backslide vs backtrack

Guest   Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:42 pm GMT
What's da difference?
Ed   Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:52 pm GMT
Backtrack is when you go back the same path from which you came.

Backslide is when a person goes away from faith in God, or lives a lifestyle inconsistent with their religious views. Different religious groups take different views on this. As a Baptist, I believe that all those whom God has accepted in Christ will never totally nor finally fall away from faith but will certainly persevere in that faith, even if they fall away for a time. However, Skippy, who is Methodist, will probably disagree with me on this.
Guest   Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:35 pm GMT
A blacktrack is a song on a rap album.

A blackslide is a rap album that one can slide into the racks at a CD store.
Uriel   Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:06 am GMT
To backtrack is to retrace your steps or actions to try to figure something out, like where you left your keys or how to get back to the highway after taking a detour. It has a neutral connotation.

To backslide is to revert to some old habit or behavior that is not healthy or good for you, especially after you've made a concerted effort to change those habits or behaviors. A recovering alcoholic who goes on a three-day drinking binge is backsliding. Backsliding always has a negative connotation.
Guest   Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:03 pm GMT
Uriel,
You're always helpful. Thanks a lot.
I do have a question for you thu. In your posting, you wrote:
"especially after you've made a concerted effort to change those habits or behaviors"

But when I looked up the word "concerted," it seemed to me that the most general use of the term implies "cooperative." Referring back to your sentence, how can one make "concerted effort" on their own?

An example that I see fits the term more is:
"WE made a concerted effort to solve the problem."

Please advice
Uriel   Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:18 am GMT
Well, you may be absolutely correct! "In concert" does mean "together". I was using it in the sense of meaning "focused and determined". I'm pretty sure that's a common way of using "concerted", but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't a misapplication of a term that rightly belongs only in a group context, not an individual one, as you point out. Does anyone else want to weigh in on this subject?

(And I think you want to say "Please adviSe" -- the verb form is both spelled and pronounced differently than the noun "advice" -- the verb "advise" has a Z sound, while the noun "advice" has an S sound.)
RayH   Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:22 am GMT
Well, I just learned something about my native language.

<after you've made a concerted effort to change

<But when I looked up the word "concerted," it seemed to me that the <most general use of the term implies "cooperative."

It is indeed true that "concerted" means "cooperative" in this context. The references I checked say that most often the intended word is "concentrated."

Who knew?
Guest   Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:08 pm GMT
yepeee. And guess what? I used da phrase "our concerted efforts" in one of my emails today :o)
Guest   Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:14 pm GMT
Oh, and I meant to say please advise. Just a mispelling