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http://forums.knot4prophet.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=298
There's a link to Knot's original, lengthy, post about a lil discussion a couple debaiters had over the usage of a word. I didn't feel right posting on that particular board as this topic really has nothing to do with the stated aims of the board.
You *can* use perfunctory if you want to say cursory. That is OK. But if someone who did not understand the word perfunctory, and glanced at the definition vs cursory, they would come away with a slightly different understanding of what happened as I sat in my chair, because there are slight differences in the definitions. Perhaps we could fantasise a conversation?
“Hey, you were obligated to look at the screen? I thought you were just looking for fun”
“Oh, no I wasn’t obligated, why?”
“Well you said perfunctory, and it says here that means out of mere duty, so I figured obligation was involved”
“Oh, silly me, I meant just for fun, like a glance”
“Ah you meant cursory”
“Why yes that’s a better word, ty”
^This is the actual conversation I had with myself. Seems intuitive.
I didn’t know exactly what perfunctory meant. So when Tim was teaching me an alternate word choice for cursory, I looked it up, and simply noticed that the word didn’t do my glance proper explanation. What does ‘perfunctory’ convey upon me? I am *merely* looking at something out of a sense of *duty* that I can’t actually fulfill because It’s hasty and superficial? Great qualities I want to be associated with.
I don't need to get into character or use any personal attacks. The outcome of this is apparent. I'll leave the colour commentary to those better suited to hyperbole and misrepresentation.
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