Difference between revisions of "Talk:Essay:Best New Conservative Words"

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What does everyone else think about ''militant atheist''? I had to listen to someone rail at me for being a Christian on the train this morning '''for an hour''' and it got me thinking. I've been hearing the term since I was a kid, but that would probably fall into the 20th century. William Ayers anyone? My argument in favor is that most of them try to pass themselves off as peaceful, tolerant, etc, when (only my opinion here) that isn't really the case. We should call it as we see it here. I can't provide a year, but maybe someone with more experience can? What do you think? [[User:Tzoran|Tyler Zoran]] <sup>[[User talk:Tzoran|Talk]]</sup> 13:23, 20 July 2010 (EDT)
 
What does everyone else think about ''militant atheist''? I had to listen to someone rail at me for being a Christian on the train this morning '''for an hour''' and it got me thinking. I've been hearing the term since I was a kid, but that would probably fall into the 20th century. William Ayers anyone? My argument in favor is that most of them try to pass themselves off as peaceful, tolerant, etc, when (only my opinion here) that isn't really the case. We should call it as we see it here. I can't provide a year, but maybe someone with more experience can? What do you think? [[User:Tzoran|Tyler Zoran]] <sup>[[User talk:Tzoran|Talk]]</sup> 13:23, 20 July 2010 (EDT)
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== Selection Bias and Proposal for an Unbiased Test ==
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 +
===Selection bias===
 +
<p>The easiest way to see this is the history of your finds: You have repeatedly achieved what you call a <i>perfect layer</i> (1-2-4-8) of new conservative words, i.e. 1 word of the 17th century, 2 of the 18th century, 4 of the 19th century and 8 of the 20th century.</p>
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 +
<p>What's the probability to get a <i>perfect layer</i>? Here are the probabilities for the century of origin of a random conservative words, assuming that your insight is correct: </p>
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 +
 +
<table><tr><th>Century</th><th>Probability</th></tr><tr><td>17th</td><td>1/15</td></tr><tr><td>18th</td><td>2/15</td></tr><tr><td>19th</td><td>4/15</td></tr><tr><td>20th</td><td>8/15</td></tr></table>
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 +
<p>For a <i>layer</i>, we have to take 15 words. It's easy to calculate the probability that these 15 words form a <i>perfect layer</i>:</p>
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 +
<p>15!/(8!×4!×2!×1!) ×  (1/15)<sup>1</sup> × (2/15)<sup>2</sup> × (4/15)<sup>4</sup> × (8/15)<sup>8</sup>  = 675675 × 2<sup>34</sup> / 15<sup>15</sup>  =0.0265</p>
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 +
<p>2.65% is the probability to chose 15 words and get a <i>perfect layer</i> instead of 2-1-4-8 or 1-2-5-7... And how often was this remarkable deed performed?</p>
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 +
<p>That you were able to repeat this  process for a couple of times shows that you were actively (though not necessarily consciously) looking for words to match your pattern, i.e., you showed a selection bias - a kind of affirmative action for newer words...</p>
 +
 +
===An unbiased test===
 +
