Help me find just the right word
February 5, 2010 9:01 AM Subscribe
WordNerdFilter: Help me figure out what word my friend is thinking of! The word starts with "v" and you would use it to to describe, say, how you deal with a store that is not giving you what you want. None of us can figure out what the word is, and it's driving me crazy!
More details: my friend says the word is kind of obscure, and maybe has a vei or vie in it. A friend of hers used the word in conversation, but previous to that she had only read it in articles. She can't remember what the word is now, and I really want to know what word she's talking about. Browsing through the v section of the dictionary hasn't helped thus far. Any ideas?
More details: my friend says the word is kind of obscure, and maybe has a vei or vie in it. A friend of hers used the word in conversation, but previous to that she had only read it in articles. She can't remember what the word is now, and I really want to know what word she's talking about. Browsing through the v section of the dictionary hasn't helped thus far. Any ideas?
"how you deal with a store that is not giving you what you want."
What does this mean? I'd love to rack my brain, but I don't know what you're referring to. Complaining to the manager? Reporting to the BBB? Throwing a brick through their window?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:04 AM on February 5, 2010
What does this mean? I'd love to rack my brain, but I don't know what you're referring to. Complaining to the manager? Reporting to the BBB? Throwing a brick through their window?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:04 AM on February 5, 2010
Inveigh: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/inveigh
posted by dfriedman at 9:07 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by dfriedman at 9:07 AM on February 5, 2010
vengeance?
posted by scratch at 9:10 AM on February 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by scratch at 9:10 AM on February 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
vitriolic?
posted by craven_morhead at 9:11 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by craven_morhead at 9:11 AM on February 5, 2010
Seconding "inveigh." It may not be the word you're looking for, but it fits the loose definition.
posted by InsanePenguin at 9:13 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 9:13 AM on February 5, 2010
One might complain vehemently. (Though my experience in retail suggests that 'vague' is a word which is often affixed to customer service issues.)
posted by tigrefacile at 9:15 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by tigrefacile at 9:15 AM on February 5, 2010
Response by poster: I wish I had more to provide on the context/definition, but I'm thinking that she must mean "inveigh" or "inveigle." Those sound right. I'm going to run those by her and report back ASAP. In the meantime, any more suggestions are welcome. You word nerds rocks!
posted by luazinha at 9:16 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by luazinha at 9:16 AM on February 5, 2010
Not to add support to my suggestion but note that "inveigh" comports with your description and "inveigle" does not.
posted by dfriedman at 9:25 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by dfriedman at 9:25 AM on February 5, 2010
It seems like the two words work together.. first the store inveigles you and then you inveigh against the store.
posted by amethysts at 9:30 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by amethysts at 9:30 AM on February 5, 2010
It seems like the two words work together.. first the store inveigles you and then you inveigh against the store.
Ehhhh, kinda, not really. As far as I know, inveigle isn't just a general verb/action someone can do to you. They have to inveigle you to do something, or inveigle something from you. That is to say, a store "inveigling you" isn't really proper use, as far as I know. A store "inveigling your money from you," maybe, or "inveigling you to buy a crappy product."
posted by jckll at 9:50 AM on February 5, 2010
Ehhhh, kinda, not really. As far as I know, inveigle isn't just a general verb/action someone can do to you. They have to inveigle you to do something, or inveigle something from you. That is to say, a store "inveigling you" isn't really proper use, as far as I know. A store "inveigling your money from you," maybe, or "inveigling you to buy a crappy product."
posted by jckll at 9:50 AM on February 5, 2010
The word starts with "v" and you would use it to to describe, say, how you deal with a store that is not giving you what you want... and maybe has a vei or vie in it.
Veiled threats. Okay, that's two words, but that's what lots of people use to get what they want.
posted by amyms at 9:52 AM on February 5, 2010
Veiled threats. Okay, that's two words, but that's what lots of people use to get what they want.
posted by amyms at 9:52 AM on February 5, 2010
Well, it's probably inveigh, but at first I thought it was a synonym of boycott and when googling just learned the origin of the word and thought it was fascinating enough to share:
Charles C. Boycott seems to have become a household word because of his strong sense of duty to his employer. An Englishman and former British soldier, Boycott was the estate agent of the Earl of Erne in County Mayo, Ireland. The earl was one of the absentee landowners who as a group held most of the land in Ireland. Boycott was chosen in the fall of 1880 to be the test case for a new policy advocated by Charles Parnell, an Irish politician who wanted land reform. Any landlord who would not charge lower rents or any tenant who took over the farm of an evicted tenant would be given the complete cold shoulder by Parnell's supporters. Boycott refused to charge lower rents and ejected his tenants. At this point members of Parnell's Irish Land League stepped in, and Boycott and his family found themselves isolated—without servants, farmhands, service in stores, or mail delivery. Boycott's name was quickly adopted as the term for this treatment, not just in English but in other languages such as French, Dutch, German, and Russian.posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:13 AM on February 5, 2010 [5 favorites]
Grievance. ...not a "v" starting word, but it has a "v" sound within.
posted by bunny hugger at 11:26 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by bunny hugger at 11:26 AM on February 5, 2010
You might deal with such a store vociferously or with lots of invective.
posted by Mo Nickels at 1:17 PM on February 5, 2010
posted by Mo Nickels at 1:17 PM on February 5, 2010
vexing?
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:22 PM on February 5, 2010
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:22 PM on February 5, 2010
Vicissitude.
posted by four panels at 2:49 PM on February 5, 2010
posted by four panels at 2:49 PM on February 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by carsonb at 9:04 AM on February 5, 2010