5 ms·

This one I struggled with. What's the alternative to 'reaching out' in the context of sending a message to a third party?

11thEarlOfMar 9y ago
Call, e-mail, text or otherwise contact them. 'Can you call Bob's surf shop and see if they carry Mr. Zog's Sex Wax?'
- albertgoeswoof 9y ago
  The reason reach out is used is to give the individual being asked some autonomy / responsibility in the action. Eg if you ask someone to call bobs surf shop and they don’t answer they might stop there or call back later. If you ask them to reach out they might go down there and see them, set up a meeting, speak to a friend that works there, etc.
  - userbinator 9y ago
    If you ask them to reach out they might go down there and see them, set up a meeting, speak to a friend that works there, etc. That's where you can use the more general and succinct term, "contact".
    - fjsolwmv 9y ago
      Only if you like using words incorrectly. "Contact" isn't a verb if you really are the pedantic prescriptivist you are presenting yourself as.
      - Intermernet 9y ago
        Both Wiktionary and dictionary.com list definitions of "contact" as a verb. I don't have access to the OED at the moment, but I assume they would have it listed as a valid verb as well.
- phnofive 9y ago
  Those are specific forms of reaching out. Contact is different but not any more efficient IMO, so I guess we will have to agree to disagree. If I had to direct someone to look into it, I might say -- 'Please find out if Bob's surf shop carries Mr. Zog's Sex Wax.' A few of the terms in the header image on the article seem perfectly appropriate to me depending on context, but I'm probably thinking of them being used literally (reaching out as in contacting, incentivising as in more money paid, deep dive as in RCA) and have insufficient exposure to the BS versions to comment - so, I'll stop!
yesiamyourdad 9y ago
"ask" ? "can you reach out to Carol and see when that will be done" vs "can you ask Carol when that will be done?" Ever since Walking Dead came out, "reach out" evokes thoughts of hordes of zombies grabbing for me.
pwython 9y ago
"Get in touch" could be an alternative. Careful though, don't turn it into a "touch base!"

11thEarlOfMar 9y ago

Call, e-mail, text or otherwise contact them. 'Can you call Bob's surf shop and see if they carry Mr. Zog's Sex Wax?'

albertgoeswoof 9y ago
The reason reach out is used is to give the individual being asked some autonomy / responsibility in the action. Eg if you ask someone to call bobs surf shop and they don’t answer they might stop there or call back later. If you ask them to reach out they might go down there and see them, set up a meeting, speak to a friend that works there, etc.
- userbinator 9y ago
  If you ask them to reach out they might go down there and see them, set up a meeting, speak to a friend that works there, etc. That's where you can use the more general and succinct term, "contact".
  - fjsolwmv 9y ago
    Only if you like using words incorrectly. "Contact" isn't a verb if you really are the pedantic prescriptivist you are presenting yourself as.
    - Intermernet 9y ago
      Both Wiktionary and dictionary.com list definitions of "contact" as a verb. I don't have access to the OED at the moment, but I assume they would have it listed as a valid verb as well.
phnofive 9y ago
Those are specific forms of reaching out. Contact is different but not any more efficient IMO, so I guess we will have to agree to disagree. If I had to direct someone to look into it, I might say -- 'Please find out if Bob's surf shop carries Mr. Zog's Sex Wax.' A few of the terms in the header image on the article seem perfectly appropriate to me depending on context, but I'm probably thinking of them being used literally (reaching out as in contacting, incentivising as in more money paid, deep dive as in RCA) and have insufficient exposure to the BS versions to comment - so, I'll stop!

yesiamyourdad 9y ago

"ask" ? "can you reach out to Carol and see when that will be done" vs "can you ask Carol when that will be done?" Ever since Walking Dead came out, "reach out" evokes thoughts of hordes of zombies grabbing for me.

pwython 9y ago

"Get in touch" could be an alternative. Careful though, don't turn it into a "touch base!"