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Below expectations

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Topic:	4) Below expectations (1 of 5), Read 88 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Barbara Wallraff ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, September 15, 1999 09:02 AM

Dennis Wetherall, of San Francisco, Calif., writes: "Consider the need for a better word for the verb 'to fall short.' The dictionary defines 'fall short' as 'to be or become deficient of a goal or standard.' Here is an example: We say 'John has fallen short of his quota, and Dave has exceeded his.' It would be better if a single word meant 'to fall short.'"

Topic:	4) Below expectations (2 of 5), Read 86 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Joss Randall ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, September 16, 1999 02:58 AM

Though it is usually used in its nominative form-"underachiever"--could be used as a verb: to underachieve. Woody Allen has a quip to the effect that if God exists he is an underachiever.

Topic:	4) Below expectations (3 of 5), Read 57 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Michael Christian ([email protected])
Date:	Tuesday, September 21, 1999 09:59 PM

How about "inceeded?"

Topic:	4) Below expectations (4 of 5), Read 41 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Van Happy ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, September 23, 1999 07:05 PM

Sometimes just "miss" might do.

He missed his quota by six.

V.H.

Topic:	4) Below expectations (5 of 5), Read 21 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Martin Melhus ([email protected])
Date:	Friday, October 08, 1999 01:37 AM

Curiously enough, the word for sin in Hebrew is best translated as "falling short of the mark," or "missing the mark." This couples with the notion that we all are sacred beings that sully ourselves when we do wrong, etc.

Anyway, my vote goes to "misquota", as in
"Henry misquotaed again last week when he forgot to let the cat in."

Looking at it now, it doesn't look as good as
it sounded in my mind, so I guess "misquota" has just become self-referential.

Regards,
Martin

Clearly, the word "exceed" is not the root of the concept to meet, surpass or fail. I would suggest that the root of this word is "ceed". Hence, we can describe more succintly the various degrees of "ceeding" thusly. To meet one's goals is to "succeed", to surpass one's goals is to "exceed" and to fall short of one's goals is to "underceed".
I hope I am not underceeding your expectations for feedback, as this is my first attempt at posting.

Topic:	Below expectations (2 of 3), Read 60 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Michael Fischer ([email protected])
Date:	Friday, September 17, 1999 12:06 PM

actually, the Latin root is cedere, to go; perhaps subcede (literally, to go under) works better etymologically.

by the way, in the future you can attach your riposte to its thread by clicking on "reply" rather than "post"....

today's wwftd is...

Topic:	Below expectations (3 of 3), Read 17 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Pete Horne ([email protected])
Date:	Monday, October 04, 1999 06:38 PM

When I was young enough to be in summer camp (mid 60s) we had a term to define a wild soccer shot � we called it a quail. With obvious intentional similarity to a certain pol with shortcomings I suggest quail (or quayle) be used to signify �to fall short�.

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Topic:	Below expectations (1 of 3), Read 62 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Carolin Dagenais ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, September 16, 1999 12:55 PM