Talk:idle threat

RFD discussion: December 2020–April 2021

The following information passed a request for deletion (permalink).

This discussion is no longer live and is left here as an archive. Please do not modify this conversation, but feel free to discuss its conclusions.

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idle threat

SOP; delete per Talk:empty promise. 212.224.230.198 12:14, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

• Keep >SOP — Dentonius 12:17, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

  Vote is stricken. Imetsia (talk) 19:15, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

I thought this was worth an entry, which is why I created it. It is a common enough term, and I feel we should be recording those rather than denying they exist on SoP grounds. The SoP excuse can be Wiktionary's worst enemy. This anonymous IP should take note. DonnanZ (talk) 12:49, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

That's a keep, right? — Dentonius 12:57, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

I have come out and confessed that I created it. Yes, of course I would like to keep it, but perhaps I shouldn't vote. Although I noted Donald Trump (my namesake unfortunately) voted for himself. DonnanZ (talk) 13:09, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

Keep of course. It is a set phrase or common collocation at worst, and should be kept. I see the destroyers are crawling out of the woodwork again. Why don't "they" build? There are endless red links and unregistered words and phrases to be added. Petty-mindedness at work. I call it as I see it. -- ALGRIF talk 17:21, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

@Donnanz How do you feel about idle story, idle talk, idle speculation, idle rumour? All of these have competed with idle threat for most common collocation, see [1]. Delete for now.
Also, no, the fact that you made it doesn't invalidate your opinion on it.__Gamren (talk) 10:05, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

I think they would fit in with idle, sense 5, but I'm not sure idle threat does. The entry was prompted by the quotation, found in a magazine I was reading - usually quotes come later - and finding those lemmings clinched it for me, convincing me it was entry-worthy. DonnanZ (talk) 10:39, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

You have to look at it from the threat angle as well, what adjective+threat is worth recording? I can only think of idle threat, I wouldn't consider entering great threat, serious threat and so on. DonnanZ (talk) 11:06, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

@Donnanz How about empty threat? Does the perceived worthiness have something to do with the fact that these aren't the primary senses of idle, empty?__Gamren (talk) 02:27, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

@Gamren: Merriam-Webster uses the same definition, more or less, for empty threat as it does for idle threat, so it obviously regards the two as synonyms. As for empty in this sense, it seems to fit in with our sense 5, lacking sincerity. Lexico regards an idle threat as being without foundation, a definition we don't seem to have at idle. DonnanZ (talk) 11:16, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

• Keep, there's a lemming at M-W. ←₰-→ Lingo ^Bingo _Dingo (talk) 11:16, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• There seems to be a good case being made above for creating idle story, idle talk, idle speculation, idle rumour. Common set phrases should be included in a decent dictionary IMHO -- ALGRIF talk 23:00, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Delete, we can have it at idle and threat if you really want to mention the phrase somewhere. Certainly it is SOP. And as below, only a single lemming doesn't really seem like a convincing argument. — Mnemosientje (t · c) 15:43, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

There's TWO lemmings, you obviously didn't even check the entry. DonnanZ (talk) 17:10, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

I also managed to save rehearsal dinner from RFD (by me) by finding a reference. DonnanZ (talk) 18:32, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

You're right, I overlooked the second lemming. I change my vote to keep, I think two good lemmings is enough. — Mnemosientje (t · c) 21:22, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

Delete, SOP. Imetsia (talk) 20:52, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

• Keep' - a set phrase with a unique meaning more than SOP. Definitely something a learner of English or first-time encounterer would look up. Facts707 (talk) 18:22, 5 March 2021 (UTC)

RFD-kept. Imetsia (talk) 19:15, 2 April 2021 (UTC)