Overdraft lingo

shortcrust

Unagreed doesn't sound right, but it is of course a word (even if spell check says no!).

robatwork

badger09 wrote: »

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/unagreed

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/spellcheck/british/?q=unagreed
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/british/?q=unagreed
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suggestions/unagreed

The point being that it's in some dictionaries but not in others. That suggests it's a marginal word, at best. And in my world, it's not a word. Or do you unagree?

shortcrust

robatwork wrote: »

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/spellcheck/british/?q=unagreed
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/british/?q=unagreed
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suggestions/unagreed

The point being that it's in some dictionaries but not in others. That suggests it's a marginal word, at best. And in my world, it's not a word. Or do you unagree?

"Is it in the dictionary?" isn't really a good enough question to ask when thinking about whether a word starting with prefix is a 'real word' (whatever that might mean). I'd be interested to hear an argument as to why the verb 'agree' can't take the prefix 'un-'.

PS By the way, I think it's a horrible word.:)

robatwork

There are thousands of verbs that you can't prefix with un-

presume, go, shoot, postulate.

Just putting un- on something doesn't make it have the opposite meaning.

To get this slight back OT, the best opposite we have for agree is disagree, but it's not a very good negation. Unfortunately one of the nonsenses of English is that "disagreed overdraft" doesn't have the meaning we would want. "Disagreeable" is a great word but nothing to do with agreements, and disagreed has connotations of disagreeable. As in

"That man has a disagreeable beard so I don't agree to give him an overdraft".

JuicyJesus

There is basically no good term which doesn't sound silly in some sense. My personal preference would be "agreed overdraft limit" (because any limit there is would be agreed between customer and bank) and then either "within the agreed overdraft limit" or "over the agreed overdraft limit".

No, not as snappy as "unarranged overdraft" or whatever, but it's at least consistent and unambiguous.

shortcrust

robatwork wrote: »

There are thousands of verbs that you can't prefix with un-

presume, go, shoot, postulate.

Just putting un- on something doesn't make it have the opposite meaning.

Sorry yes, off topic but I'm interested.:)

Of course you're right - I didn't say you can stick a 'un-' on any verb. But it's a question of linguistics and semantics rather than inclusion in a dictionary. Again, I'd be interested to hear an argument as to why 'agree' can't take 'un-'. I think it's obvious that it can.

Thinking on though, 'unagreed' when talking about an overdraft would be an adjective and adjectives are much less fussy than verbs when thinking about 'un-'. Think of the phrase "as yet unagreed". You don't need a dictionary to tell you that it's acceptable.

robatwork

shortcrust wrote: »

Thinking on though, 'unagreed' when talking about an overdraft would be an adjective and adjectives are much less fussy than verbs when thinking about 'un-'. Think of the phrase "as yet unagreed". You don't need a dictionary to tell you that it's acceptable.

I can just about stretch to unagreed not being unacceptable.

But to answer your question about unagree - well like most English there isn't a rule, it just is. Or isn't. If it doesn't sound right to me then it ain't right.

To take unagreed further - I am sure you'll...erm...concur that unagreement would be nonsense but disagreement is a perfectly splendid word. In fact as the topic is about overdraft terminology, how about

Acceptable overdraft
Unacceptable overdraft

smiffy230

I would say the proper terms are arranged and unarranged, however personally I prefer authorised and unauthorised.