Cute

[John Barton]

"Cute" seems to be used these days as if it were a distinct word from "acute". Is the spelling 'cute now pedantic, as even 'phone and 'bus appear to be becoming?

[gdwdwrkr]

"Cute", around these parts generally means attractive in a warm fuzzy gotta-hug-it baby-kitten-puppy way.
Also it is used sacrastically, as in, that was a cute trick, meaning you pulled off that act with deceptively simple-looking dexterity.
We never use it as a short-form for acute.

[Erik_Kowal]

John, although it is true that 'cute' arose as an abbreviated form of 'acute' in circa 1731 (according to m-w.com), you are unique in my experience in apparently still sensing the force of the connection. This is hardly surprising, as none of the current senses of 'cute' and 'acute' overlap.

FWIW I have never before seen it spelled as 'cute, so I would certainly regard any instance of this spelling as being pedantic in the extreme.

The spellings 'bus and 'phone are not merely 'becoming pedantic', they are obsolete in current standard usage.

[dalehileman]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugg ... afe=images

[russcable]

And if we're being pedantic, shouldn't it be ''''phone and ''''bus?

I got out of my mini'''''-''''van, picked up my cell'''' ''''phone, put on a napron, , and got a norange juice out of the ''frig''''''. How fun!!!

[gdwdwrkr]

russ, I think your phone's ringin'. Did you mean to write: I got out of my miniskirt-Ivan, picked up my celluloid Persephone, put on an apron, and got an orange juice out of the ''friggin icebox".
Or did Shultz's Thunderbird get loose in your post?
You've gone apostrophlectic.

[russcable]

I'''ll ignore M''''r. Ja''s. since I can''t come up with a suitably shortened or lengthened substitute for killjoy or partypooper. Perhaps he should stick (in the mud) to watching t'''v''''' instead of the '''''net. (^_^)

Hmm, Mr., Jas., T.V. ...??? Perhaps instead... I got out of my mini.van., picked up my cell. phone., put on a napron, and got a norange juice out of the frig..?

[Tony Farg]

Russ: don't you suspect he might just have been taking the p'ss and joining in your fun?

[russcable]

So, Tony, you old booze hound! Are you having a seizure?

Accusations of drunkeness and apoplexy are fun!!!

[PhilHunt]

Hmm, Mr., Jas., T.V. ...??? Perhaps instead... I got out of my mini.van., picked up my cell. phone., put on a napron, and got a norange juice out of the frig..?

What's a norange juice...or a napron for that matter?

[JANE DOErell]

What's a norange juice...or a napron for that matter?

Looks for all the world like a dirty keyboard i.e. an orange juice, an apron, perhaps?

[Tony Farg]

Try http://www.wordwizard.com/phpbb3/viewto ... =7&t=19685 - 16k -

[PhilHunt]

Unfortunately sarcasm doesn't translate well in html.

[Tony Farg]

that's really odd, because users browsing this forum at present does not include Phil, yet he has just posted. How come?
edit: now it does. Weird.

[PhilHunt]

I'm a ghost in the machine. Woooohhhhh!