Among the worst of barbarisms is that of introducing symbols which are quite new in mathematical, but perfectly understood in common, language. Writers have borrowed from the Germans the abbreviation n! to signify 1.2.3…(n-1).n, which gives their pages the appearance of expressing surprise and admiration that 2, 3, 4 &c. should be found in mathematical results.
Augustus De Morgan, The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, London, 1842, vol. 23, p. 444
EDIT: Do the downvotes come from people not getting the fact that this was supposed to be humorous, or from people not sharing my sense of humor?
What’s worse is the converse—where common language users attempt to redefine a precise term for their own purposes. Mathematicians aren’t confused by ‘perfect numbers,’ but I don’t even know anymore what people mean around here when they use the B word. Maybe nothing interesting?
Augustus De Morgan, The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, London, 1842, vol. 23, p. 444
EDIT: Do the downvotes come from people not getting the fact that this was supposed to be humorous, or from people not sharing my sense of humor?
What’s worse is the converse—where common language users attempt to redefine a precise term for their own purposes. Mathematicians aren’t confused by ‘perfect numbers,’ but I don’t even know anymore what people mean around here when they use the B word. Maybe nothing interesting?
Okay, this is probably a stupid question but: What’s the B word?
“Bayesian.”
Care to share some hypothetical examples of irritating uses of the B word?
Ah. Of course.
Shall we then call groups, gillygangs, and categories, fenhews?
-Philosophy Bro
I did not suspect humour; if I had then I would have downvoted.