Luddism or Ludism: One letter makes a huge difference

Catherine Rampell, writing in the Washington Post, used the word “Luddism” when noting that several United States Senators sided with Senator Lindsay Graham and Senator John McCain when the latter two boasted about not using email. The reference was made by the latter two when discussing the current and never-ending Hillary Clinton email scandal.

“Look it up,” was my Mother’s call to arms when anyone in the family asked for the definition of a word. So, after reading “Luddism” in a summary of Rampell’s work in The Week magazine’s March 27th edition, “Luddsim” was entered into a Google search. What came up was the Urban Dictionary reference:  The belief that your aptitude and ‘correctness’ is determined by your decibel, and blame never goes onto the self, always to others. (Example in a sentence: I was going to own up to running into my neighbors mailbox, but Ludism has taught me that the mailbox was simply in my way; therefore it is not my concern nor my problem!)

After reading the definition, and referring once again to that summary of Rampell’s work, the definition didn’t make sense. It was soon realized there was a lost letter in the Google search. Instead of “Luddism,” the search was for “Ludism” with one “d” not a double “d.” A new search for “Luddism” resulted in an Urban Dictionary meaning: Opposition to technical or technological change. (Example in a sentence: "I don't get it, Obama is surgically attached to his BlackBerry, but he denounces the iPad. He caught me off guard by his luddism.)

That made a lot more sense in the article. Luddism comes from the noun “Luddite” which means: a member of any various bands of workers in England (1811-1816) organized to destroy manufacturing, under the belief that its use diminished employment. (NOTE: actually there is not a word “Ludism.” The Urban Dictionary reference was created August 8, 2014 by Jimmyjamesallen, who ever that is. But it was good to use for today’s post.)

A short discussion of Hillary’s email is scheduled for tomorrow.

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Dictionary.com word of the day

globular (adjective) [glob-yuh-ler]: globe-shaped; spherical