Confusion of terms
A word of explanation about my use of the words “extraordinary” and “exceptional” to describe Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday. A couple of French readers have asked how on earth I could call Sarkozy “extraordinary”, assuming I was praising him. In French I think “extraordinaire” usually does infer praise, so there is clearly confusion at the English use of the word. Certainly it can be an adjective of praise, but very often it isn’t. Think of the phrase “He used the most extraordinary behaviour/language.” That does not mean you condone the behaviour/language, usually quite the reverse. It means the behaviour/language took you by surprise (it was “out of the ordinary”). “It’s quite extraordinary how someone can park in the middle of a busy high street just because he’s too lazy to walk to the paper shop,” meaning “Bastard, if I were driving a pelle mechanique I’d make short shrift of him” Maybe it’s just English understatement.
The same can be said of “exceptional character” - in English it doesn’t necessarily confer praise, but is often used ironically, meaning “Thank God there aren’t many more like him!” To take exception to someone means to dislike them intensely, although calling a disliked person “exceptional” may be stretching the sense a little too far!
March 24th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Words are such loaded things aren’t they? I enjoyed this piece, nice reflections on the nuance of extraordinaire/extraordinary. However, if I can permit myself a moment of pedantry, should you not have said ‘… usually does IMPLY praise’ rather than ‘infer’? I think one infers something, which is implied by what is said…
March 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I agree words are so loaded, and it may be that it is more and more difficult (given educational methods) to use them precisely. You’re also probably right about “infer”, although it can mean “bestow”, but in fact I used “confer”, also to mean “bestow”.