Words and Phrases.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 6

Words and Phrases.

M ,JH. WRITES:—I am always interested in your paragraph in the “ Star,” and should like to see what comment you would make on the use of the word “ personalities ” under the pictures of tourists. It is quite incorrect, isn’t it? What was meant was “ personages.”

A year or two ago personalities would have been quite incorrect, for the word originally meant something of a disparaging nature, or personal remarks. A personage has always been a notable or distinguished person. But the growth of newspaper illustrating and cinemas has brought into the limelight persons who are a good deal less than personages, but have to be described by a comprehensive term. Hence we have varied the meaning of personality for want of a better word. “ Touchstone ” does not like it, but there are a lot of things you have to put up with nowadays to keep abreast of the times. t The president of " the Smith Family ” of New Zealand, in a radio message for Sydney last night, used the word ‘‘ lowering,” in the sense of threatening, and mispronounced it, as nine out of ten do. It has the sound of our and cower, and is confused with low because it is so often applied figuratively to clouds, and when clouds are low the uninstructed imagine they are lowering or being lowered like a lift. TOUCHSTONE.