"utilise"
Do piss off you pretencious twunt.. what's wrong with "use"?
(lost, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 20:08, 9 replies)

Strictly speaking...
...according to Bill Bryson who knows everything about words, utilise means make the best of something that wasn't intended for the job. He gives the example of 'He utilised a coat hanger to repair his car'. Bryson also says it can be extended to mean making the most practical use of something. Other than that 'use' is the better word apparently.

And on another note... the word you were trying to spell is 'pretentious'
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 20:21, closed)

I knew I'd spelt (? spelt?) it wrong..
..I need to remember that one - I'm always spelling it wrong. Not to be a spelling nazi, but it does matter, innit..

Never twigged that about "utilise". I developed my hatred of the word after seeing it sent up in Hemmingway's "The sun also rises". I used to have arguments with a pilot friend who insisted it would be bad for his career and therefore wrong to say anything other than "utilise the airspace". Makes sense if it has a deliberate connotation of "making full use of". A lot of people just "utilise" stuff when they could well say "use" however.
(lost, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 20:52, closed)

That and "leverage" used as a verb

( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Wed 22 Oct 2008, 22:17, closed)

Um
That is quite valid as far as I know.
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 22:38, closed)

Yes,
but it's completely unnecessary and overused, and generally marks the speaker as either a TV newsman or a pretentious wanker. Just like saying "Someone has left his or her briefcase on the train" instead of "Someone has left their briefcase on the train." It just sounds awkward and unnatural.

Sorry 'bout that rant, I need a coffee something awful.
(TheWonderfulWombat It came to me in a dream., Wed 22 Oct 2008, 23:58, closed)

Well
I agree that 'his or her' in your example is superfluous. But while 'leverage' might be an often misused term it is still a valid and necessary one, in business at least. For example, we probably wouldn't be in this financial turmoil if it wasn't for so many greedy people leveraging borrowed funds.
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 1:21, closed)

I really, really, really, really hate
the word "utilize"
Bravo!
(TheWonderfulWombat It came to me in a dream., Wed 22 Oct 2008, 23:53, closed)

and! and!!!
and IMPACT is a fucking noun, not a fucking verb. Anyone who says 'to impact' will get a right shoeing...

Um...
(pounana Slept well, and dreamed of large women, on, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 6:49, closed)

Impact.
What's a noun?
(ice9, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 11:45, closed)