snip ... which strikes me as a more appropriate term than "erroneous".[/nq]
[nq:1]It strikes me as much less appropriate. I can agree that "kudo" originated as a result of an error, but how can it possibly be meaningful to say that it has "degenerated"?[/nq]
Doesn't it just mean something like "detached from its origina
[nq:1]It strikes me as much less appropriate. I can agree that "kudo" originated as a result of an error, but how can it possibly be meaningful to say that it has "degenerated"?[/nq]
Doesn't it just mean something like "detached from its origina
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