Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
A tactful question Login/Join
 
Member
Picture of shufitz
posted
From the newspaper:

"The inconvenient graying, wrinkling and sagging perhaps could be dealt with by [the Baby Boom] generation. Boomers already have begun to loudly insist that 50-something is so totally happening, man. Expect them eventually to try this tact for 60-something and -- heaven help us -- 70-something."

Should it be tact or tack -- or is either acceptable? This question has been a matter of disagreement within my family over the years. What is your take on this?

[The article continues, "The Wall Street Journal noting this aging recently, calling baby boomers 'has-beens.'" Harummmpphhh! Mad]

[This message was edited by shufitz on Sat Jan 11th, 2003 at 20:52.]
 
Posts: 2666 | Location: Chicago, IL USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of arnie
posted Hide Post
I think the author is getting his words mixed up. tact means "sensitivity, diplomacy". The word he wants is probably tactic, meaning "a planned way of dealing with something". Tack could be used in a metaphorical sense, "sailing a particular course", and thus "plan".
 
Posts: 10940 | Location: LondonReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of BobHale
posted Hide Post
If I read that I'd be pretty sure that the author meant tack as "try another tack" is a common expression in England. Tactic, as has been suggested also has a meaning that fits. Tact, however, just doesn't work in this context.

Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum

Read all about my travels around the world here.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
<Asa Lovejoy>
posted
I'm with arnie and Bob; the use of "tact" is tacky!
 
Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted Hide Post
With big-wigs like Shufitz, arnie, Bob & Asa criticizing the use of "tact" in this sentence, I have to agree with them. However, much to the dismay of some of my family members, I have been known to use "tact" this way. I had thought it an acceptable form of "tactic"--damn! wrong again!
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
<Asa Lovejoy>
posted
damn! wrong again!
*******************************
That's OK, Kalleh; you had the intelligence to ask, now didn't you! Big Grin
 
Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright © 2002-12