I have noticed the use of lever instead of leverage at our company, a large international consumer packaged goods company (food) listed on the S&P 500 - right from our CEO down on through the peons, when giving presentations. Like, "It is important that we lever our existing core strengths…"

When did lever replace leverage - sort of like preventive has replaced prevetative?  I actually found the use of preventive as a synonym for prevetative (this site and mirriam-webster), but neither states lever as a verb except to raise an object up in the literal sense.

Corporate-speak is already annoying, but when it somehow promotes incorrect usage, like the rampant mis-use of affect and effect, but that’s another topic…

Oh gosh you are soooo right - in fact I found your posting when I Googled ‘lever vs leverage’.  I hadn’t heard it until i started my new job this week.

Add another square to Bullsh** Bingo!

It is proper to use lever as a verb. Leverage is the noun form of the word. It is improper but common to use leverage as a verb. Avoiding both terms as much as possible is the best.

djslippy is correct. Lever can be a verb, tho, not used much.  But such things can be very annoying.
As a teacher, I was perpetually annoyed by the use of the term   Uncomfortability instead of discomfort. Why so many syllables?
Three newbies in a row: welcome y’all. Hope you enjoy your stays here.

So where are the three of you??? Three in one strain of thought, then nothing??  I cannot believe it,  get a leverage into the repartee.

Doesn’t look like they planned on sticking around…

Seeing as they are all doing this stuff at work, the dialogue may resume when the holiday period is over, assuming everyone still has a job.

I just cannot believe the technology.  How do you know they are doing all this at work????

[

quote author=“douglang” date=“1230905881”]Seeing as they are all doing this stuff at work, the dialogue may resume when the holiday period is over, assuming everyone still has a job.

by the way HAPPY NEW YEAR Doug ! !

Sean Matsuko - 01 January 2009 10:39 PM

Doesn’t look like they planned on sticking around…

Indeed not - I note that the first two contributions to this thread are from mid-2007.

Duh:
How right you are.  I thought it was a new thread.  Well they were ripped from the fiber, huh? Most of the time I check the dates, and have tried to re=awaken
a few oldies even tho’ they were old, just hoping by commenting it would bring someone back to the thread.  But this is a bomb. Sure did think it was a new
thread,  even got you Doug????