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Discuss Email this Feedback RSS/XML Permalink A.Word.A.Day--nosism This week's theme: There is a word for it. nosism (NO-siz-em) noun The use of 'we' in referring to oneself. [From Latin nos (we).] As it's often used by editors, it's also known as the "editorial we". It's also called "the royal we" owing to its frequent use by royalty. Mark Twain once said, "Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we'." -Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) "We must avoid both egoism and nosism in order to realize the glory of humanity." J. Odera Oruka; Philosophy, Humanity and Ecology; Diane Publishing; 1996. X-Bonus The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, tranquilizer, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic -- in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea -- known to medical science is work. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (b. 1920)

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