"Ask" as a noun

[LaxScrutiny]

So first, I get the main history for it. In the stock market, back when trading was broadcast on ticker tape, "bid" and "ask" were used because they're short words. I've seen other older examples of "ask" as a noun, but they're pretty obscure and never really caught on at the time. I grew up knowing "bid" as both noun and verb from playing cards, but I only came across "ask" when I started working for brokers back in the '80s, and then only related to trades.

I'm making this "ask" for your opinions because I find it annoying as hell. Take my last sentence: I could have written "I'm asking for your opinions..." Shorter, concise, active not passive voice, but not nearly so trendy. There's a sign up at my local beer store that leads with "Our ask to our customers..." which seemed just so weird to me.

It can't be stopped now; I just needed to vent.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"I know this is a big ask, but …" [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ask#Noun]

"I know this is a big ask" in double quotes gets about 267,000 search results on Google. That's not an insignificant number.

"big ask" in in double quotes gets about 1,400,000. Even more significant.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

I never said it couldn't be a noun. Here's what set me off today...

"Their most recent ask was exactly for that, for heavy artillery, for reasons of operational security," Trudeau said.

Now, I know I should never expect a politician to use 2 words when it's possible to use four, or a dozen, or more. Still annoyed the hell out of me. I guess it's the passive voice that irks me the most.

 

[fireproof78]

I've seen it a little bit more recently at least in emails back and forth with coworkers. But, then, I love obscure language uses.

 

[scotpens]

English has always been pretty flexible when it comes to making nouns out of verbs (and vice versa). I have no objection to the use of "ask" as a noun in an informal or colloquial context.

I'm making this "ask" for your opinions because I find it annoying as hell. Take my last sentence: I could have written "I'm asking for your opinions..." Shorter, concise, active not passive voice, but not nearly so trendy.

Both versions are in the active voice. The passive voice would be something like "My opinions are being asked for by me."

 

[CorporalCaptain]

When something has this much usage, the ship has sailed. The genie is out of the bottle. There's no point in closing the barn door now, because the horse is gone. You either yell at the cloud or embrace the evolution of the language.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

This is why us millennials started making all the nouns into verbs. To drive the grammar nazis crazy!

 

[scotpens]

This is why us millennials started making all the nouns into verbs. To drive the grammar nazis crazy!

I assume you mean "we millennials."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I assume you mean "we millennials."

Grammaring is hard.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

Grammaring is hard.

My Grammar married my Grandpar because of his bestest English.

Both versions are in the active voice. The passive voice would be something like "My opinions are being asked for by me."

Regardless of who is asking for them, your example is correct use of passive voice.

You are correct, my statement was active. To make my point I should have written "This "ask" for your opinions..."

But anyway, it still annoys me. I guess "request" has too many letters in it?

 

[dupersuper]

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[Mojochi]

Well, as I get on in years, & fessing up to my own linguistic shortcomings, I try to be less concerned & more tolerant about the circumstances of language that's being presented, & focus more on the intent or the posture of the user, on a case by case basis

Even someone as bloody dim about social cues as I am is still capable of discerning when someone's unorthodox language is benign happenstance, serves a function, or otherwise holds some underlying agenda, like perhaps trying to mold social convention around euphemism

If you're saying orientate instead of orient, part of me still feels like you're just trying to puff yourself up with extra syllables lol, whereas when you say commentate, instead of comment, we all understand new developments have created a validity for both to exist now.

That said, imho, brevity is a legit function, & "Ask" as a noun seems to fall into that category... so I'd be prone to be ok with it.

 

[Mojochi]

But anyway, it still annoys me. I guess "request" has too many letters in it?

They were probably just trying to be informal (Which "Request" doesn't read as), & didn't invest themselves enough in doing so in a more coherent way, because "Our ask to our customers..." certainly is fairly clunky.

I might have made a sign that reads "Our call to our customers is...". Just have enough self respect to take 5 minutes on thesaurus.com, you know? lol

 

[flandry84]

And when did “learning” become a noun?
As in “There are learnings to be found from this situation”. Every time someone from government circles are on the radio here to try explain yet another balls-up they come out with this nonsense.

 

[Mojochi]

And when did “learning” become a noun?
As in “There are learnings to be found from this situation”. Every time someone from government circles are on the radio here to try explain yet another balls-up they come out with this nonsense.

Just a crafty new euphemistic way to marginalize wrongdoing & deflect ownership of that wrongdoing. No one wants to submit to being captured in a soundbite saying "Mistakes were made", or "It's our fault"

Always on the lookout to find a new way to color that shit in a new shade of doublespeak

 

[Colonel Midnight]

I don’t mind ‘ask’ being used as a noun as much as ‘fail’ being used as one. Aaarrrggghhh.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Mojochi]

Bad as a noun is pretty infantile. We couldn't devolve our language much more than "My bad". That's not so much brevity as it is just lazy. What, are we toddlers?

 

[auntiehill]

Bad as a noun is pretty infantile. We couldn't devolve our language much more than "My bad". That's not so much brevity as it is just lazy. What, are we toddlers?

[angry old lady rant]
Have you watched the news lately? Yes, we are. That, sadly, is exactly what we are. [/angry old lady rant]

 

[danellis]

And when did “learning” become a noun?
As in “There are learnings to be found from this situation”. Every time someone from government circles are on the radio here to try explain yet another balls-up they come out with this nonsense.

Erm, this post?

That was literally the first time I've seen "learning" used in that way (I'm in the UK).

dJE

 

[Alexander Corrino]

Argh… ask is a noun now? Ah well. Okay.

It’s such a hopeless battle… once I finally manage to get the hang of the latest “hey, there’s a new use for this word that makes very little sense but everybody is doing it so it’s probably better to adapt” it has already been replaced by something else.

Would someone think of those of us who aren’t native speakers of the English language please?