CONVERSATE IS NOT A WORD!!!

Ok... I can be a grammar nazi. I admit it. In fact, that is one of my brother's nicknames for me. But I just think that good word choices and proper grammar always make a good impression.

I also believe that it is important for us to know the proper way to speak the king's English. This way when we are in those ever important job interviews, or business meetings, we are taken seriously. One bad word choice or obvious grammatical error, and anything worthwhile we say after that is lost.

So, to my brother's dismay, I correct him every time he uses a word incorrectly, or in a grammatically incorrect way. It may seem a bit harsh, but its for his own good. I do this for anyone that matters to me. If I don't know you like that, don't worry, you are safe.

So, during a conversation with a friend that that I will call Y.G. the word conversate slipped out. My immediate reaction was... Booooooo! Conversate is NOT a word. The error was corrected, and the conversation continued to flow, but the next day, Y.G. sent me this link.

It is a link to some site where people define words themselves. Basically, you can post any word you like and create a definition for it. I was horrified that someone had actually submitted CONVERSATE! They are REALLY trying to make that a word!

CONVERSATE IS NOT A WORD!!!

After sitting for a moment and contemplating the horrible effects the word conversate would wreak upon society, I realized that I there was something that I could do to stop it. This was after all, a site based upon submitted definitions. So... I decided to submit a definition of my own.

conversate (v.) - The incorrect form of the proper word 'converse' used by dizzy people who don't know that conversate isnt a word : "We conversated about our plan, then decided to take the streamroller anyway," said the remedial english student.

I submitted it to the site. It should be live in 3 weeks.

Comments

[chandra]

thank u!
i have my degree in english (not reflected here by my laziness and refusal to capitalize and punctuate) but i also correct my loved ones grammar unmercifully...
and i absolutely abhor the "word" converate...as well as the "word" irregardless. ugh!
i luv u so much for this post!

smiles n smooches!

I think you meant "wreak," not "reek" and, of course, the word "English" is always capitalized. I suspect that, if you look up the word "ditzy," you might find its meaning closer to what you're looking for than "dizzy." All this is to say (in good humor) "let he who is without fault . . ."

[Nikki]

President Bush uses that word quite a bit. That explains a lot.

[Bgrits]

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

I hate that word and it always some people who can't talk worth a damn will use the word thinking that that sound proper!!!

I guess the white version is the word GUESSTIMATE!!! My former co-workers used that word to death!

[prodigal sun]

Actually I caught the wreak-reek edit before but my browser froze and I forgot about it. It's been corrected. You are correct that English should be capitalized as illustrated by my earlier usage of the capital letter E when I mentioned the king's English. It's cool that you are trying to reverse it and all but clearly I know my shyt. I am always open to learning if I am incorrect or don't know for the same reason I correct and teach others. In this case however, its under control. Thanks though.

[prodigal sun]

And by the way, in addition to meaning disoriented, dizzy means bewildered and confused. How bout you go look that up?

I meant what I wrote. Thanks.

[prodigal sun]

I left the lower case e in remedial english student to illustrate that no one is perfect. But if you know and understand grammmar as a whole, you can still shine.

[Dread]

Lol @ Justification rant

Yo this site is jokes

[Jazzy]

Luv ya P-Sun, Luv Ya!!!!!!!
:)

[Joy]

I know it's not a word, but I admit that I still make the mistake sometimes, ugggh...but I KNOW you didn't just call me dizzy?! LOL

Thanks Sun!

[DJ DIVA]

I was just wondering if you could use party as a verb...Like.."I partied hard last night"...HMMMM

but G'ma uses conversate all the time and I can't break her...matter of fact...she tells me "Don't be trying to tell me how to converste"...Ok G'ma

[Stone]

Hold up wait a minute. I just wanted to stop in and CONVERSATE with you for a minute. You always have the CONVERSATION on your page. But if we are to continue talking we must CONVERSATE more often so call me sometime

[Morena]

Tell it! Another *word* that people use often that doesn't really exist is "agreeance." WTF?! As in: I am in "agreement" with you about this "conversate" term, but I betcha others might be in "agreeance" HAHAHAHA

I have heard this "agreeance" nonsense more times than I care to remember in business settings, no less....

[doc holiday]

ive been trying to tell people that for the longest. i hate when rappers go on interviews, and they use the "word". they say it with such pride, like they just found out what it meant, and how to pronounce it the day before.

tsk tsk tsk.

another one is irregardless, and agreeance...someone tell me those are actually not words. i know the first one is not a word, and when she tried to correct me, she told me it was in an updated version of the dictionary. WTF?

