quintessential mortification

[DMACM]

Does anyone notice how often these two words are misused? I have often heard quintessential used in a context where it could only be construed to mean very essential. I have even see professors do this. Im guessing they are trying to sound smart.

I also hear people use mortified to mean absolutely horrified in a context where it doesnt mean embarrassed. I think this is because the sounds like it should mean absolutely horrified.

Am I missing something? Dictionary.com says no.

mortification 1. a feeling of humiliation or shame, as through some injury to one's pride or self-respect.
2. a cause or source of such humiliation or shame.
3. the practice of asceticism by penitential discipline to overcome desire for sin and to strengthen the will.
4. Pathology. the death of one part of the body while the rest is alive; gangrene; necrosis.


quintessential 1. the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
2. the most perfect embodiment of something.
3. (in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.

[JasonK]

English sucks.

[4_2_it]

This is the quintessential OOT crappy post. You should be mortified.

[Bicycles_Biatch]

I always use intricate and intrigal incorrectly... come to think of it... i don't know if I even spelled those words correctly.

Last night playing 2-7 triple draw at my home game... I commented on how knowing when to draw was the most intricate part of the game... everyone laughed

[traz]

integral?

[CrazyEyez]

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Does anyone notice how often these two words are misused?

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No.

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I have often heard quintessential used in a context where it could only be construed to mean very essential.

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I don't think I've ever heard it used that way.

[Los Feliz Slim]

I literally crapped myself when I read this.

[***]

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I literally crapped myself when I read this.

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So what did you do with your pants?

[Los Feliz Slim]

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I literally crapped myself when I read this.

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So what did you do with your pants?

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Your retarted.

[Bicycles_Biatch]

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integral?

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that's it... thank god I work with numbers... not words