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> brief ask ... imprecise ask ... any ask ... receiving an ask ... clarify that ask It's curious how "ask" has transformed from an ancient verb into a modern,

> brief ask ... imprecise ask ... any ask ... receiving an ask ... clarify that ask It's curious how "ask" has transformed from an ancient verb into a modern, trendy and awkward noun. According to the OED, nounification began with colloquial usage in Australia. https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?q=ask https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?q=ask We all know that language is a constantly changing biosocial cognitive artifact, so there really are no rules. But this usage grates like chewing sand, especially when we have perfectly good synonyms just sitting there, unused.

6031769 3y ago
Just remember that the noun "ask" begins with a T.
- panarky 3y ago
  And that ancient and perfectly good noun has transmogrified into a modern, trendy and awkward corpspeak verb with nauseating echos of milspeak.
jkubicek 3y ago
At one point, I was fastidiously replacing the word "ask" with "request" in every Google Doc I had edit access too. I've since given up, it's just too overwhelming. For every "ask" I squash, there's 5 more being thrown at me in Slack and emails and Google Docs and Slides.
- panzagl 3y ago
  You can join me on my crusade changing 'utilize' to 'use'.
  - panarky 3y ago
    From an exhausted and humiliated veteran of the failed struggle against the verbification of "impact", you have my respect and sympathy.
    - gmane 3y ago
      I think that one is a direct result of people being pedants about the difference between effect and affect which made a lot of people try to avoid them completely.
      - sneak 3y ago
        My favorite is that affect and effect are also sometimes a noun and verb, respectively. Knowing how to use all 4 (affect noun, affect verb, effect noun, effect verb) correctly feels like a superpower.
    - MrVandemar 3y ago
      You're fighting the good fight.
  - scarygliders 3y ago
    That is nothing compared to the cringe I experience whenever I see people type "lead" when it really called for "led"; "He lead them into battle" instead of "He led them into battle." - I see that a lot these days. Oh and speaking of "a lot", it makes me sad every time I see people using "alot". And that non-word gets used increasingly often. It's not like it's a typo or autocorrection. A lot of people unironically type "alot". Ugh! EDIT: Lol, I received a downvote. I found the "alot" user. Or the "lead instead of led" user! Or perhaps I scored a double strike ;)
    - saghm 3y ago
      An old but good resource on coping with "alots": https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-bette...
    - eternityforest 3y ago
      If you ever go led climbing at night while listening to Led Zeppelin, you will probably want to bring a lead light, but not one powered by led assed sells, as that would way alot, probably to much.
    - Larrikin 3y ago
      A lot is annoying to swipe type on a phone. I know alot is not in the dictionary, but it will always be one of the first words I purposefully add to my user dictionary, right after all the cuss words.
- sneak 3y ago
  I also find the usage annoying (probably because it’s corpspeak), but I made an executive decision to overrule my emotions on the matter because simplifying the common usage of the world’s lingua franca by having verbs do double duty is, in the long run, fine and good and useful. We already do it for “drive” and “run”. More gerunds is a good thing.
- elicksaur 3y ago
  “request” is a word that can be a noun or a verb. Why can “request” be a noun, but “ask” should not?
kwyjibo1230 3y ago
Agree, it's a little grating on the ears, but, language change is part of life! There are examples out there of modern nouns that used to be something else, but because the change happened so long ago, we're no longer pained to hear it changing. For example, "Flirt" used to be a verb that meant to make a brisk, jerky motion. Now it is either a verb, to playfully act attracted to someone one, or a noun, a person who flirts. https://www.etymonline.com/word/flirt https://www.etymonline.com/word/flirt
dminvs 3y ago
And "action" has made the reverse transition... "Could you action this ask from Bob in Finance?"
oblio 3y ago
Or the ever annoying "learning" instead of "lesson". "Key learnings this quarter"...
caseyohara 3y ago
Same with "invite" used as a noun in place of "invitation".
magarnicle 3y ago
In Australia I've only ever heard it used in the specific phrase "That's a big ask".
proc0 3y ago
I feel it's used mostly as corporate jargon. "the ask is moving forward we will need to increase impact by taking initiative, driving solutions, and delivering value to our customers."

