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

According to one of my professors, it's an archaic term and should not be used in a formal paper.

But I like it. And it's still formal, even if it's "archaic." I don't see why I can't use it.

*mumble grumbles*

And by the way - aforementioned prof is a complete idiot. In case anyone was wondering.

My thesis advisor, on the other hand, is a complete, freakin' genius.

I like "whilst"

I always use "fritz" as in "computers is on the fritz" meaning to indicate that it has gone wrong.

I saw a while ago in a survey of dead and archaic language that the term " on the fritz" dropped out of the English language over a century ago! Well no-one told me!

my maths teacher told me the origin of the phase "going doolally" the other day. Doolally was a field hospital in India for soldiers suffering from mental illness shell shock and so forth." so if you went crazy you were sent to Doolally. Simple, eh?

Not even entries in the edited guide are supposed to use the word whilst. It's dealt with towards the bottom of this page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/SubEditors-Style

oh blummin' heck - she's right!

well ....gosh.

erm.. I still use both whilst & fritz

Professors are stupid. Go along with it for now, and use it all you want when you're not in that class!

I'm not saying not to use it if you want - just not in a formal situation, especially if the prof agrees with the beeb that it's archaic.

Listen to your mother...

I can't believe I said that in public setting!

Actually, your professor is doing you a favour in preparing you for RL where you will meet petty tyrants who insist that you obey their silly, pointless rules. Someday you'll thank him!

Or not!

*points and s*

Listen to Jimi!

Yes, unfortunately, the world is full of those who insist that things be done their way, no other, no matter how trivial, pointless, silly or stupid they are.

*sigh*

Fine, I'll not use "whilst" in any papers for Dr. G. Fine.

I'm still going to secretly like that word and all "archaic" words and expressions and verb conjugations and so forth... because they are cool.

You may do that all you like.


Just be forewarned that in the instance of using "archaic" words with the general public, you're likely to often get confused looks because they simply aren't familiar with the words.

Archaic to me = no one but academics knowing what it means (like Beowulf Early English).

Whilst is relatively young - and it's not that far removed. I don't see how it's archaic.

As far as I know, anything that's no longer currently considered the "correct" word to use is considered archaic. It doesn't have to be all that old, just not currently considered correct.


As an example, within the last few years they changed the "proper" name of a couple of dinosaurs (I think one was the brontosaurus), so the old names have become "archaic", or just not the the correct term to use any more.


I used to think that changing the correct words to use was only something that young people did to old people, just to keep them out of the loop , but now I see it's happening to you too.


Does this mean you're getting old?

Apparently so.

I always use Whilst. As it seems from this conversation that it's still in common use on both sides of the Atlantic, who exactly has decided that it's archaic?

I had to look that up because I couldn't belive that 'whilst' would be considered archaic. According to the Collins English Dictionary 21st Centuary edition it's perfectly acceptable in modern english, though it does say chiefly Brit.

It wont be long before 'if I was' is considered acceptable English and the subjunctive is known as archaic.