in US usage that I see, prodigal is almost always used in the "prodigal son" sense, [...] "he was unspecifically bad, and then he came back and was accepted".
Yeah--that's kind of what I meant by my question:
Am I right in thinking "prodigal" is often used to mean long-lost-but-now-returning and not spendthrift?
I.E. it's
not
used to mean profligate, although that's what it's supposed to mean. And the "prodigal son" sense, he is profligate. It's just not what people seem to be taking away from the parable.
I'm now wondering at the connection between "prodigal" and "prodigious."
Right. I guess we agree. Sorry I misunderstood.
But the prodigal son returned, sheepishly, because he spent all he had.
eta
sorry for the xpost.
The whole prodigal thing had me confused for a while.
There's a strange man on my balcony. They're painting the exterior of the building, but we're given no advance warning as to when they'll climb up the outside wall onto our balcony or just a moment before they'll paint the floor outside your apartment so you're hemmed in until it dries.
A note would have been nice.
Did I mention that we had a note posted in my building that they had gotten rid of the washers and dryers (with no advance warning), and that they'd be replaced (after some work was done in the laundry room) at some unspecified point in the future?
And it's been almost a month, with no laundry facilities, and no info on when we can expect laundry facilities. Some people wrote angry notes on the posted notices, which were then taken down and fresh ones put up.
A month is really too long for this to be going on, huh?
That's infuriating. I'm not sure what I'd do in the face of it.
Oy -- reminds me of my old apartment where we lost cooking gas plus the laundromat downstairs for MONTHS. What a nightmare.
Does your lease mention laundry access on the premises? If so, then you might have a cse for withholding some rent.
I'd suggest writing a letter or email and state that if the facilities are not operative in 24 or 48 hours you'll be sending your laundry out and deducting the expense from the rent. And then do so.
