My annoyance has reached a crescendo (I hope)

[Bert]

How many times have you read or heard the word 'crescendo' being misused? I have lost count. (Tbh, I never started counting.)
Almost everybody seems to think it means a peak or a climax. Just search for the word on this site and you will see many examples.
The sheer ignorance of the general population is so annoying!

[RATTER15]

"Almost everybody seems to think it means a peak or a climax"
according my dictionary that is correct more a musical peak/climax.

What is your meaning?

[craft1948]

I must admit I cannot remember the last time a saw the word 'crescendo' being misused. You must just be unfortunate.

[ojread2]

It means 'bloody loud' to me =)
Which is reaching it's peak, isn't it?

[ojread2]

oh, forgot to add
My annoyance at a word being misused is 'Chronic'

[HowardKennitby]

Chambers gives 'a high point, a peak' as figurative meanings separate from the original musical meaning.

[DTCwordfan]

Do not know what your beef is? Crescendo has been used a total of 69 times as to threads on an AB search, the majority of which are musical or crosswords.

Hardly gut-wrenching is it?

I suggest some nice and contemplative diminuendo music to soothe brain.

[craft1948]

Mine is 'unique'...............

[sasskins]

Ermm -

http://oxforddictiona...crescendo?q=crescendo

[jno]

It means a noise that is increasing, not one that has peaked. From an American dictionary:

"Usage Note: Crescendo is sometimes used by reputable speakers and writers to denote a climax or peak, as in noise level, rather than an increase. Although citational evidence over time attests to widespread currency, it is difficult for anyone acquainted with the technical musical sense of crescendo to use it to mean "a peak." Fifty-five percent of the Usage Panel rejected it in the sentence When the guard sank a three-pointer to tie the game, the noise of the crowd reached a crescendo."

[Zeuhl]

Mine is Decimate

To reduce by 10%

Increasingly used to mean (I assume) Devastate or similar

I know popular useage influences definition but the true 'ten-related' meaning is rather obvious.

What's next, use the word Triple to mean increase slightly?

[Bert]

It just goes to show how English is an evolving language, and, if enough people make the same mistake, it becomes accepted as correct. 'Crescendo' means, literally 'growing' or 'increasing'. As a musical term, it means gradually getting louder, the opposite of 'diminuendo'. Some dictionaries seem to have accepted its misuse, as with the 'incorrect' pronunciation of 'dissect'.
Dictionaries are observatories, not conservatories, I know, so why don't they accept 'seperate' and 'suprise', and why don't they admit that 'lay' is used to mean the same as 'lie', i.e an intransitive verb, by 99% of people.

[jno]

Zeuhl, I've sometimes wondered if people do recognise the "ten-related" element and assume it means destroy 90% and leave only 10% behind, rather than the other way round.

[Zeuhl]

^^
jno

Could be. I hadn't thought of that.

That would have been very harsh punishment on the poor legionnaries :-)

[jno]

...whereas only killing every tenth one...

[Zeuhl]

... too soft, I know ..

but it's this new european court thing ....

[jomifl]

crucial

[valerieb1254]

My most annoying word is ....Basically. The amount of times the people on Jeremy Kyle and other chat shows us it really does my head in.I think they must think it makes them sound intelligent.

[Old_Geezer]

Basically I have no problems with that word. It mnplies getting to the basics of the thing being discussed as opposed to discussing generally around it and not getting to the crux.

[4candles]

I still can't accept the concept of more than two alternatives.

[atalanta]

What about "litany" which many people take these days to be a fancy word for "list"
It means prayer.