<p>Andy, f you are interested in testing your insight, I really would like to help you. The hidden table below contains 500 words which - according to the Merriam-Webster - originated between 1600 and 2000. The list was generated by taking words of the ubuntu-dictionary at random and checking their age automatically via the site of Merriam-Webster. This was repeated until 500 feasible words were found. </p>
 +
 +
<p>If you  mark each conservative word with an "r" (and perhaps each liberal word with an "l"), we'll get an estimate of the percentage of conservative words - and a fairly unbiased distribution over the time.</p>
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 +
<p>Please be aware that the distribution of this sample doesn't follow a geometric law. Here are the number of words by century of origin:</p>
 +
<table><tr><th>Century</th><th>Number of Words</th></tr><tr><td>17th</td><td>151</td></tr><tr><td>18th</td><td>84</td></tr><tr><td>19th</td><td>161</td></tr><tr><td>20th</td><td>104</td></tr></table>
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 +
===Table of random words===
 +
{|class="collapsible collapsed"
 +
!500 words
 +
|-
 +
|1    economics
 +
2    storeroom
 +
3    hunkers
 +
4    sufficing
 +
5    coffeehouses
 +
6    stalagmites
 +
7    therapy
 +
8    sanitation
 +
9    cheapskates
 +
10    Caesareans
 +
11    ringmaster
 +
12    acclimate
 +
13    penology
 +
14    verandah
 +
15    caregivers
 +
16    fed
 +
17    disengaged
 +
18    whitecaps
 +
19    dissertation
 +
20    consignment
 +
21    chainsaws
 +
22    speeds
 +
23    kinfolk
 +
24    caribous
 +
25    hobbyists
 +
26    coefficients
 +
27    protuberance
 +
28    morphemes
 +
29    Caroline
 +
30    millionaires
 +
31    recyclable
 +
32    wilts
 +
33    unreconstructed
 +
34    chandeliers
 +
35    palomino
 +
36    joysticks
 +
37    volleys
 +
38    cajoling
 +
39    bucksaws
 +
40    spars
 +
41    portaged
 +
42    acoustically
 +
43    humanize
 +
44    hybridize
 +
45    tipsters
 +
46    overprices
 +
47    marksmanship
 +
48    fezes
 +
49    depressant
 +
50    auctioned
 +
51    flamethrower
 +
52    biking
 +
53    artistic
 +
54    agribusiness
 +
55    jottings
 +
56    pedicures
 +
57    Cordilleras
 +
58    slots
 +
59    recording
 +
60    unrealistic
 +
61    rationalism
 +
62    peacekeeping
 +
63    aromatherapy
 +
64    jackknife
 +
65    champagne
 +
66    horrendous
 +
67    Quasimodo
 +
68    excavator
 +
69    chowders
 +
70    arts
 +
71    configure
 +
72    civic
 +
73    telegraphy
 +
74    sweepstakes
 +
75    euphoric
 +
76    strategy
 +
77    subgroup
 +
78    shouting
 +
79    gusher
 +
80    telemarketing
 +
81    glucose
 +
82    booties
 +
83    preponderated
 +
84    manures
 +
85    outspokenness
 +
86    wiener
 +
87    embeds
 +
88    amped
 +
89    sternums
 +
90    empathy
 +
91    cognomina
 +
92    colitis
 +
93    kimono
 +
94    retched
 +
95    singletons
 +
96    megaphoned
 +
97    respelled
 +
98    Hindus
 +
99    squiggle
 +
100    irrigates
 +
101    reconstructions
 +
102    deceptiveness
 +
103    colonialism
 +
104    missioned
 +
105    dyes
 +
106    maladroit
 +
107    tents
 +
108    turfs
 +
109    generalization
 +
110    seamanship
 +
111    duffers
 +
112    scruffier
 +
113    pollinate
 +
114    bobcats
 +
115    achieved
 +
116    exerted
 +
117    flapjack
 +
118    Independence
 +
119    lucidity
 +
120    indenturing
 +
121    enumerable
 +
122    disenchanted
 +
123    flashback
 +
124    trilogies
 +
125    colloquially
 +
126    Colby
 +
127    killjoys
 +
128    lifelines
 +
129    hydrotherapy
 +
130    psychoanalysis
 +
131    memorializing
 +
132    bronchitis
 +
133    rink
 +
134    automobiles
 +
135    dandy
 +
136    schoolmarms
