Comments on: Desultory http://www.word-detective.com/2011/09/desultory/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: S F STASH http://www.word-detective.com/2011/09/desultory/comment-page-1/#comment-55787 S F STASH Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:56:10 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=5669#comment-55787 Fantastic explanation. Just discovered [re=discovered] this website via "desultory," an apparently unctious and difficult word to get a grip on. Examples extremely helpful to gain and surround the contextual connotation. Etymology also extremely helpful with multiple pathways and connections not often found. Keep up the good work on words and totally disregard any ongoing waffling. :-) Fantastic explanation.
Just discovered [re=discovered] this website via
“desultory,” an apparently unctious and difficult
word to get a grip on.
Examples extremely helpful to gain and surround
the contextual connotation.
Etymology also extremely helpful with multiple
pathways and connections not often found.
Keep up the good work on words and totally
disregard any ongoing waffling. :-)

]]> By: Richard http://www.word-detective.com/2011/09/desultory/comment-page-1/#comment-40280 Richard Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:58:08 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=5669#comment-40280 And yet, I keep running across contemporary usage of "desultory" as a synonym for "dispirited" or "unenthusiastic," e.g., "a desultory mood settled over over camp with the bad news," or, the couple had a "desultory conversation," meaning they were hardly speaking to each other, not that the subject of the conversation kept changing. Do you think some writers wrongly assume the meaning of "desultory" because of the way the word sounds (it does sound rather dispirited when you say it)? And yet, I keep running across contemporary usage of “desultory” as a synonym for “dispirited” or “unenthusiastic,” e.g., “a desultory mood settled over over camp with the bad news,” or, the couple had a “desultory conversation,” meaning they were hardly speaking to each other, not that the subject of the conversation kept changing.

Do you think some writers wrongly assume the meaning of “desultory” because of the way the word sounds (it does sound rather dispirited when you say it)?

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