This is an interesting article about how words affect job recruitment. For example, men are more attracted by words such as "assertive" and "competitive," while women are attracted to "cooperative" or "compassionate."
Of course, I am only and N of 1, but I can't say that would be true of me. What do you think?
They mention "ninja" as one of the male-oriented buzz words. Being a nutcase definitional originalist, I would not think of applying for any job that requested a ninja for its workplace. They want to kill all their other employees? This likely explains why I've never had a high paying job.
Somewhat related is the improper use of such words as "turbo" and "nitro" to imply something other than things that make use of a turbine or that contain nitrogen. The water pump in your car is a turbine; the air we breathe is mainly nitrogen, so what's the big deal? Employers want an aggressive, assertive, turbo-nitro ninja? Yeah, fine...
If you were a real nutcase definitional originalist, then you would object to "nitro-" being used to mean something other than "Containing, combined with, or involving nitre" since that is its earliest meaning. And the earliest meaning of "nitre" is "natron, native sodium carbonate". And the earliest meaning of "turbo" is "whirlwind, tornado".This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,
I didn't mean to correct you. I was trying to point out the futility of adhering to original definitions. "Containing, combined with, or involving nitre" is the earliest attested meaning of "nitro-" but it is obsolete.
But you WERE correct! Nitre? Phlogiston? Not much in use these days! At least nitre exists. Of course, I was trying to satirize the US Supreme Court's members and would-be members who are "originalists." Ah, well, Steven Colbert I'm not.
