this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2025
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Technically correct, but actual usage has made "healthy" synonymous with "healthful" as well as far more commonly used. The distinction was pretty useless, anyway. A "who/whom" situation.
Obligatory “technically correct, the best kind of correct”
That’s how English works. It’s usage. I think the French have a council that decides but English moves a lot faster.
I get having a pet peeve. I for one hate that ignorant means uneducated when it should be someone who is willfully ignoring. That’s just not the way it played out.
I love dictionaries and word usage. “Healthful” is a clunky word, I’m not surprised we moved to “healthy “
Edit: I just realized “helpful” sounds just fine. But if someone said to me “thanks for being so helpy today” I would be a full of seething hatred lol
"Healthy" has always been an actual word, while "helpy" hasn't, so no wonder it's grating!
I'm all for language changing when it makes sense. I can't think of any situation where using "healthy" instead of "healthful" obfuscates the meaning in any way. Same with "who" and "whom." "Whom" and "healthful" could disappear and nothing of value would be lost. But when it comes to things like "literally" meaning "figuratively," I mourn the loss of utility the word used to have.
Oh and it literally worries me when people use one word to mean the exact opposite. That isn’t advancement it’s degradation.
And ten points to grifendor for the word “obfuscate “ it’s one of my favorites.
Sorry for the tripple reply. This is one of the things I get excited about.
Omg I just realized my money concept also applies to sex.
“My wife and I were slapping the banker last night, she got to keep the change”
Knock knock
Who’s there
To
To who?
It’s to whom actually.
Yes as long as what you’re saying makes sense that’s all that matters. Language is just the sound you make to communicate the idea in your head to someone else.
The opposite tho is names. I’m Michael. Not Mike. It doesn’t offended me to be called Mike but that’s not the sound your face needs to make to get my attention. It’s a different sound.
But for just talking… “I stop speak right but you can hold it, then where’s the rub?”
I actually would play around by calling “money” different things. See how weird I could get. “Bucks” fine. Doodlyfranks? In context it works just fine. You can call money anything. Since fallout I regularly say “I’m short on caps” no one’s ever questioned it.
Excellent example of how names work. It’s not about if I’m annoyed or not. If you want to get my attention you have to flap your meat together and blow air thru it this way (the meat people story if you haven’t heard that. It’s great)
I reply with classical works of the philosopher Monty python
“Is you wife a goer, know what I mean, I bet she does I bet she does”
Language has always fascinated me. Clown too. Not party but the ones who don’t talk but communicate ideas thru body language and face make up. Yes the makeup serves a practical communicative purpose.
French moves just as quickly. The Académie Française exists to make sure the French you learn in school doesn't keep up.
I only heard about it because of an article about them trying to find a French word for “e-mail”
Did that become of thing? Did it catch on?
I’m curious because in English once something has a “name” it never changes. Hell Donald trump tried to rename the Gulf of Mexico. I’m in Texas, no one is changing the name. It’s the Gulf of Mexico.
Once something is established it doesn’t change.
Did they change email into something more French? Does that work like that?
Nope. It very much did not catch on. We call a message received by email "un mail" and then to avoid overloading we have" le courier". Best, mark