Major Disaster: Please help a language-challenged person

May 18, 2005

Please help a language-challenged person

So I was rereading my previous post, and I got this funny feeling that I used the term "critical mass" wrong. So I looked it up. And I was right, in that I was wrong. And this is extremely embarrassing to me. I am so paranoid about sounding like an idiot, that if I have any doubt that I don't know the exact meaning of a word, I'll look it up before using it. Yes, even on a blog that about five people read, or on a message board where it really doesn't matter.

But more than the simple embarrassment of using the phrase "critical mass" incorrectly, it is now driving me nuts trying to figure out what phrase I was looking for. I know there's a word or phrase out there that means what I want to say, but I can't think of what it is. Critical threshold? That doesn't sound right, either.

What is it???

Please help.

Labels: neuroses, vocabulary words

17 comments:

On 7/30/2005 5:34 PM, Anonymous said:: saturation point?

05.18.05 - 4:54 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:35 PM, Anonymous said:: Sponge monkey? Wankel rotary engine? Red-breasted tit warbler? Periodontis? Phelbotomist? Tintinabulation?

05.18.05 - 5:06 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:36 PM, Jolene said:: Saturation point!!!! That's it!!

(Although I do like Dweeze's suggestions, especially red-breasted tit warbler.)

God, you'd think I'd know that, given that it's a chemistry term. How embarrassing.

Now the question is, should I edit my post like a coward, or should I let it stand in all its incorrect glory?

05.18.05 - 5:24 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:37 PM, Jolene said:: You know after all my bitching about the Blogger comments, Haloscan is really starting to annoy me lately. The counters frequently don't update when comments are posted. This is not acceptable.

05.18.05 - 5:26 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:38 PM, Anonymous said:: you're cute when you go all anal-retentive on us.

05.18.05 - 6:20 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:38 PM, Jolene said:: Well, thank you. It's part of my charm. (I suppose I should also thank you for giving me the right answer, which I didn't do.)

05.18.05 - 6:49 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:39 PM, Anonymous said:: Good thing there are smart peeps around to answer these types of things, cause Gawd knows, I couldn't help. :D Oh, and take comfort in knowing that there is someone who's more of an idiot than you.

05.18.05 - 7:19 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:39 PM, Anonymous said:: In other words, Goth, she's always cute.

05.18.05 - 10:46 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:40 PM, Jolene said:: Of course I am. Wait a minute....

Wiseguy.

And Pam, pfffft. We'll have none of that. :)

05.18.05 - 11:16 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:41 PM, Anonymous said:: critical mass = when we terr'rist cyclists block traffic

05.19.05 - 1:36 am
On 7/30/2005 5:42 PM, Anonymous said:: Radish actualization.

05.19.05 - 6:06 am
On 7/30/2005 5:43 PM, Jolene said:: I really used to like radishes as a kid. I think that's a very odd food for a child to like. Now, I don't like them so much.

05.19.05 - 12:56 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:44 PM, Anonymous said:: Yes, but do you want the damn potroast, or not?

05.19.05 - 6:00 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:45 PM, Jolene said:: Um, yes...?

(Hoping I'm not consenting to something untoward.)

(And if you're wondering, I looked up "untoward" before posting this.)

05.19.05 - 6:33 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:50 PM, Anonymous said:: untoward was the WOTD yesterday.

do you have a pot?

05.19.05 - 7:49 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:50 PM, Jolene said:: Seriously? I didn't even see it. That probably means I'm psychic.

And, yes, I have several pots. And pans. And also, I think I'm confused (nothing new).

05.19.05 - 7:58 pm
On 7/30/2005 5:52 PM, Anonymous said:: No, no, it wasn't code. However, I believe you just offered to sell Wheezy a bag of dope.

05.19.05 - 8:43 pm