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/lit/ - Literature

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11922110 No.11922110 [Reply] [Original]

>talk to someone
>say "utilize" during the conversation
>wow dude that's such a pretentious word, stop trying to talk like a smart person

>> No.11922130

>>11922110
This. Why are native English speakers so shit at their own language?

>> No.11922134

>>11922130
about 95% of white people are subhuman, and whites are one of the better races

>> No.11922356

>>11922110
Utilize is a bit basic, but as a rule I try not to use academic words in normal conversation to avoid coming off as a pseud. If I'm about to say a bigger word I usually try to think of a simpler one.

>> No.11922448

>>11922130
This. The Chinese international students in my classes are always the most articulate with English.

English language is definitely in decline, a symptom of the death of our high culture.

>> No.11922475

>>11922110
Utilize is babby’s first smart word. It’s the first word absolute dilettante intellectuals incorporate into their arsenal of “I read three books a year and subscribe to a scrience magazine therefore I am smarter than you” words. It is shamelessly overused by these people in places where the word “use” would work just as good of not better.

On that note, I also think it’s basically a pseud word. Find me instances where the word “utilize” isn’t simply a “dressing up” of “use”. Now, don’t get me wrong, adding a little spice to your language by deploying fancier words when simpler ones will do is fine. But utilize is an ugly ass word. It’s one of those pointless, vaguely “sciency” sounding words that casts over the wholly unliterary a spell of authority, but that anyone who knows anything about language sees as a prop word, nothing more. It is used most egregiously in corporate-speak in things like “paradigm shifting modules” where the intention is to “utilize stakeholders to increase third-party engagement.”

God this word sucks.

>> No.11922547

>>11922110
>>11922475
Unrelated but my god do American -ize endings look awful, I just realised how bad 'realize' looks

>> No.11922591

>>11922547
Every once in a while you stumble on ones that somehow transcend the bloodlessness of the “ize” ending—I think “gourmandize” is fun in a “Being purposefully pretentious” kind of way

>> No.11922599

>>11922110
It -is- a pretentious word though. The fact that you used it instead of 'use' suggests you either wanted to appear smart or (even worse) were using management-speak.

>> No.11922634

>>11922475
>>11922599
I can murkily think of contexts where utilise would be more appropriate and expressive than use. Sometimes use sounds awkward because it’s brusque whereas utilise is a nice three syllable Norman word

>> No.11922640

>>11922634
Thanks for sharing those contexts.

Here’s where it’s useful: in literary contexts, parodying people who use it/using it to demonstrate the pretentiousness of a character

>> No.11922642

>>11922599
The two terms have different connotations. Use has the implicatiob of direct human interaction while utilize gives the implication of a less direct benefit of something. Similar to the French use of the term profiter.
If I was to say the man is using a device and a man is utilizing a device the latter has less of an impression of a man holding something which may be useful

>> No.11922646

>>11922640
Genuine retard

>> No.11922651

>>11922642
utilize makes me think of a guy tinkering with some sort of machinery

>> No.11922654

>>11922646
“Show me one instance where the word “utilize” is necessary and superior to the word “use””

>well uhh mmm I can murkier envision some possible context somewhere at some time in which the three syllables are...umm...

Right.

>> No.11922666

>>11922651
That might be. In any case no two words are ever truly interchangeable because they always have different connotations. The use of these differences is always open to appropriate use and categorically writing them off like a certain dumb dumb is a straight road to dummysville

>> No.11922670

>>11922654
No word is ever "necessary". But one that's obvious is " The doctor was utilizing drugs" over "The doctor was using drugs"

>> No.11922676

>>11922110
He's not wrong, you should have said 'use' in an unformal speach.

>> No.11922685
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11922685

>Talking to someone
>Say seldom
>Huh?

>> No.11922687

>>11922676
>unformal speach
Woah woah buddy. This isn't Oxford university, say "normal talk" like a regular person

>> No.11922690

>>11922110
hold up lads i just had a thought

Does utilize mean 'treat as a tool'? As in if you utilize a stick for example, you are turning the stick into something that has a use.

'using' on the other hand doesn't imply this transformation, but just assumes the function.

>> No.11922695

>>11922690
Not strictly but that tends to be the connotation

>> No.11922704

>>11922475
utilize and use mean two different things holy shit the state of /lit/

use - take, hold, or deploy (something) as a means of accomplishing a purpose or achieving a result; employ.

utilize - make practical and effective use of (something).

>> No.11922707

>>11922547
realize is good when used as an active verb meaning 'to make real'
to realize one's dreams (make real, not 'recognize')

>> No.11922717

>>11922690
“He used the stick to lift his hat off the rack”

“He utilized the stick to lift his hat off the rack”

>>11922670
Awesome. A good example that demonstrates its utility only in a specialized, sciency context.

>> No.11922724

>>11922717
>A good example that demonstrates its utility only in a specialized, sciency context.

And so what, its a specialized sciency word. I don't think anyone here proposed any differently

>> No.11922725

>>11922717
>only
What an idiotic thing to say

>> No.11922794

>hitherto
>"bro i dont tolerate misogyny"

>> No.11922796

>>11922670
Tbph I think that only works because 'using drugs' is a set phrase with its own reason. Same reason you wouldn't use 'making money' to literally mean 'manufacturing coins'.

>> No.11922803

>>11922796
>own reason
I mean 'own meaning'

>> No.11922811

>>11922110
How did you use the word, OP?

>> No.11922823

>>11922796
True but I was only demonstrating a case where it was definately needed. In general there will be far more grey areas where it might make sense with everything else going on
So much of language is in the unique immanence of the moment

>> No.11922847

>>11922724
OP was implying he uses it in casual conversation as a substitute for “use” and that his friends called him out for being pretentious. His friends were in the right

>> No.11922857

>>11922847
He didn't imply that at all, thats just your headcanon

>> No.11922872

While we don't and probably can't know exactly how OP used the word, it seems more likely to me that the usage was pretentious and therefore I am forced to rule in favour of OP's friend.

>> No.11922880

>>11922794
kek