h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Which in mathematical terms is x if x>=0, -x if x<0, written |x| or abs(x).

Also absolute Zero: 0Kelvin, -232.5 (or something) Celsius.

Also brewing I think... can't exactly remember.

What was my addition to this?

Abolute zero = 0 kelvin = -273 c = -459 f.

Ta. And have you recently checked your help page?

Um. Which help page?

Ah. That help page. Yes - thanks for the info. I'm a little slow today...

I'd tell you what your contribution was... but owing to the way things work around here I've lost the original entry so I can't, not yet...

Then there's 'absolutely', which Dorothy L. Sayers brought up in one of her 'Lord Peter Wimsey' novels. When making your will, a solicitor might say, 'So you want to leave everything to your wife', to which you might reply, 'Oh, absolutely'. Leaving something 'absolutely' has a definite legal meaning. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it is right now.

As in Decree Absolute?

I think it is unconditional... ie: if you leave 50% of your estate to X, your house *absolutely* to Y and the rest to Z, and your house is worth more than 50%, the house goes to Y, regardless of the fact that that prevents X getting less than his share.

absolute adj.
2 unconditional (absolute authority).

And absolutely is one of those words that suffers from "inflation". It used to mean (in reply to a question) " 100%", but word inflation has got to it and now it means "yes" or even "yes, but really, no"
Any others for "word inflation"?
tomsk

Absofrigginlutely!