"Saving the World, One Apostrophe at a Time"

The title is my mother's slogan. :)

I was brought up to appreciate words. Talking about words is fascinating, funny, satisfying.

I like my Mom's comment on a previous post so much that I feel the need to upgrade it to actual-post status, and respond with some copy-and-pasted definitions.

Mom said: "I hate to be persnickety (do you think I spelled this right), but actually in this context I love the chance to be persnickety. I think you have misused the word "stint". I don't think one can have a stint of generosity, since stint implies the opposite--you know, stingy, tight, parsimonious. A stint of generosity is way too oxymoronic, like a deafening silence. I'm guessing it is not what you meant. I think you meant more along the lines of a short time, maybe a burst, perhaps an episode or flurry? Unless you really meant to imply that the generosity was in some way stingy likey maybe you should have gotten two mac books (just kidding of course). Isn't it weird how flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Or that sanction can mean one thing and then the opposite? How about how if you "table" an idea, either you continue to talk about it, or you stop talking about it. Perhaps now would be a good time to table this discussion of the word "stint."

I say: It appears you are both right...and wrong, at the same time. This is what I found.

stint v.
1. vi to be ungenerous in offering, providing, or giving
2. vt to deny somebody something out of miserliness, or deny something of the self, usually in an act of sacrifice
3. vi to stop or halt (archaic)

n.
1. a fixed period of time spent on a particular task or job
2. limitation or restriction, especially one of time or amount
3. a pause or stoppage (archaic)


And so, you are right that in a sense, "stint" implies an ungenerosity, or a limitation, which I by no means intended. However, if we review the context...

"Well, to give credit where credit's due, my mom and step-dad gave me a new computer, in a stint of oh-so-much generosity."

...I used the word as a noun, so I actually meant what I wrote. A fixed period of time in which they were especially generous. Not that you aren't always generous, but that you aren't always buying me MacBooks.

In retrospect, perhaps burst, episode or flurry would have been more judicious. I also was considering "bout" but turns out that has a negative connotation as well.

Now, to use the archaic usage (n. #3), I think it's time to put a stint to this conversation.

per·snick·e·ty adj
1. overly attentive to detail and trivia
2. snobbish in terms of choice, and thus wanting or accepting only the finest things
3. necessitating precise, keen attention to details

Way to go. But come on, really, when's the last time you misspelled a word?