Factlet
Factlet is a term which describes a trivial and ephemeral fact which is nevertheless accurate.[1] Language expert William Safire in his On Language column advocated the use of the word factlet to express a "little bit of arcana".[2][3]
Factlet is sometimes defined as an alternative for factoid. A factoid signifies a questionable or spurious piece of information, unverified, incorrect, or fabricated, that is, a brief statement which appears factual but lacks veracity. The term factoid, according to some views, has evolved to mean a small piece of true but valueless or insignificant information, which is in contrast to the original sense as being incorrect or unverified; for example, a report in The Atlantic in 2012 suggested that factoid has come to mean a "brief interesting fact".[4] As a result of confusion over the meaning of factoid, some English-language style and usage guides recommend against its use.[5] The Atlantic recommended factlet instead of factoid, such that factlet would signify a "small probably unimportant but interesting fact", and that the term be used in place of factoid, which often has negative connotations.[4] The term factlet has been used in publications such as Mother Jones,[6] the San Jose Mercury News,[7] and in the Reno Gazette Journal.[8]
See also[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ December 20, 2005, The Urban Dictionary, Factlet, Accessed June 9, 2014
- ↑ William Safire, "On Language; Only the Factoids," New York Times, Sunday, 5 December 1993.
- ↑ TheFreeDictionary.com, The Free Dictionary
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Alexis C. Madrigal, March 29 2012, The Atlantic, Down With Factoid! Up With Factlet!, Accessed June 9, 2014, "..."Factoid is now almost exclusively used to mean a brief interesting fact ... ought instead to use another word for a small probably unimportant but interesting fact..."
- ↑ Brians, Paul (2003). Common Errors in English Usage. William James & Company. ISBN 1-887902-89-9. Search this book on
[1]
- ↑ Kevin Drum, April 19, 2010 , Mother Jones, Factlet of the Day, Accessed June 9, 2014
- ↑ Jackie Burrell, May 19, 2014, The San Jose Mercury News, Amazing Race All-Star Winners: And the winner is (spoiler!!), Accessed June 9, 2014, "...Brendan has promised his bride that if they win the million bucks, she can have a baby, a factlet that keeps coming up in the most manipulative and unsavory ways..." (italics added)
- ↑ Johnathan L. Wright, RGJ , May 26, 2014, Reno Gazette Journal, In One Ear: Cherchez the sparkle at jewelry fundraiser; Cakebread dinner, Accessed June 9, 2014, "...The chardonnay made its entrance next on the arm of rabbit loin wrapped in serrano ham (little food factlet for you: serrano ham couldn't be imported to the United States until 1997, when the pigs used in the ham were certified as free from African swine disease)..." (italics added)
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