July 14, 2022, 19:04
BobHalePreposterous
Why doesn't "preposterous" just mean "now"?
July 14, 2022, 20:06
shufitzLol. If you say something is simultaneously both before and after (that is, both pre- and post-), you are speaking nonsense; that is, you are being preposterous. The word “preposterous” is a preposterous word.
Accordingly, it is a word that describes itself. Another such word is the word “polysyllabic”.
Further examples?
August 02, 2022, 13:03
haberdasherIt's a thorough-paced absurdity. Explain it if you can.
August 02, 2022, 16:49
BobHaleOf course I understand the origin but my reasoning is that “post” means after and “pre” means before and something the comes before something that comes after is something that comes right now.
August 02, 2022, 16:51
BobHaleMonosyllabic is of course also polysyllabic.
August 03, 2022, 04:36
GeoffSince pre cancels post the word doesn't exist. Don't use it!
August 03, 2022, 05:48
BobHaleWe all have it wrong... it’s prep-oste-rous(e) or getting your bones ready to get out of bed in the morning.
August 03, 2022, 06:28
zmježdquote:
preposterous
Who am I to begrudge everybody their fun. But, if you look at the meaning of preposterus in Latin the language ithe word was borrowed from: it means "reversed, inverted; perverted, distorted; absurd". While the preposition
præ does mean "before",
posterus is an adjective meaning "following, next, coming after". Sort of like the English *US?) term "ass-backwards[/i]. The Latin posterius gave us another loanword,
posterior, which is the comparative form of posterus.