FACTOID - An Apparently Misunderstood Word

[mcatrophy]

Remember, Barney Fife wore a badge and he had a big following too.

But I haven't got a clue who or what Barney Fife is or was. And by the sounds of your post, I don't want to know .

 

[Fred W]

Seems to be the mostly correct definition although #5 here has an interesting connotation...

5. factoid

an alternative way of expressing the somewhat offensive term ******** in polite company
"hey! factoid! put down my sandwich!"

Everything has a different connotation in the "Urban Dictionary", and most of it is sexually graphic. It's what happens when we let the our modern youth steer the meaning of language. That's pretty much all they think about...

You made me curious so I looked factoid up on two online dictionaries. In both cases they listed your definition as the second usage. The first usage listed was in one case: "a brief or trivial item of news or information", and in the other dictionary the first usage is: an insignificant or trivial fact.
And that is your factoid of the day.

I don't see that the first one conflicts with Bounce's definition. Most of the "brief and trivial items" reported in the news are falsehoods that have been repeated often enough to be accepted as factual.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Bounce's proposition is that a factoid is not a fact. According to two dictionaries at least, factoids are facts. Brief, trivial and insignificant to be sure, but facts none the less. The suffix "oid" indicates likeness, resemblance, or similarity to the preceding element of the word.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Bounce's proposition is that a factoid is not a fact. According to two dictionaries at least, factoids are facts. Brief, trivial and insignificant to be sure, but facts none the less. The suffix "oid" indicates likeness, resemblance, or similarity to the preceding element of the word. I just discovered I have dictionaries on my computer, so I'm armed and dangerous.

 

[Fred W]

Bounce's proposition is that a factoid is not a fact. According to two dictionaries at least, factoids are facts. Brief, trivial and insignificant to be sure, but facts none the less. The suffix "oid" indicates likeness, resemblance, or similarity to the preceding element of the word.

I'll reply to your first response. (My response to your second one would be really similar)

Let's look at Webster's definition:

fac·toid noun \ˈfak-ˌtȯid\
: a brief and usually unimportant fact

Full Definition of FACTOID

1: an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print

2: a briefly stated and usually trivial fact

So, yes, it seems that a factoid can be an invented fact (non-fact) OR it can be briefly stated trivial fact. Maybe not so misunderstood after all?

Now here's a fun little factoid that I was presented when I looked up the definition of factoid:

Factoid is currently in the top 1% of lookups and is the #1 most popular word on Merriam-Webster.com.

I have no idea if that is true, but I read it on the intarwebs. I guess factoid has gone viral!

 

[mcatrophy]

Now here's a fun little factoid that I was presented when I looked up the definition of factoid:

Factoid is currently in the top 1% of lookups and is the #1 most popular word on Merriam-Webster.com.

I have no idea if that is true, but I read it on the intarwebs. I guess factoid has gone viral!

Maybe there aren't many people looking up words on that site, and all-of-a-sudden, 527 members of FJRForum Googled "factoid", so google.com searches all the dictionaries it knows.

Maybe.

That's not a fact OR a factoid.

Yet.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Now here's a fun little factoid that I was presented when I looked up the definition of factoid:

Factoid is currently in the top 1% of lookups and is the #1 most popular word on Merriam-Webster.com.

I have no idea if that is true, but I read it on the intarwebs. I guess factoid has gone viral!

Maybe there aren't many people looking up words on that site, and all-of-a-sudden, 527 members of FJRForum Googled "factoid", so google.com searches all the dictionaries it knows.

Maybe.

That's not a fact OR a factoid.

Yet.

I believe that there is a strong possibility that your statement is at least a factoid. Now, I cannot determine at this time if that falls under the first or second definition of factoid, that remains to be seen.

I have to disagree with Fred on this topic though. The two definitions seem to be completely opposite. Either it is a fact or it is a falsehood. The importance or lack thereof has no bearing on whether it is fact or fiction.

 

[Bounce]

Is this a pointless thread? Just asking. If not, I'll post more so I can add to the Forum knowledge base.

It is now that I moved (my own thread) there.

Bounce's proposition is that a factoid is not a fact. According to two dictionaries at least, factoids are facts. Brief, trivial and insignificant to be sure, but facts none the less. The suffix "oid" indicates likeness, resemblance, or similarity to the preceding element of the word.

"similar to" does not mean "same as" (a fact). QED

 

[Pterodactyl]

"similar to" does not mean "same as" (a fact). QED

Hmmm, I think that is a factlet.

QED... mathematician's way of saying "I win fukface"

 

[Bounce]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q.E.D.

Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, originating from the Greek analogous hóper édei deîxai (ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι), meaning "which had to be demonstrated". The phrase is traditionally placed in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument when what was specified in the enunciation — and in the setting-out—has been exactly restated as the conclusion of the demonstration. The abbreviation thus signals the completion of the proof.

Not nearly as rudely intended as implied above.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I took no offence; the interpretation was made in jest only.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

And all this time I thought QED was the abbreviation for Quite Easily Done. I am learning all sorts of wonderful factoids from this thread.

 

[Fred W]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q.E.D.

Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, originating from the Greek analogous hóper édei deîxai (ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι), meaning "which had to be demonstrated". The phrase is traditionally placed in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument when what was specified in the enunciation — and in the setting-out—has been exactly restated as the conclusion of the demonstration. The abbreviation thus signals the completion of the proof.

Not nearly as rudely intended as implied above.

But not nearly the level of proof that was indicated, either.

You can toss out "QEDs" all day long, but if you do not have the proof to back it up, you're just talkin' smack, yo!

 

[Bounce]

Yo?

Are you 12?

 

[Bustanut joker]

I want the whole 45 seconds it took to read this............... back. I could'a been halfway though a good rub out.

But no... I hadda open this.

My nutz itch.

 

[Pterodactyl]

My nutz itch.

Goats in your neck of the woods must have crabs.

 

[HotRodZilla]

You all really need to figure out what women are for. Either that or you should all go factoid yourselves.