I got the following email today as part of a detailed exchange on a request for information from a local employer:
Calvin was right. Verbing weirds language.Is this issue being actioned by you?
ronnie
I thought Canadians authored better than that.
ReplyDeleteWas this person by any chance a francophone? "Actionner" is a perfectly acceptable French verb, and necessary to say "Ne pas actionner la chasse quand le train est en la gare."
ReplyDeletethey do, sherwood. but maybe some of them have been eyeballing too much 'mericn TV.
ReplyDeleteWell done all of you.
ReplyDeleteMike, the guy's a Kelly, and no more francophone than you or I (although we both speak French better than he does). However, I notice francophone usage creeping into government English almost constantly - government people say "My coordinates are below" instead of "My contact information is below", which is a direct adoption of the French usage. Also, appendixes to documents are just as likely to be called "annexes", which is what the French use.