Leverage

[jack]

This words irks most people I know. Indeed, everyone will know that the title means I'm going to talk about the *word "leverage", instead of thinking I might have leverage on something.

First we had 'lever', a verb and noun. And then 'leverage', refering the the act of levering. And then 'leverage', the verb. When you have leverage, you're magnifying the effect of something, when used literally, your strength becoming more strength (at a cost of distance) to move something.

But it occurs to me, I think the verbs are always used

* To lever something you want to move
* To leverage something you have

Isn't it so? I lever this door open. I leverage my minute-but-real trade advantage.

So the new verb *does* have a niche outside of finance. Of course, *most* of the time it's used when 'use' would be just as well, since there isn't a clear trade off, you just mean "use most effectively", but in theory, it should have a specific meaning not covered by any other word.

Comments

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

You missed a perfectly good opportunity to use the words "synergy" and "utilise" there!

Of course, when I say "perfectly good", I mean "inasmuch as there is ever an excuse to use them, which should be approximately never"

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

"Synergy" Two things that are both increased by working together. Of course, again, it's mostly used to mean "use". In fact, management concepts seem entirely geared around "use", that no doubt has some bearing on how many people feel they're treated :)

"Utilise" I admit, a justification for this escapes me. It *could* be used to mean "use, as intended" as opposed to just "use", but that's a pretty fine distinction. I can't think of any example where it couldn't usefully be replaced by 'use'. Or sometimes by nothing.

[angoel.livejournal.com]

'Utilise' is different from 'use', in that 'utilise' largely means 'use', but also carries the implication that what you are using is something that only you, or a few other people have.

In this way it is similar to 'leverage', but where 'leverage' largely deals with intangible items (ie trade advantage, expertise, etc), 'utilise' deals with more tangible items.

Therefore, when you say 'We're going to utilise our high speed cars' rather than 'We're going to use our high speed cars', it is clear to the person that you're talking to that you believe that your high speed cars are a unique selling point, and that their uniqueness is exploitable.

[mooism.livejournal.com]

The people who use these words in all seriousness are members of a subculture, just like goths, chavs, geeks, trainspotters, etc. So they have their own dialect, for to exclude outsiders.