Our language needs a word to describe many things, more than several and less than hundreds. I have struggled to communicate this idea many times, and it occurred to me that we do have such a word: scores. It used to be more common than it is today (e.g. the Gettysburg Address), and now is is rarely used, even though we have no replacement ("tens?" that sounds ridiculous). So I need your help bringing it back into circulation. You'll thank me next time you are describing something that would be understated using several: "there were several people at my party last night" sounds pretty lame, or overstated using hundreds: "there were hundreds of people at my party last night" sounds like a lie. "There were scores of people at my party last night"--now that sounds like a party, and it's much more descriptive than "lots." Please join me in this effort. Thank you.
Posted by Matthew Pearson at March 1, 2004 07:49 PM | TrackBacknext party, i'll do it, but only if it'll help me score. scores of scores.
Posted by: jeremy at March 1, 2004 08:00 PMWhile we're at it, I want to bring back the casual suit like men used to wear in the 1950s.
(I bet since we have no replacement for scores, it must mean we no longer need it. Besides, isn't a score equal to twenty?)
Posted by: scott cunningham at March 2, 2004 07:06 PMYes Scott, it does mean twenty, but "scores" (plural)obviously does not mean any specific number. And just because a word drops out of common use does not always mean that there is a suitable replacement. The popular replacement is "lots" but like I said, it is not as descriptive, as it is not necessarily confined between several and hundreds.
Posted by: Matthew at March 4, 2004 01:49 PMDozens?
Posted by: Roy W. Wright at March 5, 2004 12:43 PMDozens, of course! Nevermind then.
Posted by: Matthew at March 5, 2004 12:53 PMGlad to be of service.
Posted by: Roy W. Wright at March 7, 2004 05:55 PMHmm, come to think of it, I think I've already been using "scores," and I think it is a mighty handy word.
Posted by: kathryn at March 17, 2004 10:51 PMNext journal entry, please. :)
Posted by: Anonymous at March 18, 2004 07:45 AMIt's finals week, cut me some slack. In fact, cut me some slack until September.
Posted by: Matthew at March 18, 2004 08:33 AMcut you some slack? i've been chasing jesus and moses all over the seattle airport, and i've managed, pal. i want no more excuses. get your ass on the blog. wwjd? remember what he said at fall orientation? if you're getting all A's, you might be sinning. yeah, and i bet jerram would say that now. of course, all A's might not really be an issue right now.
Posted by: jeremy at March 18, 2004 03:34 PMhow about bringing your blog back into circulation? i miss you.
Posted by: jeremy at March 30, 2004 06:37 PMblog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog......blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...blog...
Posted by: Chris Silvey at April 15, 2004 02:21 PMTell me how much you hate MWG right about now?
Posted by: Chris Silvey at April 15, 2004 02:24 PM