Defining words

2/21/2012

Posted by BJ
Believing that I have a fairly good command of the English language (even if not spelling, right Jon?), I was quite surprised when I recently learned that a term I’ve always thought to be a proper English word in fact is not.

Upon checking in various dictionaries I found that the non-word ‘gullible’ either isn’t listed at all or is said to be a slang term.

Quite surprising.

8 Comments

Lauren

3/25/2016 03:20:29 pm

But it is!!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gullible

BJ Lownie

3/25/2016 03:20:42 pm

Lauren,

Are you sure? How did you spell it?

Mike Parkinson

3/25/2016 03:20:53 pm

HA! Anyone who read this and thought, “What?!? Noooo… Is it?!?” was the proverbial fish on the hook. Not that you got ME. Nope, not at all… Well… ummm… maybe a little. Well played, sir. ;)

BJ Lownie

3/25/2016 03:21:01 pm

Credit for the concept behind this little prank rightfully goes to everyone’s favorfite prankster, “The Amazing Jonathan”, as he presents it in his boo, “Every Trick in the Book” (though I suspect this was first done about ten minutes after the word “gullible” was defined.

Simon

3/25/2016 03:21:12 pm

haha, nice try. amazed to see someone has already fallen for it

Lauren

3/25/2016 03:21:22 pm

I admit it, I fell for it :)

Cynthia Mastro

3/25/2016 03:21:34 pm

You should have saved this one for April 1st =)

John E. Bredehoft

3/25/2016 03:21:48 pm

I guess it’s too late for me to tell you to look in a New Zealand dictionary, where it’s listed with a three L spelling.

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BJ Lownie and Jon Williams are the co-founders of Strategic Proposals.

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