OddThinking » An Adder to our Learnings

An Adder to our Learnings

Filed by: Julian on December 8th 2005

I have given up the fight against the word “learnings”.

I understand if you use the word “undeleteable” instead of “indelible”. Indelible is an unusual word. But the noun you are looking to describe what you learnt is “lesson”, not “learnings”. “Lesson” isn’t a rare word. Every English-speaking six year old knows the word “lesson” and can use it correctly in a sentence. At what point in your career do you forget how to use a simple word like “lesson”, dammit!?

Err… sorry. It seems I haven’t given up the fight yet, after all.

Now, while my defences are still weak, I am being assaulted by the next word in the series: “adder” – as in, something that has been added.

Let me try to help people out.

“Adder” is an unusual word that has two definitions – (1) something or someone that adds; (2) a type of viper.

“Addition” is a common word that has two definitions – (2) the act of adding; (2) the quantity that was added.

It ain’t hard to pick the right one.

I don’t mind the English language evolving; I just wish we could focus our attention on adding words to describe new concepts, not addering wordings because we disremember our Grade 2 Englishical learnings.

6 CommentsCategories: Cathartic Rant,Influencing Others,Observation

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Comment by Alastair on December 9, 2005

All of these bugs will be fixed in English 2.0

And anyway, “Learnings” was a word used by Shakespeare. How much more authoritainairical do you want?
Comment by Julian on December 9, 2005

Was it Terry Pratchett who first explained that Shakespeare was a writer back before they had invented spelling?

I discussed the word “adder” with a friend, and he explained it was probably a derivation from the equally frustrating term “value-add”.

He also objected to the idea that English words had “definitions” rather than “meanings”. Fair enough – I wouldn’t want to be outed as a prescriptivist.

Jeffrey McManus wrote a similar article, ‘Learnings’ Is A Stupid, Stupid Word, and I leave the last word to one of his commenters:

“Learnings” sounds kind of like something you leave behind you after training. A nice steamy pile of learnings.
Comment by Sunny Kalsi on December 10, 2005

I don’t understand when “adder” is being used incorrectly.
Comment by Julian on December 12, 2005

Sunny,

First, I was going to give an example like this:

“Web 2.0 has a number of important adders to Web 1.0, based on our learnings.”

Then I decided to search the web for a real example. I didn’t find what I expected.

What I found was a definition from an unofficial IBM jargon guide:

[adder]
n. An increment. These costs won’t look so attractive with the burden and inflation adders. Nominated for most obnoxious neologism of 1980. The word uplift is now a common and equally obnoxious alternative.

1980? I guess I am a bit behind the time here. I’ve not heard it before the last few weeks, when I have heard it several times.
Comment by Sunny Kalsi on December 15, 2005

Oh. I guess that is wrong. Coders use “adders” all the time, but we’re using them in the nounical sense 😉
Comment by Julian on December 15, 2005

Sunny, if you are referring to a piece of electronics that is capable of performing the addition operation, this comes under the “something or someone that adds” definition.

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