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Monday, November 22, 2010

All Blacks doing well -- and not because of anything fortuitous or fortunate


The current All Blacks are certainly doing well -- but the commentators need to look up a dictionary of English usage.

So often what happens is "FORTUITOUS."  The spin of the ball, the drop of the tackled player, the decision of the referee -- or whatever.  If it goes "our" way, it is fortuitous.

Well, maybe it happens by chance, but the commentators seem to think that it is lucky.  Which it is not.  It is simply accidental.

Quote from The Cassell Dictionary of English Usage:

The adjective fortuitous comes from Latin fortuitus 'happening by chance', and means 'accidental, unplanned' ...

Because the adjective is so frequently used to describe a 'lucky happening', fortuitous is something used when 'fortunate' or 'lucky' would be more appropriate.

Will the commentators take any notice of me?

Fat chance.  It would certainly be both fortunate (lucky) and fortuitous (accidental) if they did.

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