Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English I need to find the bit from Bill Bryson where he states how language and meanings change over time. The one that sticks out to me is the word intercourse, which has changed meanings many many times over the years and had differen

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English @14I don't think anyone here actually thinks in this hierarchy.  It's merely language, which is always by nature an approximation. URL: https://forum.audiogames.net/post/596952/#p596952 -- Audiogames-reflector mailing list

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English This is definitely an interesting discussion.For what it's worth, I tend to use the term friend rather loosely, mostly because I can think of only 1 or 2 people who I've let into my soul who still have the key, and even they don't h

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English @11Bob would be your mate: You socialise with him regularly, and he probably knows your kid's names, but he probably doesn't know what you like to get up to in the bedroom, although you may have told him one night over a bag of chips

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English Good posts 10 and 11, which explains why you hear us say friends a lot. Pretty much sums it up. I probably went off all philosophical because it was late and I was in that kind of mood, but I still stand by what I said, and I do think t

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English So I just have to say everyone missed the point.  This isn't a philosophy question, it's a language question.In U.S. English, the meaning of acquaintance is something more like "someone I meet occasionally, but enough to know the

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English So I have 3 "friend" levels:There's the acquaintances, which is you lot. I know your names (handles, whatever), and honestly, if you asked for my phone number, I'd probably say no.There's my mates, of which I have many. They a

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English @8, I'm aware of that.  that's just the point though; they're a person who cares, too.  People want clones of themselves, or they woudln't be working so hard at making AI that fits them in every single which way.

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English @Nocturnus, you seem to misunderstand.We never said that "friend" means a person who is just a clone of yourself, but rather someone you're very close with. URL: https://forum.audiogames.net/post/596800/#p596800 --

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English I think a lot of words are ruined, and friend just happens to be one of them.  Have you considered the word love?  for all it is supposed to represent, it is thrown around so frivolously and flippantly; there is no respect in its usag

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English @4That's a great point. Though all that depends on different circumstances. What you said can be applied to correct situations accordingly. As you say, someone who doesn't know us, may think for our well being? Rarely people do. For th

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English That's a great point. Though all that depends on different circumstances. What you said can be applied to correct situations accordingly. As you say, someone who doesn't know us, may think for our well being? Rarely people do. For th

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English The word friend is basically ruined. in most cases aquaintence should be used ore. For example, with facebook.  Instead of saying oh i have 3000 friends on facebook it should be 3000 aquaintences.  After all, most people on people'

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English I kinda agree with that @3, which is why I added that bit about having to have been in a few conversations first. Personally though, I think that it is a dangerous thing to have only friends who think and act as you do. You're jus

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English HiIs "friendship" such a light feeling now that the word "friend" can be used almost without thinking?Yep,I  believe the use of this word called as friend is getting common. It may be possible that people

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English HiIs "friendship" such a light feeling now that the word "friend" can be used almost without thinking?Yep,I  believe the use of this word called as friend is getting common. It may be possible that people

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English You must know, that there are different levels of friendships, beyond acquaintances. Even then, it is not uncommon for friends to have different opinions and perspectives on things. Also, people in the United States tend to be friendly

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Re: Overuse of the word "friend" in English You must know, that there are different levels of friendships, beyond acquaintances. Even then, it is not uncommon for friends to have different opinions and perspectives on things. Also, people in the United States tend to be friendly

Overuse of the word "friend" in English

Overuse of the word "friend" in English hello!I have been thinking about this problem for quite a while now, but my yesterday's reading of this forum made me finally post about it and ask the community whether something is wrong with my understanding of English, the society or