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MoreMagic t1_iz4kj7e wrote

Reply to comment by CapeMOGuy in FDA change ushers in cheaper, easier-to-get hearing aids by AsslessBaboon

As I got it, ”factoid” means something spread as fact, but is false.

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CapeMOGuy t1_iz5okyu wrote

Here's the definition I used.  

The Grammarist blog points out that that in the U.S., at least, "'factoid' is now almost exclusively used to mean 'a brief interesting fact.' https://www.npr.org/sections/memmos/2016/04/25/605788321/-factoid-doesn-t-mean-what-you-think-it-does

Seems there are definitely different definitions, sorry for the confusion.

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MoreMagic t1_iz5wewg wrote

Thank you. I will follow their advice:

”If you want to be cheered rather than jeered for your attention to language, save "factoid" for those occasions when the subject is something that resembles a fact, but isn't one. Or for things that are "trivial, useless [and] unsubstantiated." For everything else, the simple word "fact" is accurate and you can save yourself a syllable.”

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