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Writer's Haven => Quill and Feather Pub [Public] => Topic started by: quinning on October 04, 2019, 08:06:00 AM

Title: What is this word?!?
Post by: quinning on October 04, 2019, 08:06:00 AM
This has come up a couple of times on ProWritingAid.

“Give any indication” - PWA suggests that readability may be enhanced by substituting in “gindicate.”

I’ve tried looking it up and Google can’t find it as a word. I can’t find any instance of this word anywhere definable!

What is going on?
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: C Ryan Bymaster on October 04, 2019, 08:25:56 AM
Perhaps it's when one indicates something emphatically with a glass of gin in hand. Much like one would vodkonsider or ruminisce about something.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: Post-Doctorate D on October 04, 2019, 08:36:03 AM
Maybe it's a typo in ProWritingAid and it's supposed to be vindicate.  The letters v and g are real close on the keyboard.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: elleoco on October 04, 2019, 09:02:09 AM
Maybe it's a typo in ProWritingAid and it's supposed to be vindicate.  The letters v and g are real close on the keyboard.

Except that vindicate doesn't mean give any indication. Which isn't surprising as it seems the majority of their suggestions are way off the mark.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: JRTomlin on October 04, 2019, 09:15:08 AM
I have not been as impressed as I hoped by that particular programme.

Maybe it was meant to be 'indicate' and the 'v' was from an error with pasting. I have accidentally typed 'v' a few times miskeying when I meant to paste using Ctrl-v.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: elleoco on October 04, 2019, 01:41:21 PM
[quote author=JRTomlin link=topic=2887.msg54581#msg54581 date=1570144508
Maybe it was meant to be 'indicate' and the 'v' was from an error with pasting. I have accidentally typed 'v' a few times miskeying when I meant to paste using Ctrl-v.[/quote]

That seems more likely.

Edit: Well, whoops. I just remembered the original word in PWA was "gindicate" so an accident when pasting was intended doesn't explain it. Probably just an odd typo.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: quinning on October 05, 2019, 06:52:54 AM
Okay. I am going with typo. At least I am (relatively) assured that I am not losing my mind.

Thanks all!
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: A. N. Onymous on October 09, 2019, 06:38:40 AM
I agree that it is a typo. It is saying that the phrase "Give any indication" should be replaced with indicate.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: quinning on October 09, 2019, 12:55:05 PM
An update. I emailed PWA about this and support has forwarded for investigation. Hopefully it will be corrected and nobody else gets tortured over their typo!
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: notthatamanda on October 09, 2019, 08:24:10 PM
I agree that it is a typo. It is saying that the phrase "Give any indication" should be replaced with indicate.

Word does suggestions like this.  It likes to shorten stuff.  One that came up once was "investigate" suggested for "take a look at".
But it was a parent peeking in a crib, so it didn't make much sense.

Mary quickly investigated the crib before crawling into bed.

Sorry, I'm getting silly, but since the issue is resolved I hope it's okay.    May I suggest "Tequiry?" To ask some one questions after loosening their tongue with shots.
Title: Re: What is this word?!?
Post by: JA Wallace on October 27, 2019, 08:27:07 AM
Sounds to me like they mean shorten to the one word, indicate. Have no idea what the g is about. Could be an error.