[Jason]

Wow! I thought that I was one of the few people alive who was so incredidbly passionate about the proper use grammar and the English language. There is a gospel song in which the singer says, "Don't conversate with the enemy." The enemy is you not being cognizant that conversate is NOT a word! Prodigal Sun, isn't it nearly as annoying as someone inappropiately using "for" instead of "because"? You don't have any contact information up, but PLEASE email me. Thanks a lot!

[Jason]

(My previous post had a typo)
Wow! I thought that I was one of the few people alive who was so incredidbly passionate about the proper use of grammar and the English language. There is a gospel song in which the singer says, "Don't conversate with the enemy." The enemy is you not being cognizant that conversate is NOT a word! Prodigal Sun, isn't it nearly as annoying as someone inappropiately using "for" instead of "because"? I am also annoyed when people use "nor" without using the necessary "neither." You don't have any contact information up, but PLEASE email me. Thanks a lot!

[Procrastination_xtravaganza]

I'm a lil' late on this one, but whatever. I'm somewhere in the middle of "right on!" and "lighten up!" when it comes to this. I too cringe upon hearing 'conversate,' however, additional submissions to the 'not a word' category in the comments thread can get a bit picky. 'Irregardless,' for example, is, currently being defined in updated versions of most reputable dictionaries as a probable combination of the words irrespective and regardless. Secondly, I grew up in a time where I corrected half the damn world, telling them "aint" is not a word. These days, I don't see anyone chided or corrected after its use anymore. I wouldn't recommend talkin' 'bout "aint this" and "aint that" in an interview, and I'd equally discourage the use of 'conversate' in such atmospheres. Provided one knows the correct form of the word and when/where its use is warranted, I've relaxed the know-it-all/speak-it-all-well demeanor.
I think your practice of correcting only those you care enough about is a good one, and the SHR pic is so appropriate.
PS: DJ DIVA - you sure can talk about the days when you 'partied' hard. 'Party' is a verb as well as a noun, 'partied' being the past tense of the former function.

[marlo_girl]

omigod. my friends call me the grammar bitch. who are you? let's get married...

as an editor i'm constantly amazed at how many "writers" use this (and other) words incorrectly, or, worse, make up their own.

along with conversate, my personal peeves are: "orientate" and "irregardless".

sigh. make me wanna holla.

[The Conversater]

Nerds! That’s right, I’m a computer science major and I am calling all of you nerds. When I say, “let us conversate.” You know what I’m talking about, so shut up! There would be a problem if there was some confusion about what I was trying to say, but there isn’t. So, quit bitching. Though a book shouldn’t have such grammatical mistakes, who cares if it’s in everyday conversation, emails, or stupid internet post about grammar.

[Charity]

Thank you! I was just bitching to my husband tonight about the idiot I work with who insists on using conversate instead of converse. It irritates me so badly I contemplate ripping out his vocal cords daily.

[Ysidra]

I'm in the process of writing a book and this site has me on pins and needles. I NEED AN EDITOR/PROOFREADER! I would hate for my book to become the poster child for improper use of the English language. Please help a sista out! And yes, I do know how to spell "sister." :)

[val]

i think that this is very helpful because you would be amazed at how many people do actually say "conversate"...nobody should be offended or argue with anyone...conversate isn't a word period.

[jeannine]

OHMYGOD i know. that is my BIGGEST pet peeve of ALL TIME. i have actually had arguments with people about whether or not it's a word. it amazes me when they actually try to defend their own ignorance.

in conclusion, will you marry me? lol

[Hyperborean]

Just wanted to share a couple of my own grammatical peaves. One is "I could care less." I would say that 50% or more of individuals use this expression, when the original and correct expression was "I couldn't care less." This is evident merely by the fact of the logical implications of each. If I CAN care less, it means I must care to some degree. If I CAN'T care less, it means I don't care at all. Obviously, the intended meaning behind both phrases is the latter. Never say the former again. Another one I have been hearing lately; "Supposebly" or something like that. The word is "supposedly." SUPP-O-ZED-LEE. The incorrect word seems to be a cross between the real word and "oppose." Another: the plural of "breakfast" is not "breakfassis." (I've never seen it spelled this way, but heard it pronounced this way). You are making it more difficult than it really is--just add an s and pronounce it slowly: "breakfasts." Perhaps the most absurd one I have ever encountered: "recockulous." This word, I believe, was created years ago by Adam Corrolla on the radio show "Loveline." It is merely the word "ridiculous" with "cock" substituted for "dic". Anyway, I have actually heard people use it and defend it as a real word....And of course "conversate" drives me crazy. To those of you who say you've never heard it, just watch a few episodes of Elimidate and pay attention. "I just like laid back guys who can conversate with me and blah, blah, blah..."

[tamra30]

if the word 'conversate' is listed in the dictionary, is it a word or not? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conversate