Underminded

[Alan O'Brien]

From 'Murder at St Oswald's' by Michael Underwood:
"...Nigel Kilby found himself facing a barrage of questions that would have
underminded the confidence of anyone less self-assured."
I have never seen this word - 'underminded' - before. It sounds a bit
gauche.

Alan

[Dave Swindell]

In article <RntMa.4655$Yu....@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alan
O'Brien <alaneobr...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes

Looks and sounds a bit wrong, in fact crap, to me.

--
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[JM]

"Alan O'Brien" <alaneobr...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:RntMa.4655$Yu....@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...

Probably a typo of 'undermined'.

John.

[Mary Shafer]

It's probably a typographical error for "undermined". Undermining
confidence is common.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer
mil...@qnet.com
"Turn to kill, not to engage." LCDR Willie Driscoll, USN

[Martin Ambuhl]

"Alan O'Brien" <alaneobr...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote (01 Jul 2003)
in news:RntMa.4655$Yu....@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk /
alt.english.usage:

Not just gauche, but wrong. The following are from MW11CD and COD10, the
past tense being "undermined":

[MW11CD]
Main Entry:un.der.mine
Pronunciation:**n-d*r-*m*n [nearly /,Vn-d@r-'maIn/]
Function:transitive verb
Date:14th century

1 : to excavate the earth beneath : form a mine under : SAP
2 : to wash away supporting material from under
3 : to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly *trying to undermine
his political rivals*
4 : to weaken or ruin by degrees
synonyms see WEAKEN

[COD10}
undermine
· v.
1 erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation). > dig or excavate
beneath (a building or fortification) so as to make it collapse.
2 damage or weaken, especially gradually or insidiously.
– DERIVATIVES underminer n.

--
Martin Ambuhl
Returning soon to the
Fourth Largest City in America

[rewboss]

Alan O'Brien <alaneobr...@blueyonder.co.uk> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
RntMa.4655$Yu....@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...

As the others have said, it's plain wrong, a typo at best.

However, I would happily adopt the word "underminded" to refer to Silvio
Berlusconi.

[Alan O'Brien]

"rewboss" <rew...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bdv5le$11kra2$2...@ID-185204.news.dfncis.de...

Thank you to all of you that have answered.
Since the short story has been printed at least twice I think the error may
lie with the author rather than the typesetter. Perhaps he was dictating.
Alan