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IMPERTINENT/IRRELEVANT |
“Impertinent” looks as if it ought to mean the opposite of “pertinent,” and
indeed it once did; but for centuries now its meaning in ordinary speech has been
narrowed to “impudent,” specifically in regard to actions or speech toward
someone regarded as socially superior. Only snobs and very old-fashioned people
use “impertinent” correctly; most people would be well advised to forget it and
use “irrelevant” instead to mean the opposite of “pertinent.”
