I hereby nominate ARGUABLY as the most popular totally useless new word since basically held that position.

Does anyone know whether or not ARGUABLY has any meaning, and if so, what that meaning is?

I am arguably the smartest man alive. I'm not saying that I am the smartest man alive, but one could take the position that I was, and a strong position to argue from. "Arguably the best X" means while maybe there is someone else who is better at X, you are certainly on the top of anyones list, and there is no one who is clearly better than you.

It can also take the same meaning as IMO. Arguably, I'm the best, can mean that I think I'm the best, although I'm no so vain as to think that there might be others who are as good or even a little better than I am.

To pre-empt another reply...

Budweiser is arguably the world's best beer. This may in fact not be true. However as there are certainly those who would say that it is (mainly those working in the marketing department) it is certainly arguable. I rather suspect that quite a lot of people will take the contrary view.

Hmmm... A moot point.

Mmmmm mmmm mmmoot point

" ... of no practical value."

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
Hmmm... A moot point.

What's that nasty brew made from Yak milk? Is it the worst alcoholic beverage there is? Arguably a MOOOOOO-t point.

A "moot point" seems to have evolved in meaning, as we have discussed before. From the OED "moot" means: "having no practical significance or relevance; abstract, academic," and they say that in North America this definition is now the usual sense.

Since "moot" has lost the definition of "debatable" or "open to argument," perhaps "arguably" has developed to take that place?