Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Deviant

So a very nice woman who works with my department just stopped by my desk to ask me about the words she’s using in a report.  English is not her first language, and though she’s very bright and articulate, she has some insecurity about usage.  In particular, she wanted to know whether or not to use the word “deviation.” We discussed the relative connotations and inferences attaching to that word, as well as “variance,” “difference,” and “discrepancy.”

I wanted to discuss the negative associations some people have with the word “deviant.” I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I just told her “deviation” could be a very strong word and to be aware that some people might take it a bit personally.  Not me, though.  If someone called me a deviant I’d probably take it as a compliment.  I guess it depends on who’s calling whom abby normal.