Comments on: He’s made up his mind http://talkwordy.com/2008/11/19/hes-made-up-his-mind/ Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:29:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: John Ross http://talkwordy.com/2008/11/19/hes-made-up-his-mind/#comment-418 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:07:56 +0000 http://talkwordy.wordpress.com/?p=413#comment-418 Yes, to me (another Brit) it implies twisting the truth rather than actually lying. I would definitely not use it as a synonym of ‘procrastinate,’ though. It’s etymology is interesting (Latin praevaricari, roughly to walk crookedly) and the Spanish prevaricar is related but a “false friend” to an English speaker. It means to commit the offence of not fulfilling one’s legal duties as a civil servant, particularly when someone like a judge knowingly or in wilful ignorance 0f a particular law or regulation issues an illegal sentence.
Even if I don’t agree with him, I’m a Gaiman fan, too, though I’ve only just discovered him, through Terry Pratchett.

]]> By: JD http://talkwordy.com/2008/11/19/hes-made-up-his-mind/#comment-407 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:34:10 +0000 http://talkwordy.wordpress.com/?p=413#comment-407 As a Brit, I would say that ‘prevaricate’ is closer in meaning to ‘equivocate’ than ‘outright lie’.

I’m working my way through all the Sandman graphic novels at the moment, actually. Fantastic stuff (in more ways than one).

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