Making the World More Understandable

Category Archives: Words

My thoughts and comments on the building blocks of the English language.

“Leap” Is the Wrong Word for Leap Year – Almost

“Leap” Is the Wrong Word for Leap Year – Almost

In all likelihood, you have seen or heard of the Twitter (now X) “debate” about how Leap Day is misnamed. Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson argues that “we’re not leaping anywhere. The calendar is simply, and abruptly, catching up with the Earth’s orbit.” To which Matt Bruenig, someone I’ve never heard of, replied, “if only there was a name for a sudden and abrupt lurch forward.”

I’m assuming Mr. Bruenig thinks that “leap” means a sudden and abrupt lurch. He would be wrong.

What is a Leap?

According to my go-to source Dictionary.com, the verb leap is “to spring through the air from one point or position to another; jump”; while the noun is “to jump over.” No abrupt lurches involved. (And, by definition, a lurch is abrupt, so Mr. Bruenig is redundant as well as wrong.)

According to the Central NY News, the word for adding time to a calendar is “intercalation.” Admittedly, “Intercalation Year” is a bit awkward.

The article goes on to explain that a leap year is so called because all the days in the calendar advance two days instead of one after the addition of February 29th. So, if my birthday was on a Sunday in 2023, it will leap over Monday and be on Tuesday in 2024. And that makes some sense.

And yet…

There Is No Leap

As Tyson said, the calendar is catching up with the Earth’s orbit. We are not skipping or jumping over anything. Instead, we are admitting the fact that a trip around the sun is, in fact, longer than 365 days and we’ve gotten behind.

Inane Trivia Alert

Earth’s orbit around the sun is 365 days, 6 hours, and 9 minutes. That 9 minutes loves to play havoc with leap years. Nominally, to account for those minutes, leap years are skipped every 100 years. So, 1900 did not have a leap day. Why did 2000 have one? Because 9 minutes. Centuries divisible by 400 (such as the year 2000) do get to keep their leap day.

Now What?

Well, I’m not sure there is a single word in the English language that covers all that is a leap year. I just know that “leap” would not have been my choice. Alas, since it seems to be set in the vernacular, we are stuck with it.

– Lorrie Nicoles

How to Learn to Love Your Language: Insult with Style

How to Learn to Love Your Language: Insult with Style

*** DISCLAIMER: I am not advocating being nasty or hurting people’s feelings.Just being creative when you are and might. *** One of the best reasons to have an expansive vocabulary is so that you can insult people with style. Crassly insulting someone/thing in public is generally frowned upon. For example, “you’re f-ing ugly” is a… Continue Reading

Emphasis on the Wrong Syllable, English is Weird or am I Just Saying it Wrong?

Have you ever looked at a word, pronounced it in your head, and then not know what everyone else is talking about? You are probably suffering from Emphasis on the Wrong Syllable syndrome (pronounced Em-Fā-Siss on the Wrong Sa-Lab-El). My best personal example is Appomattox. I walked into US History class one day and that… Continue Reading

Word Rant: Percent

Word Rant: Percent

Language evolves. Words change meaning – sometimes to the opposite of the original definition. I get this, sometimes I encourage it, sometimes I don’t. However, there are some incorrectly used words that evolution will never fix. Today’s rant is around the use of the word “percent.” Simply put, percent means “of 100.” It is another… Continue Reading

Are They Stupid, or Just Ignorant?

Are They Stupid, or Just Ignorant?

Here’s a definition subtlety for you: What’s the difference between ignorance and stupidity? Here’s what Dictionary.com has to say: ignorant: lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned:an ignorant man. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact:ignorant of quantum physics. uninformed; unaware. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training:an ignorant statement.… Continue Reading

What is Journalism?

What is Journalism?

As you may have heard, I’m writing a book. One of the writers that agreed to contribute said that his specialty was journalism – the problem is that he didn’t answer my questions with information I would think of as being from a journalist. So, I thought maybe I wasn’t defining the word properly. So,… Continue Reading