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Nonplussed is a dreadful word. It means either: 1) so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react; 2) not disconcerted; unperturbed. Definitions 1 a
by cjg 13y ago
Nonplussed is a dreadful word. It means either:
1) so surprised and confused that one is unsure how to react;
2) not disconcerted; unperturbed.
Definitions 1 and 2 are opposites. So, is he perturbed or not? "This is totally weird", or "this is weird, but I can so cope with it". Who knows.
- dlgeek 13y agoIt's a play on Google+ - he canceled the service, so he's not plussed...
- pbhjpbhj 13y agoNonplussed is also used to mean "uninspired" or "unimpressed" - like when something is perhaps a little out of the ordinary [there is an expectation that it will have an impact one way or another] but still doesn't really have an effect on; almost exclusively in the phrase "I was pretty nonplussed by it all" or a close analogue of that. Certainly this is the usage I've heard and used for the last 20 years or so.
- foobarqux 13y agoThose people are using it incorrectly.
- pbhjpbhj 13y agoLanguage is ultimately about usage. The dictionary I checked with confirmed this meaning as a US neologism, I'm in the UK. You could class this usage as "perplexed" but with a specific flavour of 'perplexity at the unimpressive nature of the subject'.
- rafcavallaro 13y agoUS colloquial usage - where the original, subtle UK usage goes to die; see also "presently," and "beg the question."
- alayne 13y agoThat usage is incorrect. It's another case of a word misinterpretation taking over the historical meaning. It's from the Latin "non plus" meaning no further.
- pbhjpbhj 13y agoI'm not sure why you note the Latin etymology, that would tend more towards the neologistic definition IMO. Like "no more?" as in "isn't there anything else to it?". I don't see how "no more" suggests being flummoxed/confounded. [Yes I know that's not how "logo-genesis" works]
- alayne 13y agono more as in I'm speechless and can say no more
- foobarqux 13y agoPeople mistakenly use it to mean "not impressed".
- devindotcom 13y agoI intended the original definition, not the corrupted one, but also as a pun.