Forum: Author Hangout

Transitive Use of 'Spectate'

awnlee jawking 🚫
Updated:

Actually doing some writing at last, I was searching for the best word for a situation and hit upon 'spectate'. But on perusing the complete first-draft sentence, I felt an oddness about it.

A quick poll of on-line dictionaries showed universal endorsement of spectate being intransitive, ie not taking an object, but I was using it with an object.

Google turned up a few examples of people using spectate with an object ie 'I spectated the ball game', but Merriam-Webster gave the following current usage example:

The crowd that gathered to spectate the flock of us pedaling in our sports bras didn't help my body anxiety either.

despite declaring spectate to be intransitive.

I just know at least one reader will give me grief about my usage ;)

AJ

Replies: robberhands Remus2 Vincent Berg red61544

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

Just use 'watch' instead of 'spectate' and avoid the trouble.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@robberhands

Just use 'watch' instead of 'spectate' and avoid the trouble.

But watch is a two cent word, it's so bland and weak.

AJ

Replies: karactr robberhands

karactr 🚫

@awnlee jawking

And yet, one everyone can afford. :D

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@karactr

I was surreptitiously poking fun at experts who, oblivious to the irony, advocate using two cent nouns plus adjectives rather than 100 dollar nouns, but 100 dollar verbs rather than two cent verbs plus adverbs.

But seriously, 'watch' is what you do to something mundane and trivial like television, grass growing or paint drying. I wanted something that says to the readers, "Hi guys, this is something significant."

AJ

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

But watch is a two cent word, it's so bland and weak.

If you think to 'spectate' a ball game or a maybe a stage play sounds more eloquent than two cents worth, go ahead with it.

seanski1969 🚫

Then try "Gawk" or "Stare". Usage of the word spectate is probably abysmally low in today's language. MY $.02

Remus2 🚫

@awnlee jawking

The crowd that gathered to spectate the flock of us pedaling in our sports bras didn't help my body anxiety either.

The word interrupts the sentence flow. Ogle, perv on, fixate on, etc along with other suggestions here would flow better. Spectate may be OK from a strictly technical standpoint, but it's too far over the top in context of the sentence.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Remus2

Just to clarify, that wasn't my usage but a Merriam-Webster example of the current usage of 'spectate'.

AJ

Replies: robberhands

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I can't imagine a context in which the use of 'spectate' with an object wouldn't sound stilted and snobbish. So without revealing your context, a discussion is pointless.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@robberhands

stilted and snobbish

Excellent! That's how I want it to sound ;)

AJ

Replies: robberhands

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

An Englishman who wants to sound stilted and snobbish, what an outlandish concept.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@robberhands

Indeed, old fruit. Tootle pip now.

AJ

Replies: robberhands

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

Tootle pip now.

It's 'toodle pip'.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@robberhands

It's 'toodle pip'.

Ngrams to you, you uncouth knave.

AJ

Replies: robberhands

robberhands 🚫

@awnlee jawking

Uncouth knave! That's great. I think I'll use it in the next chapter of my WIP. Thank you.

Vincent Berg 🚫

@awnlee jawking

The crowd that gathered to spectate the flock of us pedaling in our sports bras didn't help my body anxiety either.

First, cyclists don't constitute a flock (unless you consider them all 'chicks', which which case you, the author, are just as demeaning as the onlookers. Also, while 'spectate' as a verb is a poor choice, it doesn't fit with the context. Think of the tie-in with 'spectacle'. A group of cyclists hardly rises to the level of a 'spectacle', unless they're all naked and being chased by a naked clown on a unicycle!

Rather than use a misapplied and rarely used term, I'd repharse your sentence:

The onlookers gawked, cheering and jeering, as we sweat in our sports bras, peddling hard while they stood passively, doing nothing for my ego or body image.

Rather going for an esoteric verb, I'd focus on more creative descriptions with a few action verbs thrown in to make the scene more immediate (i.e. toss out your "that gathered").

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Vincent Berg

as a verb is a poor choice, it doesn't fit with the context. Think of the tie-in with 'spectacle'.

Don't think "spectacle." Think "spectator."

Replies: awnlee jawking Vincent Berg

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Don't think "spectacle." Think "spectator."

That's probably why the author chose to use that word in her article.

AJ

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Don't think "spectacle." Think "spectator."

They're both are based on the same root Latin root, spectator. As such, all forms of the word relate to LARGE performances, rather than merely 'watching' or 'observing'.

Doing some quick research, I also noted there are a LOT more entries/references to the term in British English dictionaries than American ones, so maybe that's a factor, but I didn't see many examples that DIDN'T feature observers in a large stadium, like horse racing, bull fighting or, yes, Gladiator combat.

red61544 🚫
Updated:

@awnlee jawking

I think my life has lacked something. I'm 75 years old, have a master's degree, go to baseball games all summer, and have never in my entire life heard "spectate" used in spoken English. (Yes, we Americans do speak English. Brits speak "Old English".) Do you spectate through spectacles? If you don't wear glasses, can you still spectate? At a ball game, do spectators spectate while fans watch? So many questions!

Replies: awnlee jawking joyR

awnlee jawking 🚫

@red61544

So many questions!

And so few answers.

If you list the ideal qualities in a partner to a match-making service, do you end up with a specced date? ;)

AJ

Replies: red61544

red61544 🚫

@awnlee jawking

do you end up with a specced date? ;)

I'd end up laughed at as a dreamer with no grasp of reality.

joyR 🚫

@red61544

Do you spectate through spectacles?

Spectators spend a lot of money to attend a series of spectacles, so yes, they tend to spectate throughout.

If you don't wear glasses, can you still spectate?

Only if you are receiving enough stimulation.

At a ball game, do spectators spectate while fans watch?

Fans can't tell the time so have no need to wear watches, they simply rotate whilst aroused, or turned on. Fans are however often on government watch lists due to their revolutionary nature...

joyR 🚫

The crowd that gathered to spectate the flock of us pedaling in our sports bras didn't help my body anxiety either.

A crowd gathered to watch them peddling in their sports bras...??

Peddling their bikes would make sense.

One wears a sports bra, one does not 'peddle' in it.

As this is the only garment mentioned, are we to believe that they were only wearing sports bras.?

Replies: Dominions Son awnlee jawking

Dominions Son 🚫

@joyR

As this is the only garment mentioned, are we to believe that they were only wearing sports bras.?

Well, that would certainly draw a crowd of spectators.

awnlee jawking 🚫

@joyR

One wears a sports bra

If you read the full article, you'll see that the author considered herself 'topless', despite wearing a sports bra, while participating in the 'Soul Cycle' event.

AJ

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@awnlee jawking

the author considered herself 'topless', despite wearing a sports bra,

Given that information, I see no justifiable reason to read the full article.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@joyR

Given that information, I see no justifiable reason to read the full article.

Since its aim is to reassure women with body issues and you look like Jean Simmons ... :)

AJ

Forum: Author Hangout

Transitive Use of 'Spectate'

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