Talk:looking

I was looking at the word "looking" to see if the (mis)use of the word in recent years was there, as in "he was looking to buy a new car." This still bothers me, partly because it would be easier (and shorter) to say "he wanted to buy a new car," and partly because I consider it an incorrect use of the word. 2602:306:3189:C0A0:C9C7:C5CB:6C70:EB3A 14:55, 15 April 2020 (UTC)

It's comparable to "seeking". It's widespread and has been around for decades at least. Redundancy doesn't make a word automatically wrong: after all, "difficult" is longer than "hard". Equinox ◑ 15:09, 15 April 2020 (UTC)

RFV discussion: February–April 2022

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looking

• (obsolete) The manner in which one looks; appearance; countenance.
  • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

    Al drery was his chere and his lokyng.

Removed / moved to Middle English by Astova. J3133 (talk) 21:06, 19 February 2022 (UTC)

The definition confuses me; I assume "The manner in which one looks" is an old way of saying "how you look [to others]". OED has two post-1500 cites. Obviously difficult to search for. This, that and the other (talk) 09:12, 20 February 2022 (UTC)

cited Kiwima (talk) 00:14, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

To me the context of the 2011 cite - a section where students are characterising the student body at Hunter College - makes it more likely that "some good lookings" means "some good looking people", not "some good appearances". This, that and the other (talk) 09:51, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

RFV-failed Kiwima (talk) 00:29, 17 April 2022 (UTC)