268
Saying you're down to do something means the same thing as saying you're up for it.
(discuss.tchncs.de)
this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2023
268 points (96.5% liked)
Showerthoughts
29678 readers
1335 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Avoid politics (NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out)
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
They aren't dumb, peoples' usage is just poorly informed and incorrect.
Famous/infamous are not synonyms, so you shouldn't be using them interchangeably. Infamous specifically means "Famous for the wrong [read negative] reasons". Like a serial killer. Or somebody who is famous for knocking over and breaking a priceless work of art.
If something is flammable, it can be set on fire. Like wood, or paper. If something is inflammable, that's still true, but it has the additional property of being able to spontaneously combust, without being actively set alight. Like oils, or unstable chemicals, or some explosive material.
These are levels of nuance which are actually really useful, if handled correctly. The fundamental rule appears to be that in an "in..." word, the prefix gives specific detail about how the object holds the properties of the suffix.
Sounds like you just used the guardian's op ed which is just some random dudes opinion on how they should be used.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/flammable-or-inflammable
I was well aware of the famous infamous thing though.
Regardless, infamous should be 'not famous'. As in nobody has ever heard of this person. Not famous for evil lmfao.