Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[LMcD]

'Global pandemic'

[LMcD]

From 'Today' on Radio 4 this morning:
'The banks were asked to operationalize this scheme last Monday'

[Pulcinella]

From 'Today' on Radio 4 this morning:
'The banks were asked to operationalize this scheme last Monday'

Not 'Today's' fault: I saw this (in The Times, I think), so perhaps it was how the instruction was given.
Doesn't stop it being grim though: why not simply put this scheme into operation?

[Bryn]

Not 'Today's' fault: I saw this (in The Times, I think), so perhaps it was how the instruction was given.
Doesn't stop it being grim though: why not simply put this scheme into operation?

Or the perfectly adequate "implement".

[Pulcinella]

Or the perfectly adequate "implement".

[LMcD]

Or the perfectly adequate "implement".

Quite - or 'put into effect', 'activate' or, for a bit of added excitement 'kick-start'. Presumably the scheme will be 'deoperationalized' in due course.

[LezLee]

Someone on the very American ‘Knitting Paradise’* forum said she had just been ‘surgerized’. When I said (tongue-in-cheek) I thought it was an excellent word and I might use it, I discovered it is the actual common American word for having surgery! Cf burglarize.
*KP is a source of great wonderment and amusement.

[oddoneout]

Not 'Today's' fault: I saw this (in The Times, I think), so perhaps it was how the instruction was given.
Doesn't stop it being grim though: why not simply put this scheme into operation?

Except that it doesn't mean 'put into operation'? Googling the word proved interesting.

[Pulcinella]

Except that it doesn't mean 'put into operation'? Googling the word proved interesting.

Well, meaning 1 does, but 2 is too philosophical for me:


verb
verb: operationalize; 3rd person present: operationalizes; past tense: operationalized; past participle: operationalized; gerund or present participle: operationalizing; verb: operationalise; 3rd person present: operationalises; past tense: operationalised; past participle: operationalised; gerund or present participle: operationalising
1.
put into operation or use.
"such measures would be difficult to operationalize"
2.
PHILOSOPHY
express or define (something) in terms of the operations used to determine or prove it.
"previous studies have operationalized panic in terms of average time of group escape"

[oddoneout]

Well, meaning 1 does, but 2 is too philosophical for me:


verb
verb: operationalize; 3rd person present: operationalizes; past tense: operationalized; past participle: operationalized; gerund or present participle: operationalizing; verb: operationalise; 3rd person present: operationalises; past tense: operationalised; past participle: operationalised; gerund or present participle: operationalising
1.
put into operation or use.
"such measures would be difficult to operationalize"
2.
PHILOSOPHY
express or define (something) in terms of the operations used to determine or prove it.
"previous studies have operationalized panic in terms of average time of group escape"

The Wikipedia entry gives more of the science/research based context to which your No2 refers.
I do wonder if the original use of the word in relation to the banks article was made by someone who knew what it meant, and if so which meaning was intended. It could have been 'put in operation' or it could in effect have been a deflection/delaying exercise - a process preceding something being put into operation - or not, as the case might be.

[Pulcinella]

The Wikipedia entry gives more of the science/research based context to which your No2 refers.
I do wonder if the original use of the word in relation to the banks article was made by someone who knew what it meant, and if so which meaning was intended. It could have been 'put in operation' or it could in effect have been a deflection/delaying exercise - a process preceding something being put into operation - or not, as the case might be.

Oxford's not mine, btw!

[LMcD]

Not 'Today's' fault: I saw this (in The Times, I think), so perhaps it was how the instruction was given.
Doesn't stop it being grim though: why not simply put this scheme into operation?

For the record, it was somebody from UK Finance who used the word during an interview.

[Bryn]

For the record, it was somebody from UK Finance who used the word during an interview.

Thanks for contextualizing it.

[LMcD]

Thanks for contextualizing it.

I thought an explanification might be in order.

[oddoneout]

Oxford's not mine, btw!

Yes I saw that as well but found the Wiki rather more helpful!