Conversation started Jun 18, 2014 at 21:01.
StoneyB
StoneyB
Jun 18, 2014 21:01
@TylerJamesYoung: Hi TJY. Sorry I didn't respond sooner - I was on the road.
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
@StoneyB No worries! I myself was doing laundry with a side order of locking myself out of my apartment.
StoneyB
StoneyB
@TylerJamesYoung So whazzup? I seem to be baffling all the really knowledgeable people on ELL these days!
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
@StoneyB Well, I was just thinking that prosaic and poetic seem to be similar, and oppose each other
It seemed like Zheng was thinking of “prosaic” as conferring a label of “this is prose” to something
I couldn't follow your point, because it seems like you are saying “poetic” can't be used the same way “prosaic” is
but I can say “this article is surprisingly poetic” just as I can say “their lyrics are fairly prosaic”
StoneyB
StoneyB
Jun 18, 2014 21:20
I'm saying just the opposite; that prosaic is so rarely used to mean "written in prose" (as opposed to "written in poetry") that use is a mistake; and I think your dictionary definition #1 is mistaken to give it as a primary meaning. ...
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
Oh! I agree
StoneyB
StoneyB
To say that someone's lyrics are "prosaic" doesn't mean that they are formally in prose or are prose-like; it means they are unremarkable, prosaic, ho-hum. That meaning certainly derives from the poetry/prose contrast, but it is no longer operative.
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
I see
I guess I don't really encounter the word that often
StoneyB
StoneyB
Hokey-dokey. ... Just to make sure, I GoogleBooked "prosaic works", 21st century; and although GB did report upward of 80 actual uses, all but about three were either in the 'humdrum' sense or occurred in critical works written by non-native speakers.
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
hm
well I will definitely edit my post
my main intention was actually to move Zheng away from using “prosaic” that way
StoneyB
StoneyB
Jun 18, 2014 21:26
Well, it was already good enough to get my upvote!
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
yeah, but you're right that it could be clearer in that regard
StoneyB
StoneyB
OK - back to the salt mines!
Tyler James Young
Tyler James Young
it seemed with the way your comment was written you were taking issue with me saying “not poetic”
not definition #1
maybe we are saying the same thing
I should also return to work
I'll edit the post when I get a sec
thanks for chatting
StoneyB
StoneyB
I think we are saying the same thing. Ta!
 
Conversation ended Jun 18, 2014 at 21:29.