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Andre09 Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Using words outside their conventional meaning?
Hi,
I was washing rice recently and thought about my previous experience with cooking rice, in which I did not add sufficient water, resulting in the rice ending up poorly textured. My first thought was, "I need to be less frugal with the water this time," but I then realized that my usage of "frugal" might be perceived as poor word choice, as it typically pertains to currency.
What is it called when I use a word outside its conventional meaning, but still close enough that people are still able to comprehend my thought?
Would you accept “frugal' as proper diction? Could "conservative" be appropriate aswell? What word would you ultimately choose?
Lastly, should I be using double or single quotation marks when referring to a single word or phrase in focus?
Thanks
I was washing rice recently and thought about my previous experience with cooking rice, in which I did not add sufficient water, resulting in the rice ending up poorly textured. My first thought was, "I need to be less frugal with the water this time," but I then realized that my usage of "frugal" might be perceived as poor word choice, as it typically pertains to currency.
What is it called when I use a word outside its conventional meaning, but still close enough that people are still able to comprehend my thought?
Would you accept “frugal' as proper diction? Could "conservative" be appropriate aswell? What word would you ultimately choose?
Lastly, should I be using double or single quotation marks when referring to a single word or phrase in focus?
Thanks
Top answer
Certainly frugal has financial connotations, but while unusual it could be used when there is, for example, a water shortage, or if you are paying for the water you use. I remember in China we were frugal with our water: we didn't drink anything out of the tap, but used bottled water to brush our teeth, etc. I must admit my first thought was, 'Wow!
- Certainly frugal has financial connotations, but while unusual it could be used when there is, for example, a water shortage, or if you are paying for the water you use.
- I remember in China we were frugal with our water: we didn't drink anything out of the tap, but used bottled water to brush our teeth, etc.
- I must admit my first thought was, 'Wow!
- ' It seemed like a breath of fresh air.
- andre09 Could "conservative" be appropriate aswell?
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2 Answers
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Certainly frugal has financial connotations, but while unusual it could be used when there is, for example, a water shortage, or if you are paying for the water you use. I remember in China we were frugal with our water: we didn't drink anything out of the tap, but used bottled water to brush our teeth, etc.
I must admit my first thought was, 'Wow! That's a different way of putting it.' I
I must admit my first thought was, 'Wow! That's a different way of putting it.' I
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Hi, thank you for the detailed reply!
Your anecdote is enlightening; I certainly did not consider water shortage while questioning the usage of frugal. This idea would have certainly made my internal debate very one sided!
That being said, I am still curious on whether there is a specific English word or term for describing the stretching of a word's conventional definiti
Your anecdote is enlightening; I certainly did not consider water shortage while questioning the usage of frugal. This idea would have certainly made my internal debate very one sided!
That being said, I am still curious on whether there is a specific English word or term for describing the stretching of a word's conventional definiti
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