Comments on: Expect a New Post Momentarily http://belletra.com/editor-at-large/expect-a-new-post-momentarily/ English Translation from German, Spanish and Catalan; English Editing and Writing Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:37:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Casey http://belletra.com/editor-at-large/expect-a-new-post-momentarily/#comment-55 Casey Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:14:26 +0000 http://belletra.com/editor-at-large/expect-a-new-post-momentarily/#comment-55 Hi Dad. I'm really glad you're enjoying my blog! I agree with you that the meanings are basically easy to disambiguate. The problem I find is that some people (only Brits? I can't tell yet) get supremely annoyed when "momentarily" is used to mean "in a moment." Interestingly, when I first wrote this post I had been so thoroughly exposed to this "momentarily"-fueled semantic irritation that I did not even expect to find the "in a moment" meaning in the dictionary. Composing today's prescriptivism entry, however, I came across a post elsewhere that called the AHD (American Heritage Dictionary) descriptivist. Then it made more sense. Hi Dad. I’m really glad you’re enjoying my blog! I agree with you that the meanings are basically easy to disambiguate. The problem I find is that some people (only Brits? I can’t tell yet) get supremely annoyed when “momentarily” is used to mean “in a moment.”

Interestingly, when I first wrote this post I had been so thoroughly exposed to this “momentarily”-fueled semantic irritation that I did not even expect to find the “in a moment” meaning in the dictionary. Composing today’s prescriptivism entry, however, I came across a post elsewhere that called the AHD (American Heritage Dictionary) descriptivist. Then it made more sense.

]]> By: Peter Butterfield http://belletra.com/editor-at-large/expect-a-new-post-momentarily/#comment-54 Peter Butterfield Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:35:05 +0000 http://belletra.com/editor-at-large/expect-a-new-post-momentarily/#comment-54 I'm enjoying your blog. In thinking about your latest topic, it seems to me that, although there are two quite different meanings to the word "momentarily", they are unambiguous in normal usage. For instance, to rephrase your lede: "My newest blog will be momentarily posted." would not be confused with "My newest blog will be posted momentarily." While a prescriptivist might quibble with your original lede "Expect a new post momentarily" based on usage, hopefully one would not mistake its intended message. I’m enjoying your blog. In thinking about your latest topic, it seems to me that, although there are two quite different meanings to the word “momentarily”, they are unambiguous in normal usage. For instance, to rephrase your lede: “My newest blog will be momentarily posted.” would not be confused with “My newest blog will be posted momentarily.” While a prescriptivist might quibble with your original lede “Expect a new post momentarily” based on usage, hopefully one would not mistake its intended message.

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