 +
137    debriefing
 +
138    glands
 +
139    oceanography
 +
140    jetted
 +
141    hurdler
 +
142    dependability
 +
143    tactician
 +
144    rotor
 +
145    liturgies
 +
146    quantified
 +
147    wests
 +
148    quitters
 +
149    ocarinas
 +
150    betting
 +
151    apathetically
 +
152    smoggier
 +
153    Xenia
 +
154    saris
 +
155    dupe
 +
156    voodooism
 +
157    optimize
 +
158    particularization
 +
159    funereally
 +
160    masterminding
 +
161    capsizes
 +
162    orchestrates
 +
163    uncivilized
 +
164    emphasized
 +
165    skyrocket
 +
166    plagiarist
 +
167    politicoes
 +
168    streptococci
 +
169    pantsuits
 +
170    waving
 +
171    decontaminates
 +
172    teensy
 +
173    taxonomy
 +
174    proselytizes
 +
175    drollness
 +
176    expectoration
 +
177    legmen
 +
178    modulations
 +
179    diploma
 +
180    Brandy
 +
181    radar
 +
182    pushiest
 +
183    drill
 +
184    lush
 +
185    temperas
 +
186    musicals
 +
187    wheal
 +
188    horticulture
 +
189    cancan
 +
190    jocularity
 +
191    caramels
 +
192    bipolar
 +
193    sophisticated
 +
194    injudicious
 +
195    emulsion
 +
196    ignore
 +
197    cannonballed
 +
198    swastika
 +
199    overachievers
 +
200    rubella
 +
201    chuckhole
 +
202    ersatz
 +
203    breeziness
 +
204    climaxes
 +
205    explosiveness
 +
206    empathizing
 +
207    jumps
 +
208    secularizing
 +
209    sequoia
 +
210    bibliography
 +
211    prettying
 +
212    bouldered
 +
213    authorship
 +
214    vocalizing
 +
215    tarpons
 +
216    camisoles
 +
217    cowpox
 +
218    tans
 +
219    breathable
 +
220    machines
 +
221    tycoon
 +
222    flicking
 +
223    squishes
 +
224    semiprofessional
 +
225    feline
 +
226    seedling
 +
227    hankie
 +
228    entitlement
 +
229    abscissa
 +
230    derisive
 +
231    romance
 +
232    overprice
 +
233    beads
 +
234    stipple
 +
235    Kitty
 +
236    jewelled
 +
237    mascaraed
 +
238    dissociation
 +
239    moments
 +
240    Spica
 +
241    quaking
 +
242    legislation
 +
243    wobbly
 +
244    scorches
 +
245    books
 +
246    gastrointestinal
 +
247    finked
 +
248    renegotiates
 +
249    flautists
 +
250    wrongheadedness
 +
251    allergenic
 +
252    squishiest
 +
253    kickoffs
 +
254    mecca
 +
255    disses
 +
256    woodwinds
 +
257    discotheques
 +
258    replacements
 +
259    tomahawks
 +
260    voluptuaries
 +
261    salon
 +
262    eliciting
 +
263    resale
 +
264    soporific
 +
265    dosage
 +
266    smokestacks
 +
267    rationalists
 +
268    subsumed
 +
269    futzes
 +
270    minutemen
 +
271    stingrays
 +
272    marathoner
 +
273    vagina
 +
274    propellers
 +
275    rooftops
 +
276    sensationalist
 +
277    bluejackets
 +
278    individualize
 +
279    hyphenating
 +
280    Xanthippe
 +
281    federated
 +
282    amortize
 +
283    airfare
 +
284    hyphenates
 +
285    syncopates
 +
286    sermonizing
 +
287    biochemistry
 +
288    babysat
 +
289    yellows
 +
290    riskier
 +
291    cassocks
 +
292    stated
 +
293    Cordoba
 +
294    Slinky
 +
295    eventfully
 +
296    nines
 +
297    blabbermouths
 +
298    fraternizes
 +
299    bucked
 +
300    Boolean
 +
301    bivalve
 +
302    ricochetted
 +
303    toys
 +
304    toted
 +
305    commissars
 +
306    cushioning
 +
307    redeploy
 +
308    poignancy
 +
309    variegating
 +
310    snuffbox
 +
311    stoplight
 +
312    biochemists
 +
313    bicycling
 +
314    disenfranchised
 +
315    nosing
 +
316    enlightenment
 +
317    knockout
 +
318    resurgent
 +
