Is it "Complete," "Finished" or "Completely Finished”?

[Sedalia Dave]

Grammar Lesson: Is it "complete," "finished" or "Completely Finished” No English dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between these two words -"Complete" and "Finished.

 

In a recent linguistic competition held in London and attended by, supposedly, the best in the world, one man was the clear winner with a standing ovation which lasted over 5 minutes.

 

The final question was: “How do you explain the difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED in a way that is easy to understand?

 

Here is his astute answer: 

 

"When you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. 

 

When you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. 

 

And, when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!"

 

 

He won a trip around the world and a case of 25-year old Scotch!

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Good one, Dave!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Here's one I often hear and a high school grammar class comes to my mind.

 

"I'm DONE."

 

Mrs. Percy, my high school Engish teacher, often corrected us with, "Biscuits are DONE.  People are FINISHED."

 

 

.

[Subdeacon Joe]

complete (adj.)

late 14c., "having no deficiency, wanting no part or element; perfect in kind or quality; finished, ended, concluded," from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill").

 

complete (v.)

late 14c., "make complete, bring to an end, supply what is lacking; fulfill, accomplish," from complete (adj.) and probably in part from Latin completus. Related: Completed; completing.

 

finish (v.)

late 14c., "to bring to an end;" mid-15c., "to come to an end" (intransitive), from Old French finiss-, present participle stem of fenir "stop, finish, come to an end; die" (13c.), from Latin finire "to limit, set bounds; put an end to; come to an end," from finis "that which divides, a boundary, border," figuratively "a limit, an end, close, conclusion; an extremity, highest point; greatest degree," which is of unknown origin, perhaps related to figere "to fasten, fix" (see fix (v.)). Meaning "to kill, terminate the existence of" is from 1755.

 

finish (n.)

1779, "that which finishes or gives completion," from finish (v.). Meaning "the end" is from 1790. Finish line attested from 1873.

[Sedalia Dave]

34 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

complete (adj.)

late 14c., "having no deficiency, wanting no part or element; perfect in kind or quality; finished, ended, concluded," from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill").

 

complete (v.)

late 14c., "make complete, bring to an end, supply what is lacking; fulfill, accomplish," from complete (adj.) and probably in part from Latin completus. Related: Completed; completing.

 

finish (v.)

late 14c., "to bring to an end;" mid-15c., "to come to an end" (intransitive), from Old French finiss-, present participle stem of fenir "stop, finish, come to an end; die" (13c.), from Latin finire "to limit, set bounds; put an end to; come to an end," from finis "that which divides, a boundary, border," figuratively "a limit, an end, close, conclusion; an extremity, highest point; greatest degree," which is of unknown origin, perhaps related to figere "to fasten, fix" (see fix (v.)). Meaning "to kill, terminate the existence of" is from 1755.

 

finish (n.)

1779, "that which finishes or gives completion," from finish (v.). Meaning "the end" is from 1790. Finish line attested from 1873.

 

I like my definitions better.

[Subdeacon Joe]

6 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

I like my definitions better.

 

 

So do I! 

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

These little quirks of expression are interesting.

Couldn't one be finished with a project but not have completed all the

items in a contract. For instance, one might not have the correct paint color.

With computer projects sometimes a new program would do all the functions

originally listed BUT the client wouldn't sign off until a item was added.

Or an item was deleted.  Maybe SSN was in the original spec but now

at the end of the project there is a fear of stealing identity.

So SSN had to be deleted.

Complete- all item are done.

Finished- Ive done all I can and the client agrees and signs off.

Seems right to me.

Best

CR

 

[Oklahomabound]

In a passed life, working in the Nuclear Industry....   ….and statusing project work; one had to listen carefully as work was: nearing completion--meaning it may have started; underway--meaning fixin' to start; in planning--may start in a month; done--meaning almost but not quite; done/done--complete/done really/but in final review & verification; done/done/done--really completed with nuthin' left to do....

[MizPete]

On 9/5/2019 at 8:21 PM, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

Mrs. Percy, my high school Engish teacher, often corrected us with, "Biscuits are DONE.  People are FINISHED."

Shame on Mrs. Percy.  People have finished.

[St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905]

18 hours ago, MizPete said:

Shame on Mrs. Percy.  People have finished.

Could you say people have done finished?  I heard that a lot in my neck of the woods. :-)

 

STL Suomi

[Blackwater 53393]

Mrs. Percy never spent a100 degree day setting sewer tiles in the sun.  You may not be finished, but when the horn blows at 5:00 pm, you’re for damn sure DONE!!

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

20 hours ago, MizPete said:

Shame on Mrs. Percy.  People have finished.

Mrs. Percy was never wrong and she could whip your @$$.

[MizPete]

3 hours ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

Mrs. Percy was never wrong and she could whip your @$$.

Don't you believe it!

[MizPete]

5 hours ago, St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 said:

Could you say people have done finished?  I heard that a lot in my neck of the woods. :-)

 

Sure.  But where I come from, you'd leave out the have:  you done finished?

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

17 hours ago, MizPete said:

Don't you believe it!

Mrs. Percy stood 6'2", weighed a something over 200, and built stout, very stout.  She also worked a farm and nothing seemed to shake her; plus she had a bold attitude.  MizPete, I've no doubt you're a feisty gal, but all of us boys had a most respectful fear of Mrs. Percy. 

 

Antidote:  One morning, one of the boys put a garter snake in Mrs. Percy's desk drawer.  When she first opened the desk drawer, she slammed it shut.  Mrs. Percy thought for a moment, then reopened the drawer, grabbed the snake by the neck, held it up, and asked, "Which of you 'wet-behind-the-ears' owns this snake?"  Some of the girls were freaking out.  Us boys were in completely done and finished stunned silence.

 

 

 

.

[MizPete]

OK, I give up.  Unless I get to stand three feet away with a Louisville Slugger.  And I ain't afraid for no garter snake.