Disappreciating vs disapproving

aruna

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Once, when I was very young, I read something about someone making a "disappreciative moue". I loved that expression, never forgot it, and used it in a novel. My editor suggests I change it to "disappoving moue". I feel it's not quite the same thing, and I kind of love "disappreciative". But I don't want to make a fool of myself. I've actually never again heard the word disappreciative -- so I'm wondering.

To add context -- the character in question also reads the expression "disappreciative moue", loves it, and want to use it in a story she is writing...

What you think? (ETA: in the subject I've written "disappreciating" because I couldn't remember if the orginal was -ive or -ing. But I think it was -ive.
 
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shadowwalker

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I had to look up disappreciative :tongue , but you're right - kinda. It's not the same as disapproving (disappreciate means to undervalue or not to esteem), but I'm not sure it actually goes with moue. I'm having a hard time picturing that.
 

King Neptune

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Fruitbat

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I like it. It gets my notice more when an offbeat word is used rather than the expected one. Definitely a word for a special occasion!
 
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Xelebes

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Disappreciative is a word I associate with undervaluing without making a decision. Disapproving means you have made a decision (to not approve.) That's the legalese in me chiming in.

Your house appreciates in value, but you do not approve selling it.

The sale on your house has been approved. Welp, you can now sell it!

A disappreciative moue is something I would associate with a twitch or a tic.

A disapproving moue is something I would associate with something that is more resolute.

That is all I got.
 

Nymtoc

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I suppose it can be justified, but its meaning is a bit hazy. If I saw it in someone's writing, my first reaction would probably be "huh?" I would pause and figure out that it does make some kind of sense and read on. It does not do anything special for me. :cool:
 

arcan

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Reading the sentence with "disappreciative moue", I immediately thought there was something wrong. Sounds more like a bad translation from a foreign language to me.
 

mirandashell

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Shouldn't it be 'an unappreciative moue'? As in the mouth movement signifies 'I do not appreciate this'.

'Disappreciative' has the same effect on me as as using 'disinterested' for 'uninterested'. It raises my hackles.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I've never heard it. Is it even a legitimate word? As Mirandashell says, shouldn't it be "unappreciative", which is a legitimate word?

It would certainly throw me.
 

aruna

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You all win. I'll just change it to disapproving. Thanks for the feedback! And no, it isn't a real word, but I remember "getting" what it meant. In the book, I also have the character wondering if it's a real word and not finding it in the dictionary, but it's such a minor point I'll skip it. Thanks again.
 

King Neptune

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You all win. I'll just change it to disapproving. Thanks for the feedback! And no, it isn't a real word, but I remember "getting" what it meant. In the book, I also have the character wondering if it's a real word and not finding it in the dictionary, but it's such a minor point I'll skip it. Thanks again.

Having a character wonder about it could be good and useful, if the character is a grammarian or something like that. It could also show that the person who used it was ignorant or worse.
 

Tazlima

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I like disappreciative moue. It makes me think of that expression people have when you show them something that you think is awesome, but which they find kind of lame, synonymous with "underwhelmed."