319    pediments
 +
320    skyscrapers
 +
321    treatments
 +
322    polio
 +
323    flashbulbs
 +
324    empower
 +
325    rounding
 +
326    pervasive
 +
327    humped
 +
328    oxymora
 +
329    freebie
 +
330    passageway
 +
331    barfing
 +
332    motorists
 +
333    triglycerides
 +
334    Mayans
 +
335    stopped
 +
336    kidnapper
 +
337    pensioning
 +
338    foreclosures
 +
339    Yankees
 +
340    manifestoing
 +
341    predictor
 +
342    Delawares
 +
343    librettos
 +
344    panoply
 +
345    angstroms
 +
346    jodhpurs
 +
347    backpedal
 +
348    sugars
 +
349    preclude
 +
350    unravelling
 +
351    Lilliput
 +
352    motivator
 +
353    enslavement
 +
354    pencilling
 +
355    flukey
 +
356    amoral
 +
357    depository
 +
358    unemotional
 +
359    stumpy
 +
360    cartons
 +
361    gal
 +
362    ignitions
 +
363    malingered
 +
364    spotlighted
 +
365    photographic
 +
366    abnegated
 +
367    dashing
 +
368    atrocious
 +
369    inanities
 +
370    derricks
 +
371    mountaineer
 +
372    inseminate
 +
373    sacrosanct
 +
374    modernize
 +
375    specializations
 +
376    obliging
 +
377    heckles
 +
378    baccalaureates
 +
379    bluebirds
 +
380    lengthiest
 +
381    octets
 +
382    physiotherapist
 +
383    disorganizing
 +
384    toffees
 +
385    unfurling
 +
386    abnegate
 +
387    bathrobe
 +
388    socked
 +
389    crepe
 +
390    polkas
 +
391    overwriting
 +
392    punned
 +
393    platoons
 +
394    infrared
 +
395    ensuring
 +
396    decimate
 +
397    baggiest
 +
398    plungers
 +
399    trampolining
 +
400    centigram
 +
401    Topsy
 +
402    epochal
 +
403    boogies
 +
404    showrooms
 +
405    pianofortes
 +
406    Orphic
 +
407    logbooks
 +
408    amphibious
 +
409    rapprochements
 +
410    terms
 +
411    Kalmyk
 +
412    petering
 +
413    geocentric
 +
414    stills
 +
415    ethnologist
 +
416    exec
 +
417    flairs
 +
418    likableness
 +
419    rods
 +
420    melange
 +
421    graduated
 +
422    ante
 +
423    voluminously
 +
424    impaled
 +
425    cognacs
 +
426    yups
 +
427    comfiest
 +
428    strychnine
 +
429    subsoiled
 +
430    conics
 +
431    Salish
 +
432    windsocks
 +
433    rutabaga
 +
434    vacuumed
 +
435    maestri
 +
436    podiatrist
 +
437    restructured
 +
438    metrically
 +
439    motorcade
 +
440    zipping
 +
441    unmoral
 +
442    electioneered
 +
443    minibikes
 +
444    trillion
 +
445    sudsier
 +
446    actuator
 +
447    acing
 +
448    masochism
 +
449    softeners
 +
450    cocksucker
 +
451    brig
 +
452    verbs
 +
453    buccaneer
 +
454    confessed
 +
455    filibustered
 +
456    rearmed
 +
457    melodramatics
 +
458    swivelled
 +
459    veggies
 +
460    monochrome
 +
461    hellos
 +
462    escalators
 +
463    Seyfert
 +
464    bushwhack
 +
465    encapsulation
 +
466    combining
 +
467    realists
 +
468    playgrounds
 +
469    teenage
 +
470    glandular
 +
471    tot
 +
472    cyclical
 +
473    tinsmith
 +
474    commitment
 +
475    undersells
 +
476    orthopaedics
 +
477    yardstick
 +
478    Vivian
 +
479    peppy
 +
480    swatted
 +
481    earlobes
 +
482    snapshots
 +
483    nitpicker
 +
484    unities
 +
485    depressants
 +
486    briefing
 +
487    halo
 +
488    watermarking
 +
489    electronics
 +
490    inadequates
 +
491    ghosted
 +
492    rapscallions
 +
493    snorkeler
 +
494    percentages
 +
495    relapsing
 +
496    facet
 +
497    inconsistently
 +
498    takeout
 +
499    acidify
 +
500    password
 +
|}
 +
[[User:RonLar|RonLar]] 09:15, 25 July 2010 (EDT)

