Tuesday, September 17, 2019

word usage - Differences "so-called" and "called"


I really wonder if I express "so-called" in a sentence, can I also use "called" for the same way?


For example:



The new technique so-called "blablabla" is to consume a lot of energy.



Can I write like:




The new technique called "blablabla" is to consume a lot of energy.




Answer



First of all, so-called cannot be used as a verb, as in your first example; it is an adjective.


Secondly, so-called is used for two possible meanings: first, to give a "popular name" for a thing that has a different "proper name", such as



the so-called 'splat' character (that is, the asterisk: *)



Or it can be used to indicate that you are going to refer to something with a name that you think is actually an improper or invalid name:




my so-called friend just told the teacher I cheated.



(You are referring to someone as a friend, but the use of "so-called" indicates that you think that their behavior demonstrates that they aren't really your friend.)


Thus you should not write your sentence with "so-called" at all. Use "called" to inform people of the proper name of the technique.


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