RE: Convince vs. Persuade (WAS: Displays versus Appears )

["Carnall, Jane" <Jane -dot- Carnall -at- compaq -dot- com>]

<When I read of someone "convincing" someone else to do something, it sets
off an alarm in me immediately. What good is it to have words with precise
meaning, such as "convince," if we misuse them so badly?>

Robbie Cooper wrote:
<I couldn't agree with you more, Herman.
For those of you reaching for your dictionary...
While convince and persuade are synonyms...there is a usage distinction:>

<snip usage distinction, though it's a good one>

I have a whole flock of pet peeves myself, but I find them expensive to feed
and exhausting to exercise (or perhaps the other way round), so I reserve
pet status for peeves about the actual mistreatment of English: which does
not include the substitution of a word with a synonym for that word, however
traditionally preferred.

Jane Carnall
Brillig Twas und die slithy toves taten gyre und gimble im wabe. Waren die
borogroves und das momerathsoutgrabe ganz mimsy. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Take XML and Tech Writing courses online!  Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off!  http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.