Perfunctory

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Dr. Goodword
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Perfunctory

Postby Dr. Goodword » Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:03 am

• perfunctory •

Pronunciation: pêr-fênk-tê-ri • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Done as a formality, routinely, indifferently, just to get through a duty.

Notes: Today's Good Word represents the victor in the struggle between it, perfunctorious, and perfunctionary to convey its current sense. All its competitors lie by the wayside of history. The adverb accompanying this adjective is perfunctorily and the noun perfunctoriness. Perfunction in the sense of "perfunctoriness" is rarely encountered today.

In Play: The cashiers of almost all restaurants and cafes ask perfunctorily, "How was everything?" in expectation of an equally perfunctory "Good" or "Fine." I always reply, "So-so" or even "Terrible," just to remind them that they have asked a real question. I seldom get any response at all, since they are busy handling payment. Greetings are usually perfunctory: "Don't give me one of those perfunctory hugs, bereft of any warmth or feeling."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Late Latin perfunctorius "careless, negligent", from Latin perfunctus, the past participle of perfungi "to finish, get through with". This verb is made up of per "through" + fungi "to perform". The past participle of fungi is functus, the noun of which, functio(n), also underlies English function. This word seems to come from Proto-Indo-European bheug- "to enjoy". The only evidence of this claim is Latin fungi and Sanskrit bhunkte "enjoys".
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Slava
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby Slava » Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:42 am

A much more erudite alternative to "going through the motions" and "phoning it in." Thank you for reminding me of it.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

LukeJavan8
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Jan 02, 2015 2:07 pm

How's your day?
I respond: "Fair to partly cloudy".
"sick and dying": sick of work and dying to quit.

Sack: Paper or Plastic.
I answer: "either, I'm bi-sack-sual".


And I have a couple of others, but perfunctory.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby Perry Lassiter » Sat Jan 03, 2015 5:46 pm

I commented on FB that I read of a guy who went down reception lines while saying "I just killed my mother," to which they always responded, "How nice."
pl

LukeJavan8
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby LukeJavan8 » Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:49 pm

Hah!
That's good!

another I use: "How's your day?".
I respond, "Pretty good, but I'll get over it".

Usually bring a chuckle from a checkout clerk
with their mindless jobs of running bar codes
over the screen.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Slava
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby Slava » Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:35 pm

Prior to his surgery, when my father was hobbling along on two canes, people would ask how he was doing. His response? "I can't kick. I haven't got a leg to stand on."

I like to say, "Well, I'm still alive."
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

LukeJavan8
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby LukeJavan8 » Sun Jan 04, 2015 10:07 pm

or - " Any day above ground is a good one".
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Jan 06, 2015 12:04 am

Anyone remember the crazy pop song "foolish questions?"
pl

LukeJavan8
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Re: Perfunctory

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:26 am

....not at this point.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Re: Perfunctory

Postby misterdoe » Thu Feb 12, 2015 11:46 pm

My sometime answer to "How is your day?" or "How are you?" is "I've been worse." Some people have told me that's a negative answer, but from my perspective it's a good thing.


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