Pedants' Paradise

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm often hearing newscasters using the verb reduce intransitively - as, the other morning, in the statement "Scientists have discovered that the gap in the ozone layer over Antarctica is reducing".

Reducing what?

My dictionaries inform me that Reduce is a transitive verb.

What do others think? (I'm only asking because we haven't heard from jean for quite some time, and I hope she's OK.)

[Pulcinella]

I'm often hearing newscasters using the verb reduce intransitively - as, the other morning, in the statement "Scientists have discovered that the gap in the ozone layer over Antarctica is reducing".

Reducing what?

My dictionaries inform me that Reduce is a transitive verb.

What do others think? (I'm only asking because we haven't heard from jean for quite some time, and I hope she's OK.)

It wouldn't be quite as bad, perhaps, if used as.......the size of the gap is reducing.
I haven't checked (transitive/intransitive) but presumably 'shrink' causes the same concern: the gap is shrinking or the size of the gap is shrinking.

PS: I should have checked before posting.
My Chambers says that both reduce and shrink can be transitive or intransitive.

[jean]

...My Chambers says that both reduce and shrink can be transitive or intransitive.

The first intransitive use cited by the OED is from 1912.

A pedant might want to argue that as the Latin verb ducere (to lead) is always transitive, words derived from it should be, too. But I am not that pedant.

(I'm only asking because we haven't heard from jean for quite some time, and I hope she's OK.)

As OK as is possible in the circumstances - I've been away, reading the Referendum thread on my phone but haven't the heart to post much about anything.

.

[french frank]

The first transitive use cited by the OED is from 1912.

Did you mean the first intransitive use?

1912 Geogr. Jrnl. 39 256 In all streams the current is most rapid near the surface, and gradually reduces towards the bed.

[jean]

Did you mean the first intransitive use?

Yes I did

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Isn't there a term in cookery - a sauce is in the process of "reducing"? (I may have misheard.)

[jean]

You 'reduce' a liquid by boiling it to drive off excess water. But that usage is generally transitive (or do I mean intransitive?)

[ahinton]

My Chambers says that both reduce and shrink can be transitive or intransitive.

I daresay that some people would simply wish that their intransigent shrink would reduce his fees.

[ahinton]

Isn't there a term in cookery - a sauce is in the process of "reducing"? (I may have misheard.)

Had you misheard, you might come to Roux the day that you did so...

[Serial_Apologist]

Had you misheard, you might come to Roux the day that you did so...

You're always stirring things!

Thanks everyone. I've reached the tentative conclusion that what the ozone layer is transitively reducing must be itself!

[ahinton]

You're always stirring things!

Thanks everyone. I've reached the tentative conclusion that what the ozone layer is transitively reducing must be itself!

..and perhaps also that white van man can usually be relied upon to vote Transitive...

[jean]

I was amused by this exchange. First, a quote from Psalm 127 (KJV):

'Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it.'

This was then quietly and helpfully corrected by someone who didn't get the subjunctive:

'Except the Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it.'

Only to be quietly and helpfully corrected back again by someone who did:

'Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it.'

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Whilst I am delighted to have caused jean some amusement - such a rare occurrence - I think it behoves me to point out that in that exchange, at 10:45, I quoted from (not "corrected") jonfan's original message (posted at 10:35). Following this (as far as timing is concerned - I make no suggestion that the one caused the other), jonfan corrected the quotation at 13:24 (as he comments in his postscript) and Flossie quoted from that correction (rather than "correcting" me, "helpfully" or otherwise) at 16:36.

Nonetheless, it has brightened my own morning considerably to know that this has caused amusement over the last ten and a half weeks.

[jean]

What a shame! I preferred my scenario!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What a shame! I preferred my scenario!

- Quite right!