Language question: Why has "vinyls" become a word?

Advertising people. It's from our jargon. Sorry.

 

Why? Because people don't correct others when they're wrong. For whatever reason. Then it keeps happening until it becomes a word and we have a generation of people dumber than the last.

 

I've noticed that people really, really, really like having their grammar corrected when they're in the middle of saying something important.

Especially verbally, and in front of peers.

 

Yeah, I see "loose" confused for "lose" on a daily basis.

"Waist" and "waste" is also climbing the top 10.

 

Irregardless....

 

Mine is the incredibly (millennial-originated, of course) thing of turning nouns into verbs.

Idiots.

 

Would it be better to let them continue to look stupid?

 

People do not check spelling. They type fast, but don't take a minute to "check their work". Then they complain when they get called out for it.

 

Vinyl siding has gone WAY out of vogue, more than a generation ago, and is definitely not a term that you hear very much any more. I think I occasionally see ads for vinyl siding on Antennae TV, and the like -- but millennials don't watch that much traditional TV (aren't exposed to that kind of advertising at much), and they're certainly not watching Antennae TV.

Vinyl flooring, the same thing -- mostly a relic of the past. Never hear about it anymore. Certainly millennials wouldn't.

Not making a value judgement, nor calling millennials stupid. It's just that the term (outside of vinyl=record) just isn't in their lexicon, through no fault of their own.

 

I'm fairly certain that a subset of the "vinyls" contingent probably do say "a vinyl" on occasion. Not a big subset, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Especially if English was their second language. "A vinyl" makes perfect logical sense. Which, of course, English does not.

 

Depends how you're "correcting" them. If you're trying to make them speak the exact same English as you do, based on your region, culture, age, and education, I imagine you might want to ensure that your intervention doesn't come off as racist, classist, or just out-of-date. (Not to mention rude?)

If you're talking to an English learner, they may welcome the feedback.

YMMV, as they say on the internets...

 

Don't know why it bothers me, but it does, been a pet hate for sometime still don't know why, it's a protectionist thing. Don't come into my world and mess with it.

 

This reminds me of the Gary Trudeau humor piece riffing off a Madonna interview translated from English to Hungarian to English:

BLIKK: Is this how you met Carlos, your love servant who is reputed? Did you know he was heaven-sent right off the stick? Or were you dating many other people in your bed at the same time?

MADONNA: No, he was the only one I was dating in my bed then, so it is a scientific fact that the baby was made in my womb using him. But as regards those questions, enough! I am a woman and not a test-mouse!

 

Musical Fidelity are now naming their phono stage models 'Vinyl' rather than 'Phono'. Maybe that is good marketing but at the asking prices buyers should know what a phono stage is for.

 

In some cases, yes. An old boss comes to mind. ;o)

 

Now that is stupid!...

 

You have to spell it thicc, not thick.

 

Thank you. We were having an actual IRL convo, so I didn't see the spelling. Back to Urban Dictionary I go.

 

I don't see the problem with the word "vinyl" used in this way.

An album or an LP (=Long Player) could be on any medium - vinyl, CD, cassette or digital download.
"Record" is simply not specific enough, for the same reason. We say that Carly Rae Jepson has just put out a record, meaning released an album of music. We don't say "released a vinyl" or "released a CD" , because thealbum probably appears on both formats, and possibly others.

To be pedantic we probably should say "vinyl album" or "vinyl disc", but shortening it to "vinyl" is to be expected and pretty logical.

Now on to the next complaint: "turntable" vs "record player". Once again I'm happy with this. A record player is anything that plays records, by whatever means. A turntable is a name for a very specific device. Specifying "turntable" makes it clear that you want something you can play vinyl records on, you don't want a compact disc player

Replacement of unspecific terms in English by other terms that more precisely say what's meant? More of this, please. This is the kind of language evolution that I like.

 

The amount of times I've ran into this.

That and, calling any modern game controller (past 30 years) "paddles" comes up way too much on listings for used consoles.

 

It hasnt for me. Falls into the same category as the phrase "baby daddy". Both sound like a phrase that a 13 yr old that needs to pull his pants up would say.

All imo of course

 

Paddles??

Dear god. I'm 50, and I haven't heard the term "paddles" in probably close to 30 years. At least 25.

 

This wins the prize for "Funniest Comment" thus far on this thread.
Too funny!

 

The datas show that people are ignorant.

Whatevs.