why do you use the word fan?

[bearfartinthewoods]

please tell me it's because you are too lazy to type supporter.

i have never been a fan of any politician. a fan is a fanatic.
a fanatic is not reasoned. we need to be making a reasoned choice.

[Brucey]

1. I have lots of these quirky obsessions and complaints, too,

but am always told that I think too much or overanalyze. I always say that you can't think too much nor can you analyze something too much. But now you're starting to make me question my own beliefs. No, I never say I'm a "fan" of anyone or anything. But I never knew why until you just explained it.

[Scaramouche]

2. A lot of Fans are cool...

Fanatics are less so...

<hint/summers ending>

[Blitz]

3. I don't know about that

I'm a Knicks fan. I don't think that makes me a fanatic. Similarly, I'm a fan of swing music, Tony Shalhoub (from Monk), The Amazing Race and "24," but I don't envision going on a jihad for any of these people/things. The word "fan" may (or may not - see below) have its etymological roots in the word "fanatic" but that hardly means that they mean the same thing in contemporary usage:

fan (2) - 1889, Amer.Eng., originally of baseball enthusiasts, probably a shortening of fanatic, but may be influenced by the Fancy (1807), a collective term for followers of a certain hobby or sport (especially boxing). There is an isolated use from 1682, but the modern word is likely a new formation.

http://www.etymonline.com/f1etym.htm

Today, a fan is a devotee, enthusiast or supporter. IMO, this is a perfectly valid word to describe supporters of a politician or cause.

[bearfartinthewoods]

4. devotee..hari krishna hari ramna hari krishna hari hari

great..bring it to the level of relegious devotion.

:scared:

[Blitz]

6. Oh, come on

I just explained that it doesn't mean fanatical or religious devotee in modern usage. I mean, really, do you think that Wahaabi fanatics would describe themselves as "fans" of Islam? or that Christian fundamentalists are "fans" of Christianity? The word simply doesn't mean what you think it means and is not generally used in the manner which you seek to apply to it. "Devotee" is a word that describes a condition (one who is devoted to) but does not suggest degree (as, for example, "fanatic" does). One can be a casual devotee and, in fact, even a religious devotee is not by any means necessarily a fanatic. Ask anybody who goes to church, synagogue, mosque, etc. if they are devotees of their faith. Then ask them if they are fanatics. I expect that you will get very different answers (unless, of course, you go around asking actual, self-described fanatics; I do not recommend that you do that).

Oh, and Go Cavs!! (Virginia, that is).

[bearfartinthewoods]

9. i looked up devotee just to make sure

you used the word...don't blame me.

and i didn't mention christianity or wahaabism. i referenced hari krisna because i danced on the edges of being a devotee. much of the behavior i saw there, i'm seeing here.

there was no room for doubt. no tolerance for it. nothing was imperfect. yep....devotees is a better term for some of the fans around here.

[Blitz]

14. BTW, point of information

Am I speaking to Mr. Bear or Mrs. Bear (if memory serves, you both use this nick)?

As for some of the "fans" around here, I think that fanatic is, in fact, a better term than either devotee or fan. I think that we may find some agreement on that. Devotee is the word used in the dictionary, so I thought that it would be rather disingenuous of me to exclude it from the definition that I posted. As I said, I do not feel that devotion (devotee) necessarily equates with fanaticism (fanatic).

In any case, as I have said in other threads, I believe that words and their usage often matter a great deal. However, as semantic quibbles go, I have to agree with a previous poster that this is a relatively mild one.

[Uzybone]

5. Meaningless quibbling

If you think everyone who says he or she is a (fill in the blanks) fan means they are a fanatic then I suggest you take some deep breaths.


BTW here is the definiton of the word fan

Main Entry: fan
Function: noun
Etymology: probably short for fanatic
Date: 1682
1 : an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator
2 : an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit)

[noiretextatique]

11. sport, performing art, celebrity or a pursuit

didn't mention anything about politicians.

[bearfartinthewoods]

15. ooohhh...that's interesting...usually as a spectator

another reason to be a supporter instead of a fan!

[wryter2000]

7. I'm a fanatic about my favorite band

I'm a supporter of my favorite politician.

[TheBlob]

8. That sounds about right

n/t

[JVS]

10. sometimes fan is the proper word

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. that's exactly what worries me.

[OneBlueSky]

13. in the great scheme of things . . .

some things just aren't worth worrying about . . .

this is one of them . . .