Have I missed a trick

[magictime]

8 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I admit to getting a bit narked myself when the prime mooring spots are taken by what is obviously an abandoned boat, waiting to be collected when the owner can be bothered to shift it another mile or two. And seeing as how most of them are still there three weeks later on my way past again, I think the concept of the dedicated fortnightly CCer is a myth. 

What amazes me, though, is how someone can abandon such a huge investment with so little security. 

Understandable; we always tried to avoid prime spots/designated visitor moorings. But we were dedicated fortnightly CCers when 'dumping', and remain so now that we're living aboard, so such people do exist!

 

On the point about security, our old boat was broken into and trashed when 'dumped' in Wigan, so I recognise that this is a real concern. But it was also broken into while on its gated home mooring in Shipley (this was when we first bought it and still had a home mooring); I've heard rumours about repeated break-ins at another marina in the Leeds area too. My own suspicion is that paying for a home mooring doesn't necessarily offer much more security than just choosing the safest possible spots on the towpath - avoiding 'rough'-seeming areas, sticking around other boats, etc. (Of course I wish I'd accumulated all this tremendous wisdom before leaving the boat in Wigan, but you live and learn!)

 

Yes, it would be nice to have the utmost confidence in the security of one's investment, but to my mind I'd be giving up a large part of the value of my investment in a boat by having it (mostly) stuck in the orbit of a home mooring anyway.

[MtB]

50 minutes ago, magictime said:

Yes, it would be nice to have the utmost confidence in the security of one's investment,

 

Point of Order yer honour...

 

'Investments' are financial instruments designed to bring you a return or profit on your outlay. A boat does the exact opposite. 

 

 

[magictime]

11 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Point of Order yer honour...

 

'Investments' are financial instruments designed to bring you a return or profit on your outlay. A boat does the exact opposite. 

 

Among other things. One of which is 'something that you are willing to spend money on now because it will give you benefits in the future'; as in 'I'm sick of getting blisters after a long hike, so I've invested in some better quality boots'.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, magictime said:

Among other things. One of which is 'something that you are willing to spend money on now because it will give you benefits in the future'; as in 'I'm sick of getting blisters after a long hike, so I've invested in some better quality boots'.

 

I still find it an irritating misnomer, introduced to our language by sales people trying to encourage people to make an expenditure or expense by describing it as an 'investment' when it isn't. Boats and double glazing are both excellent examples! 

 

"I've invested in gold because I think the value will go up" makes logical sense because the objective is a financial return. In your example "bought" works equally well as profit is not the motive, but avoiding pain. I suggest your sentence reads better if 'bought' is used. 

 

"I'm sick of getting blisters after a long hike, so I've bought some some better quality boots".

 

 

verb (used with object)

to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns,as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

to use (money), as in accumulating something:to invest large sums in books.

to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something:He invested a lot of time in helping retarded children.

to furnish with power, authority, rank, etc.:The Constitution invests the president with the power of veto.

to furnish or endow with a power, right, etc.; vest:Feudalism invested the lords with absolute authority over their vassals.

 

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/invest

 

 

[Jim Riley]

I invested in my boat, its worth more than I have spent on it to do it up. 

[magictime]

4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I still find it an irritating misnomer, introduced to our language by sales people trying to encourage people to make an expenditure or expense by describing it as an 'investment' when it isn't. Boats and double glazing are both excellent examples! 

 

"I've invested in gold because I think the value will go up" makes logical sense because the objective is a financial return. In your example "bought" works equally well as profit is not the motive, but avoiding pain. I suggest your sentence reads better if 'bought' is used. 

 

"I'm sick of getting blisters after a long hike, so I've bought some some better quality boots".

 

That works fine, of course, but I maintain that 'invest' is still perfectly correct, and not any kind of 'misnomer', in cases where you're talking about putting something in (an investment), in order to get something out (a return). Doesn't matter if either or both of those things aren't financial.

 

So, the money you earn as a concert pianist could be seen as the (financial) return on a (non-financial) investment of time spent practicing your instrument.

The comfort you experience while walking could be seen as the (non-financial) return on a (financial) investment in a pair of boots.

The satisfaction of completing a marathon could be seen as the (non-financial) return on a (non-financial) investment of energy in building up your endurance.

 

I'm sure you're right that salespeople like to talk about 'investments' in order to persuade people of the wisdom of a purchase('it's worth putting that much money in, because just think of all the money/pleasure/comfort/social status etc. you'll back get in return!'), but I highly doubt that they introduced this usage into the language.

 

Maybe you could make a case that 'investment' is used only metaphorically where those claimed investments and/or returns aren't financial, but that still wouldn't amount to such usage being wrong.