Revision as of 13:15, July 25, 2010

Archive 1
Archive 2


Mother Nature

In the New Liberal Terms section, I put the term Mother Nature in the list. Is it right?--Willminator 18:40, 22 April 2010 (EDT)

I won't argue whether or not Mother nature is a liberal term on the grounds that I think the distinction between conservative and liberal words is dubious at best, however it is most certainly not a new word. The idea of mother nature is as old as the ancient greeks or older. --Ben Talk 18:46, 22 May 2010 (EDT)

That's a clever way to dispose of a vexing question.--Andy Schlafly 18:56, 22 May 2010 (EDT)

Well I don't want to waste your time by arguing the point Mr. Schlafly. If you want to put the term back in feel free. --Ben Talk 19:24, 22 May 2010 (EDT)

How is it dubious? Also, I haven’t heard of any writings or speeches where the term Mother Nature was used hundreds of years ago. Show me at least one speech or writing where the term was used. Liberals use it to discredit Father God’s role in creation. They think that it was nature, not God, who made us. To Liberals, nature is their goddess. Funny how Wikipedia’s article on Mother Nature denies the atheistic, evolutionary and environmental implications of the term.--Willminator 19:55, 22 April 2010 (EDT)

Look up "Gaia" or "Terra Mater" - "Mother Nature" or "Mother Earth" has been around thousands of years. PaulBurnett 22:23, 16 June 2010 (EDT)
The idea of personifying all of nature as a woman surely predates the liberalism of 20th century and early 21st century America. But the way in which the natural world came into existence, specifically the planet Earth which supports all life known to exist, is unknown to science: speculation is not "science" unless expressed as a theory to which a counterexample could conceivably be found (see falsifiability).
Those scientists who deny God's role in Creation are committing the same intellectual offense they accuse intelligent design theorists of. It is also not "science" to comment on metaphysical ideas, unless we grant that the scientific method can be applied to matters beyond physical science.
The trick which liberals are playing with their anti-conservative words is to pretend that they are talking about one thing, while they are actually talking about another. This is literally the oldest trick in the book; recall that the serpent tempting Eve told her, "You will not die" yet Jesus explained later on many occasions that "life" and "death" correspond to being able or unable to love God. So eating the forbidden fruit did indeed cause Eve's death. (See verses like, "You have the name of being alive, but you are dead" in Revelations and, "Let the dead bury their own dead" in Luke 9)
We need precise definitions of words, to prevent being tricked and fooled by deceivers with a hidden agenda. The so-called "peace movement", for example, never wanted peace but simply the victory of America's anti-democratic enemies. The "save the earth" movement is not at all concerned with preserving the environment for the well-being of human beings: it's an excuse to increase centralized control over resources, in a way which will destroy prosperity, hurting the world's poor more than any one else.
Now it's a matter of personal belief for me that God has a feminine aspect; my church specifically teaches that the Holy Spirit is feminine, and that God is a being whose harmonized masculinity and femininity are reflected in men and women (see Gen. 1:27) but I won't preach here. The issue is the relationship between Nature and human beings.
Liberals claim that science has proved Evolution without providing any evidence for it, let alone discussing a means by which the theory might be falsified (thus providing a highly prominent example of pseudoscience). Then they misuse this idea to hint that science has also discovered the source of the physical world (Big Bang theory) and the origin of life. Of course, when pressed, they must concede that the Theory of Evolution does not tell us how life came into being. But high school biology textbooks write about life as if it simply "evolved" from inorganic chemicals. This, by the way, is a great example of how New Liberal Words are misused to trick people. --Ed Poor Talk 07:10, 6 July 2010 (EDT)
That's a fascinating analysis, Ed. Thank you for sharing it. I appreciate the suggestion that the Holy Spirit is feminine. Usually groups of people, like nations or large audiences, are considered to be more feminine than masculine in nature.--Andy Schlafly 10:13, 6 July 2010 (EDT)

"Bully pulpit"

How about "bully pulpit"? When Teddy Roosevelt coined this, "bully" meant something like "excellent" rather than overbearing.--Andy Schlafly 19:47, 22 May 2010 (EDT)

I guess it's kind of like the word gay. At first gay meant happy and now it means something else.--Willminator 19:55, 22 April 2010 (EDT)


Definition

I think this article needs a clear definition of what is meant by "conservative words." As I was reading it, I found it unclear as to whether it's about words invented by Conservatives or words representing Conservative values. I gather it's the latter, but I had to look in the talk page to find that. Either way, the introduction to the article isn't very clear and I'm reluctant to write a definition since I'm not sure I'm on the same page as the contributors. Would someone care to do that? EMorris 13:49, 2 June 2010 (EDT)

33 million sites turn up in a Google search for "anti-Christian" - Wrong!

