What do you reckon, Alan?
Well, I reckon it probably
does mean that you're losing your mind, Dave. But then, that might mean you were becoming a
maniac. But knowing all these words, and what they mean, shows you're definitely not an
amnesiac. Indeed, some might say you were a
brainiac.
Anyhow, as regards
diac, it seems the lexicographers have taken against it for some reason. It's missing from the Shorter Oxford and the Random House Unabridged, even though both of these list
triac. How unfair is that? Perhaps it's because the triac has more practical applications. From what I can see, a diac is often used in conjunction with a triac, but somehow the triac gets most of the credit for the job - more favouritism.
I think this is a case where we could justify allowing a technical word, even though it doesn't seem to be listed in general dictionaries. I would guess that anyone who was likely to know or use the word
triac would also know or use
diac, so, as we allow the one, we should also allow the other. Maybe this will stop the word from turning into a paranoiac.
