Open Left

And *I* love it when

my own incorrect usage is brought to my attention. (What thoughtful person wants to be seen as a stupid or careless fool?)

For I also like to use foreign phrases when they're appropriate -- though I choose to use them for the precision of thought they can convey, and a strong belief in the importance of honoring and maintaining the polyglot nature of our societal conversations, rather than any notions of class, place, or privilege.

When I take the time to publicly correct someone's usage (which occasionally I do -- I think that's also a noble and important task), I try to be informative - helpful rather than sneering.  Had I noticed an incorrect use of "de jure" that stuck in my craw, I'd likely have offered the poster the distinction between the two near-homonyms.  In addition to offering the correct spelling for "du jour", I might have included this passage from Wikipedia's entry on "de facto" - you know, just to help out a fellow traveler upon the road:

De facto is a Latin expression that means "of the fact" or "in practice" but not ordained by law. It is commonly used in contrast to de jure (which means "by law") when referring to matters of law, governance, or technique (such as standards) that are found in the common experience as created or developed without or contrary to a regulation. When discussing a legal situation, de jure designates what the law says, while de facto designates action of what happens in practice. It is analogous and similar to the expressions "for all intents and purposes" and "in practice."

---

by: Rob McC @ Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 01:26:31 AM CDT