Yesterday I was visiting someone in hospital and, as one does, was idly looking at the notice boards while waiting to get to the person's room. One notice board was all about support for new nurses and was making the point that mentoring and peer support is a good things for those who are feeling their way in what is, clearly, a difficult and very responsible job.

One notice bore the following heading:
"...Problem's of supervisees and how we can help..."

Leaving aside the apostrophe problem, what is a "supervisee"? Can we not think of a better word for those under supervision?

And does not this misuse of English rather destroy one's faith in the ability of those responsible for the support programme?

Richard English

I'm with you, Richard. Some -ee words, such as employee, are so common and well-established they sound all right, but others, such as attendee, are abominations. We talked about this in August when Wordnerd brought up the word mentee. I'm afraid this trend will continue. Pretty soon we'll be parentors and our kids will be parentees.

Tinman

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And does not this misuse of English rather destroy one's faith in the ability of those responsible for the support programme?

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Or, maybe destroy one's faith in the nurses (Heaven forbid!)!

I agree, Richard, it is disconcerting. The apostrophe error makes it even worse. I haven't heard of "supervisee," and I don't like it. However, from Tinman's link, I don't agree with the rest of you about the horrors of "mentee." I find that a perfectly acceptable word (though, I confess that I now use "protege", based on this board.)

Since it is a valid English construction to make an "object" noun from a "subject" noun by addding "ee" then I have to agree that "mentee" (like supervisee) is technically accurate.

However, I submit that it is far better to use an existing word if there is such a word. Mentee is unecessary since protege is available and accurate.

Trainee, on the other hand, is needed since there is no precise simile. "Student" or "pupil" are not quite right since they refer to the recipients of education, not training, and there is a difference between the two activities.

Richard English

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Originally posted by tinman:
but others, such as _attendee_, are abominations.

Tinman

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Doubly so since this one is also illogical. It is used to mean someone who is attending when in fact, if it meant anything at all, it would mean the person who is being attended.

Why should I let the toad work
Squat on my life ?
Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off ?
Read all about my travels around the world here.
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Originally posted by BobHale:

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Originally posted by tinman:
but others, such as _attendee_, are abominations.
Tinman

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Doubly so since this one is also illogical. It is used to mean someone who is attending when in fact, if it meant anything at all, it would mean the person who is being attended.

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I'm glad you agree, Bob. Everytime I get minutes of a meeting I see "Attendees..." and I don't remember anyone waiting on me at that meeting. I wish it would say "attendants", "attenders", or "those present", or most anything except "attendees"!

Tinman

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It is used to mean someone who is attending when in fact, if it meant anything at all, it would mean the person who is being attended.

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Guilty as charged! I have made that mistake, and now I am very embarrassed. Obviously, that word is used incorrectly. Thanks, Bob and Tinman, for the heads up!

Interestingly, all the online dictionaries that cite it define it as one who attends meetings. I at least expected a usage note from the AHD, but no such luck. Is "attendee" in OED?

If words were people, and if dictionaries were meetings, one could truthfully say that "attendee" is an attendee in dictionary.com.

The OED defines "attendee" as one who attends meetings and has no usage comment. I fear the battle to keep it out of the language has been lost!

Richard English

So what's a filigree on a manatee? OK, I'm being silly, but is the "ee" ending a result of Norman French?

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I at least expected a usage note from the AHD, but no such luck.

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The usage note is under "-ee".

Tinman

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Originally posted by Asa Lovejoy:
So what's a filigree on a manatee?

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A manatee is a person who works for a manitor, and a filligree is the recipient of a filligror. I thought everyone knew that!

World Wide Words has a good article on -ee words.

The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary offers two definitions for -ee:

-ee (OBJECT)
suffix added to a verb to form a noun which refers to the person to whom the action of the verb is being done:
an employee (= someone who is employed)
the payee (= a person to whom money is paid)
an interviewee (= someone who is being interviewed for a job)

-ee (CONDITION) suffix added to an adjective, noun or verb to refer to a person who is in that condition or state:
a refugee (= someone who has taken refuge)
an escapee (= someone who has escaped)

The OED Online also defines -ee. This is a subscription service, but you may be able to access it through your local library.

For you literalists, Kalleh, the first paragraph was a joke.

Tinman

Excellent, as usual, Tinman. I love usage notes in AHD (it doesn't take much to please me! ) and have always wondered if there is a list of usage notes somewhere. That World Wide Words article was also quite good.

As for the literalist in me, I have to say, for a split-second, I thought, "really?!"

I agree that the World Wide Words article was interesting but the list of examples they listed contained some truly appalling examples. "Murderee" for a murder victim?? "Rapee"??!! Even worse! And "flogee"???!!! (Shudder!)

I note, however, that these abominations all came from British newspapers. My God, R.E., can't you keep those people in line?!

I suppose it's just possible that Michael Quinion's predilection for English newspapers arises from the fact that he is an Englishman, living England and, even more coincidentally, one who reads English newspapers.

Strange, I know...

Richard English

You're side-stepping the issue, R.E.!

As the linguistic voice of reason in the U.K., the rest of us Wordcrafters depend on you to keep our beloved Mother Tongue on an even keel (HA! There's an interesting mixed metaphor for you!) there in the British Isles.

If, however, you are a neglectee in your duties and a retreatee in the fight against improper English usage, who knows what level of plummetees the rest of us respectees of the English language may become!


(Maybe you can get B.H. to assist you on this. Along with Kalleh, I suspect he has copious free time on his hands.)

I suppose a Pawnee is an aboriginal American hock shop patron? And why don't men neglect a woman who wears a negligee?

When I recently shaved off a goatee I'd been growing for a couple of weeks, was I the shaver or the shavee?

P.S. It seems that the word goatee actually does come from its resemblance to the beard of a goat.

"...was I the shaver or the shavee?"

Yes. Unless you were using the exclusive "or", in which case No. And besides, it's been a while since you were a li'l shaver...(Li'l shavers aren't shavers at all, now are they?!)

(Don't mind me, I'm just maundering, to avoid getting down to work.)

Hab, you couldn't have said it better. I am there today, too!