For the term "anti-Christian" the article claims "thirty-three million sites turn up in a Google search."

Where did this number come from? Go to Google and type in "anti-Christian" (in quotes) and you get 945,000 hits. Type in "anti-Christian" (NOT in quotes - which is totally sloppy Googling) and you get 7,590,000 hits. Where did the "thirty-three million" come from? PaulBurnett 22:11, 16 June 2010 (EDT)

That's an interesting observation, Paul. The number of Google links retrieved for the search "anti-Christian" has fallen substantially. That begs the question of why.--Andy Schlafly 22:18, 16 June 2010 (EDT)

Adding Obama Portmanteaus

I've noticed the list does not have any of the Obama portmanteaus, like Obamanation, Obamunism, etc. Shouldn't these terms be added? They are great for described the unfortunate turn this country is taking. JonS 17:13, 27 June 2010 (EDT)

Underdog

Conservative term imho. Seeker of greatness against the odds. Cinderella story. David (underdog) slays Goliath. The meek (underdog) shall inherit the Earth. --Jpatt 03:09, 10 July 2010 (EDT)

I agree that "underdog" is a conservative term, and I will promote it now. Thanks for mentioning this.--Andy Schlafly 08:42, 10 July 2010 (EDT)

Excellent scholarship

In the face of such well founded scholarship, Liberals will never manage to disprove the remarkable growth pattern illustrating the doubling per century of Conservative words. Nevertheless, perhaps the essay could be improved slightly by adding that Conservative words are words that express a Conservative concept or words that are used significantly more often by conservatives than Liberals. AmandaBunting 17:20, 14 July 2010 (EDT)

Not sure what confusion you're trying to clear up here. Conservatives words express insights that are conservative. These words are freely available to liberals and conservatives alike, though liberals may indeed irrationally try (in a fool's errand) to avoid using them.--Andy Schlafly 00:34, 15 July 2010 (EDT)

Maggie Thatcher

Great article. How about some of Margaret Thatcher's great new conservative terms:

  • U-turn: What liberal politicians do all the time
  • There is no alternative: Liberals pretend that they have an alternative to conservative values
  • Oxygen of publicity: What liberals want to give to terrorists
  • Fight to win: What conservatives should do!

BenjyB 19:03, 14 July 2010 (EDT)

Get this! Adding those four terms takes the total for the 20th century to 160 - we're getting very close to a perfect geometric progression. BenjyB 19:07, 14 July 2010 (EDT)
Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm not sure the above terms meet the high quality level of the entries. Perhaps because "Maggie" was actually not very conservative by American standards? She seemed fine with nationalized health care, for example.--Andy Schlafly 00:29, 15 July 2010 (EDT)

Possibility

quack, coined 1638, to refer to charlatans deceiving others with pseudoscience. Used extensively today to describe the favorite "medicines" of new-age liberals. DouglasA 20:40, 14 July 2010 (EDT)

Interesting and informative suggestion. However, the term strikes me as name-calling rather than insightful. I'm not sure its use would be consistent with our rules!--Andy Schlafly 00:26, 15 July 2010 (EDT)

Kiss of Death

The term "Kiss of Death" clearly originated earlier than 1943, as the article would suggest, as there was a 1916 film by that name. In fact, I'm not convinced this was the origin of the term, which has probably been in use since Judas' betrayal. DanieleGiusto 22:01, 14 July 2010 (EDT)

Your link to Wikipedia is broken, and the movie was probably a literal rather than figurative use of the word. Merriam-Webster gives a date of 1943.--Andy Schlafly 00:24, 15 July 2010 (EDT)
Fixed the link; thanks for the heads-up. DanieleGiusto 13:38, 16 July 2010 (EDT)

