Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Thropplenoggin]

Alternatively, "a/b is/are expected to xyz today" is the other formula (which means it's some press release from 'head office' somewhere masquerading as 'news')

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churnalism (The Guardian's Apple PR churnalistic love-in seems to be linked directly to when they moved into their new offices with its iMac-only desk policy)

A new sub-species of predictive news is predicting what non-existent pieces of technology will look like, consist of, etc. See The Grauniad's article-bloat prior to the then non-existent iPhone 5 and its current mania for the still non-existent iWatch.

[jean]

I seem vaguely to remember that the prefix re- in French had some sort of reflexive meaning, but not sure of the origin.

I assume it's from the Latin re- which is, according to Lewis and Short,

'...an inseparable particle, whose fundamental signification answers to the English again and against. Thus, it denotes either a a turning backward (Engl. back)...b an opposition...'

They don't suggest it's known to derive from anything else.

[gurnemanz]

Re: re

Ablative of "res". Fifty years ago at school, I remember learning that the Latin ablative meant "by, with or from". (I suspect I never fully grasped its mysteries at the time.) The most appropriate use for it seems to be at the top of a letter meaning referring to the "thing" or "matter" that follows, hence the use of a colon: this is what my letter is about. The thing in question is then often underlined like a heading (as above). I will admit to using it colloquially, eg in emails, "re tonight's choir practice" - it has the advantage of being short.

[Pabmusic]

Isn't it more formally - and fully - 'in re'? That isn't limited to legal use because I use it
...

You may well be right.

[vinteuil]

Isn't it more formally - and fully - 'in re'? That isn't limited to legal use because I use it

.

And in re not be confused with in rem -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_re

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_rem_jurisdiction

[ahinton]

"Some more organised rain", as in weather forecasts; is this only ever trotted out by Roman Catholic meteorologists or is it just my warped imagination? (maybe scotty would know!).

"More in the way of sunshine", from the same source; why use six words when "clouds" would suffice?

[jean]

I remember learning that the Latin ablative meant "by, with or from".

Or it may be used after a preposition (here, in) and then the putative by, with or from give way to the meaning of the preposition actually present.

in followed by the accusative (as in in rem) has a different meaning - towards or against.

[vinteuil]

why use six words when [one] would suffice?

... quoth ahinton!

[ahinton]

... quoth ahinton!

No. Not "quoth". "Asketh". 'Twas a question.

Apologies for the length of the sentences immediately above.

[arancie33]

Re: re

I will admit to using it colloquially, eg in emails, "re tonight's choir practice" - it has the advantage of being short.

I do the same but, in my ignorance (never really got the hang of 'res' etc - 5th declension wasn't it?), assumed it is a drastically abbreviated form of "with reference to" ie dated business speak.

[jean]

I do the same but, in my ignorance (never really got the hang of 'res' etc - 5th declension wasn't it?), assumed it is a drastically abbreviated form of "with reference to" ie dated business speak.

I know all about res (It does belong to the very select 5th declension) - but until today, I hadn't realised that 're' was anything to do with it.

[jean]

On another thread, someone has written about something being in hoc to something else...

[amateur51]

Or it may be used after a preposition (here, in) and then the putative by, with or from give way to the meaning of the preposition actually present.

in followed by the accusative (as in in rem) has a different meaning - towards or against.

Ablative? Absolutely

[LeMartinPecheur]

Isn't it more formally - and fully - 'in re'? That isn't limited to legal use because I use it I

FF: my battered old Chambers says re is "(commercial jargon) prep. concerning [L. in re abl. of res, thing), in this matter".]

[Pabmusic]

FF: my battered old Chambers says re is "(commercial jargon) prep. concerning [L. in re abl. of res, thing), in this matter".]

I think that's a good description, although it's as much legal jargon. But it is jargon, certainly - or was, at least. It dates from the 18th Century, I believe.