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Comment by ivansavz | Hacker News Reader

So you're one of those people who like to use "utilize." I've always thought the word is used willy-nilly by people with feeble minds in order to "sound fancy," but you seem like an alright guy.

Could you tell me why you'd want to use "utilize" instead of "use"? Do you intend a different meaning e.g. make-use-of-in-unexpeded-way, or do you see them as synonyms?

To me, it sounds horrible---a buzzword and a French-isism (The French verb to use is utiliser).

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So you're one of those people who like to use "utilize."

Far from it. Looks like this is the first time I've ever typed it:

https://hn.algolia.com/?q=jasonkester+utilize#!/all/forever/...

Hemingway is, though. A quick google search shows that he also has written "helpfully" a few times in his novels, which is another forbidden word in the app we're discussing.

That's what we're doing, by the way: discussing a piece of software. Try not to get too worked up.

I think "helpfully" -- in a helpful manner -- is a fine word, nevermind the grammar marms. I suspect Hemingway did as well.

However, he tried to avoid words like "utilize" that he could easily replace with shorter, more powerful words without losing any expressiveness.

> Try not to get too worked up.

No personal slights, please.

The software calls out "helpfully" because it's an adverb, a part of speech that's good in small doses (according to the creators of the software).

"That's what we're doing, by the way: discussing a piece of software. Try not to get too worked up."

I see what you're doing. Good words.

I don't know whether Hemingway liked using 'utilize' or not. But I expect he used different rules in writing dialogue than in writing narrative. Word usage in dialogue can be used to give us cues about the character speaking. E.g., that he's the sort of person who pontificates by using words like 'utilize'. (Word usage in narrative can even be used to give us cues about the narrator.) I don't know enough to tell whether that's what Hemingway was doing in the quoted dialogue. But good writers often violate usage rules when writing fiction that they'd normally apply to themselves, e.g., when writing an essay.

I'll bite. I get really mad when people do this.

  people - old french / latin
  feeble - old french
  mind - old english, but roots in germanic
  synonym - greek / latin
  expede - I think this doesn't mean what you think it means, but latin.
  horrible - old french

The list goes on. http://etymonline.com/index.php

To me, "utilize" means to use properly. It has a positive connotation that "use" does not.

edit: dictionary.com seems to agree. "to put to use; turn to profitable account"

Utilize is "use" but focusing on the thing being used rather than what it's used for.

I utilized my calculus textbook to prop up my monitor. I used my calculus textbook to prop up my monitor.

In the first, I'm looking for a use for the book and that's what I could do with it. In the second, I need to raise my monitor, and the calculus book was handy.

I also consider it to mean proper use of something. But figured it was just me ascribing extra meaning.

For instance, (assuming no context is provided) if someone said they utilized a fire extinguisher I would assume they meant to put out a fire. If they said they used a fire extinguisher, I would be wondering what they used it for (to propel an office chair , kill a mouse, cool their beer). Context of course almost always exists.

The first definiton of "use" (as a verb with an object) is very similar:

"1. to employ for some purpose; put into service; make use of: to use a knife."

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