Pet peeve of today: scientists who can't use words correctly but are allowed to publish anyway.
A brief guide to penultimate, cf., ca., inflammable, and ambivalent
PENULTIMATE
pene- before or almost
ultimate the last of something
what penultimate means. next to last.
what penultimate does NOT mean. some step further than ultimate. that would make the word ultimate pointless.
CF.
what it is. from Latin confer, meaning to compare or consult. It is intended to provide a reference to some other work against which one might compare the current work -- that is, it is meant to be used to indicate a source with different arguments, data, or conclusions.
what it isn't. A substitute for "see" in the "see Figure 1" sense. You do not say cf. Figure 1. EVER.
CA.
what it is. from Latin circa, meaning 'around.' It is used to refer to dates.
what is isn't. a go-to substitute for 'approximately,' particularly in the 'approximately 100nm thick' sense.
INFLAMMABLE
in into
flammable lol obviously
what inflammable means. combustible, flammable, settable on fireable
what inflammable does NOT mean. nonflammable. come on guys you do this for a living.
this is not a science mistake but it bugs me anyway so I'm throwing it in.
AMBIVALENT
ambi both
valence the capacity of a person to react with another in a special way
what ambivalent means. uncertainty, caused by having to make a choice or by conflicting/opposite emotions.
what ambivalent does NOT mean. indifferent, apathetic. STOP. USING. IT. LIKE. THIS.