Date:    Thu, 18 Jun 1998 11:39:16 -0400
<br>From:    Jesse T Sheidlower <jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PANIX.COM>
<br>Subject: "concerning," adj.
<br>
<br>About two years ago, someone wrote in a question to my
<br>Word of the Day page at Random House asking about the
<br>sentence "That nodule was very concerning to me,"
<br>reportedly dictated by a doctor to a typist. OED has
<br>_concerning_ ppl.a. in the sense 'that is of concern;
<br>weighty' from 1649 but marked archaic, and in the sense
<br>'causing anxiety or distress; worrisome' (the sense
<br>used here) with a single example from Richardson in
<br>1741.
<br>
<br>I responded that the use seemed quite unidiomatic, and
<br>forgot all about it.
<br>
<br>In the last few months I've recorded several more
<br>examples of this:
<br>
<br>1997 [exchange between author and book publicist, 23
<br>Dec.:] "I haven't been able to find a copy in a bookstore."
<br>"That's very concerning."
<br>
<br>1998 N.Y. Times (June 13) A6: It's concerning because not
<br>only did he determine that the interviews in the case
<br>were improper, he determined that the children could not
<br>testify.
<br>
<br>1998 N.Y. doctor, age ca35-40 (17 June): It's only if you
<br>had an uneven pulse, or really strong palpitations, that
<br>it would be more concerning.
<br>
<br>By now I'm not even sure that it sounds unusual, but
<br>I'll chalk that up to heightened sensitivity to the
<br>usage. Has anyone else noticed this use, or an increase
<br>in its frequency? Jim, does Merriam have anything useful
<br>on this?
<br>
<br>Thanks for any input.
<br>
<br>
<br>Jesse Sheidlower
<br>Random House
<br><jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]panix.com>
<br>