Using the wrong word

Good one: as far I can gather envy is when someone's got something you want and jealous is when you have something you think other people want.
Jealous Meaning and Definition

1. (a.) Disposed to suspect rivalry in matters of interest and affection; apprehensive regarding the motives of possible rivals, or the fidelity of friends; distrustful; having morbid fear of rivalry in love or preference given to another; painfully suspicious of the faithfulness of husband, wife, or lover.
2. (a.) Apprehensive; anxious; suspiciously watchful
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Dictionary: en·vi·ous (ĕn'vē-əs) pronunciation
adj.

1. Feeling, expressing, or characterized by envy: “At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way.... He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage” (Stephen Crane). See synonyms at jealous.
2. Archaic. Eager to emulate; emulous.
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Which means that most of the time the word "jealous" is used incorrectly (strictly speaking) - but in common usage, AFAIK, the two words more or less interchangeable.
Fraggle may know different, but I'd say that the word "jealous" is going the same way that my favourite (sophisticated) has gone - usage has altered and ignored the dictionary definition.
 
I think the way my Dad explained it to me was:
Oh, I'm so jealous of my neighbors new car. (incorrect)

Oh, I'm so envious of my neighbors new car. (correct)

A person can't be jealous towards a car. You could be envious, and want that car.

Oh, you're making me so jealous. (correct)
Oh, you're making me so envious. (incorrect)
 
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"Lend" and "borrow" used the wrong way about.
 
GFW is in conflict with a body whose every action, including speech, is achieve by controlling mussels, which in turn are controlled by neural impulses, which in turn are caused by the diffusion of neurotransmitters across synaptic gaps (called "clefs") and the prior state of the nerves, such as how much more excitation or reduction of inhibition is required for a impulse to originate in the axon near the nerve body (called the "stoma", if memory serves me and my spelling is not too bad.)
 
justwonderingjoe said:
I think the way my Dad explained it to me was:
Oh, I'm so jealous of my neighbors new car. (incorrect)

Oh, I'm so envious of my neighbors new car. (correct)

A person can't be jealous towards a car. You could be envious, and want that car.

Oh, you're making me so jealous. (correct)
Oh, you're making me so envious. (incorrect)
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But if you were actually jealous of the car, meaning the car had something you wanted then would it be the correct word to use? Like say if your significant other spent more time with their car than you. Or is it an animate/ inanimate object thing?
 
Exterminate!!! said:
Isn't irregardless a double-negative?
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The lecturer had just declared that while double negatives were common, there was no such thing in English as a double positive.

A bored voice was heard from the back of the lecture theatre. "Yeah.... Right."
 
In which case you'd be envious of the car and jealous of your SO = the car has something you want and you have suspicions that someone (something) has "designs" on your SO.
 
I have never corrected anyone on this, but it has occurred to me that the use of "quantum leap" to mean "a monumental change" is a pet peeve of mine.
 
Not sure if this belongs here or in the "mispronunciation" thread, but what is the deal with "whining" versus "whinging"? Is this another British / American thing? I see whinging here on SF a lot (pun intended) but have never encountered that usage in American writing. I am not even sure if the two words are meant to express the exact same meaning, I just assume it from the context. Fraggle, (or anyone) can you explain this?

Example: There's been an awful lot of whinging going on lately.
 
Oli said:
In which case you'd be envious of the car and jealous of your SO = the car has something you want and you have suspicions that someone (something) has "designs" on your SO.
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But I thought that if something was receiving more attention than you it was jealousy, so it's envy? I'm confused. :confused:
 
Randwolf said:
Not sure if this belongs here or in the "mispronunciation" thread, but what is the deal with "whining" versus "whinging"? Is this another British / American thing? I see whinging here on SF a lot (pun intended) but have never encountered that usage in American writing. I am not even sure if the two words are meant to express the exact same meaning, I just assume it from the context. Fraggle, (or anyone) can you explain this?

Example: There's been an awful lot of whinging going on lately.
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Hey, sugar, it's an Aussie/Brit informal verb. It sounds like "hinge" with a "W."
 
I swear my husband uses seen & saw, and bring & take wrong. But I'm not sure. It just doesn't sound right.
'I seen you go into the house'
'bring it over there'
 
He's wrong. That's past participle, so he'd have to say, "I *have* seen you go into the house," or, "I saw you go into the house."

I live in the south and you hear pretty bright people mix these up.
 
CutsieMarie89 said:
But I thought that if something was receiving more attention than you it was jealousy, so it's envy? I'm confused. :confused:
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Yep, it's envy: but the two words have become more or less interchangeable in common usage.
 
justwonderingjoe said:
What's the proper usage for envious and jealous? They seem to have the same meaning, but I was told they don't. Can anyone clarify?
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Jealousy: thoughts and feelings that arise when an actual or desired relationship is threatened

Envy: thoughts and feelings that arise when your personal qualities, possessions, or achievements do not measure up to those of someone relevant to you


that is the difference. jealousy refers to a relationship you have or want to have - for instance, if your best friend becomes good friends with someone else, and starts to spend more time with them and less time with you, you would be jealous of the new friend. you would not be envious. however, if someone has a specific item or quality that you want, you are envious of them.
 
Time to look it up:
  • Jealousy:
  • 1. Resentment of a rival's success, advantage, etc., or of the rival.
  • 2. An uneasy suspicion or fear of rivalry, or of the infidelity of a lover, partner, subordinate, etc. with a rival.
  • Envy: Discontent or covetousness regarding another's success, advantages, possessions, lover, etc.
The two words overlap in meaning and are often used colloquially as synonyms. However, to be precise I would suggest that to envy is to wish one had what the rival has, whereas to be jealous is to wish that the rival did not have it.
 
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