-

Possibility for 1800's: Carpetbagger

While the term originally related specifically to northern politicians interjecting themselves into the politics of the Reconstruction-era south, it has since come to be used for political opportunists in a more general sense. Since this sort of behavior is common among Democrats (Hillary Clinton, anyone?) I'd argue that the term has value as a conservative word. --Benp 12:52, 19 July 2010 (EDT)

"Carpetbagger" is a fascinating suggestion. Hillary Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy were modern senatorial examples. Perhaps there are other modern examples also.--Andy Schlafly 16:45, 19 July 2010 (EDT)


Well...hmm. There's John Garamendi, the former lieutenant governor of California, who ran for election to the House in a district where he didn't live. His defense, as I recall, was "Well, I don't live there, but my front yard's in the district." (It wasn't.) --Benp 17:26, 19 July 2010 (EDT)

Research method

I just wanted to point out that actively looking for words to fit the geometric rate of growth, from a scientific point of view, is a biased method of research. You will ALWAYS find words in a 1-2-4-8 geometric growth rate, if that's what you actively look for. A more neutral research method would be to ***randomly*** (I can't stress it enough, it MUST be random) pick up, say, 1000 words created after 1600, and see if they match that growth rate.

This method CAN lead to a scientific result, mind you, but only after ALL words created after 1600 have been taken into account, whether they match the growth rate or not. Feel free to refute my reasoning if I made a logical flaw in it, and if you think that actively choosing words to fit a 1-2-4-8 growth rate has scientific validity, please explain me why I am wrong. Thank you! --MarcoT2 11:35, 20 July 2010 (EDT)

Suggestion?

What does everyone else think about militant atheist? I had to listen to someone rail at me for being a Christian on the train this morning for an hour and it got me thinking. I've been hearing the term since I was a kid, but that would probably fall into the 20th century. William Ayers anyone? My argument in favor is that most of them try to pass themselves off as peaceful, tolerant, etc, when (only my opinion here) that isn't really the case. We should call it as we see it here. I can't provide a year, but maybe someone with more experience can? What do you think? Tyler Zoran Talk 13:23, 20 July 2010 (EDT)

Selection Bias and Proposal for an Unbiased Test

Selection bias

The easiest way to see this is the history of your finds: You have repeatedly achieved what you call a perfect layer (1-2-4-8) of new conservative words, i.e. 1 word of the 17th century, 2 of the 18th century, 4 of the 19th century and 8 of the 20th century.

What's the probability to get a perfect layer? Here are the probabilities for the century of origin of a random conservative words, assuming that your insight is correct:


CenturyProbability
17th1/15
18th2/15
19th4/15
20th8/15

For a layer, we have to take 15 words. It's easy to calculate the probability that these 15 words form a perfect layer:

15!/(8!×4!×2!×1!) × (1/15)1 × (2/15)2 × (4/15)4 × (8/15)8 = 675675 × 234 / 1515 =0.0265

2.65% is the probability to chose 15 words and get a perfect layer instead of 2-1-4-8 or 1-2-5-7... And how often was this remarkable deed performed?

That you were able to repeat this process for a couple of times shows that you were actively (though not necessarily consciously) looking for words to match your pattern, i.e., you showed a selection bias - a kind of affirmative action for newer words...

An unbiased test

Andy, f you are interested in testing your insight, I really would like to help you. The hidden table below contains 500 words which - according to the Merriam-Webster - originated between 1600 and 2000. The list was generated by taking words of the ubuntu-dictionary at random and checking their age automatically via the site of Merriam-Webster. This was repeated until 500 feasible words were found.

If you mark each conservative word with an "r" (and perhaps each liberal word with an "l"), we'll get an estimate of the percentage of conservative words - and a fairly unbiased distribution over the time.

Please be aware that the distribution of this sample doesn't follow a geometric law. Here are the number of words by century of origin:

CenturyNumber of Words
17th151
18th84
19th161
20th104

Table of random words

RonLar 09:15, 25 July 2010 (EDT)