6031769 3y ago

Just remember that the noun "ask" begins with a T.

panarky 3y ago
And that ancient and perfectly good noun has transmogrified into a modern, trendy and awkward corpspeak verb with nauseating echos of milspeak.

jkubicek 3y ago

At one point, I was fastidiously replacing the word "ask" with "request" in every Google Doc I had edit access too. I've since given up, it's just too overwhelming. For every "ask" I squash, there's 5 more being thrown at me in Slack and emails and Google Docs and Slides.

panzagl 3y ago
You can join me on my crusade changing 'utilize' to 'use'.
- panarky 3y ago
  From an exhausted and humiliated veteran of the failed struggle against the verbification of "impact", you have my respect and sympathy.
  - gmane 3y ago
    I think that one is a direct result of people being pedants about the difference between effect and affect which made a lot of people try to avoid them completely.
    - sneak 3y ago
      My favorite is that affect and effect are also sometimes a noun and verb, respectively. Knowing how to use all 4 (affect noun, affect verb, effect noun, effect verb) correctly feels like a superpower.
  - MrVandemar 3y ago
    You're fighting the good fight.
- scarygliders 3y ago
  That is nothing compared to the cringe I experience whenever I see people type "lead" when it really called for "led"; "He lead them into battle" instead of "He led them into battle." - I see that a lot these days. Oh and speaking of "a lot", it makes me sad every time I see people using "alot". And that non-word gets used increasingly often. It's not like it's a typo or autocorrection. A lot of people unironically type "alot". Ugh! EDIT: Lol, I received a downvote. I found the "alot" user. Or the "lead instead of led" user! Or perhaps I scored a double strike ;)
  - saghm 3y ago
    An old but good resource on coping with "alots": https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-bette...
  - eternityforest 3y ago
    If you ever go led climbing at night while listening to Led Zeppelin, you will probably want to bring a lead light, but not one powered by led assed sells, as that would way alot, probably to much.
  - Larrikin 3y ago
    A lot is annoying to swipe type on a phone. I know alot is not in the dictionary, but it will always be one of the first words I purposefully add to my user dictionary, right after all the cuss words.
sneak 3y ago
I also find the usage annoying (probably because it’s corpspeak), but I made an executive decision to overrule my emotions on the matter because simplifying the common usage of the world’s lingua franca by having verbs do double duty is, in the long run, fine and good and useful. We already do it for “drive” and “run”. More gerunds is a good thing.
elicksaur 3y ago
“request” is a word that can be a noun or a verb. Why can “request” be a noun, but “ask” should not?

kwyjibo1230 3y ago

Agree, it's a little grating on the ears, but, language change is part of life! There are examples out there of modern nouns that used to be something else, but because the change happened so long ago, we're no longer pained to hear it changing. For example, "Flirt" used to be a verb that meant to make a brisk, jerky motion. Now it is either a verb, to playfully act attracted to someone one, or a noun, a person who flirts. https://www.etymonline.com/word/flirt https://www.etymonline.com/word/flirt

dminvs 3y ago

And "action" has made the reverse transition... "Could you action this ask from Bob in Finance?"

oblio 3y ago

Or the ever annoying "learning" instead of "lesson". "Key learnings this quarter"...

caseyohara 3y ago

Same with "invite" used as a noun in place of "invitation".

magarnicle 3y ago

In Australia I've only ever heard it used in the specific phrase "That's a big ask".

proc0 3y ago

I feel it's used mostly as corporate jargon. "the ask is moving forward we will need to increase impact by taking initiative, driving solutions, and delivering value to our customers."