I'm sick and tired of the announcers constantly saying penultimate

In Spanish language, penúltimo and antepenúltimo are words children learn in primary school.

What this thread shows is how bad education in the US is and how proudly some of are of their own ignorance

I am your age without a masters in a STEM field, and have heard the word since my teens, watching the Olympics in 1996.

It is not a new word in running commentary.

It is just new for you.

I often announce swim meets, some of which have prelim sessions with a lot of heats, so I try to throw in "antepenultimate" at least once per meet.

The first time I read the penultimate was in Track and Field News back in the late 70's. They used it occasionally so I assume this is why announcers use it now.

Common in other former colonies like India too.

Sesquipedalian.

OP suffers from sesquipedalophobia.

So your point is that because it can conceivably be extended in a long series of ever-less-commonly-known words, “penultimate” shouldn’t be used?

Yeah, lots of “normal” people say things like “I haven’t ran …” or “I seen that,” and write “could of.”

I don’t need to pile on and call them names, but I also don’t need to share in, or cater to, certain aspects of their language use. … But of course you’re probably making a point that’s less about individual choices overall and more about an announcer trying to keep a broad audience engaged. In that case, it can often be hard to know how many people you’ll lose with a given word or two, and “penultimate” has been a term in more common use than many, many “big” words for quite some time. You say that’s just entrenched pretentiousness? I say it’s established enough that we can drop any hand-wringing over it.

I also consider it a sign of respect for others’ intelligence to think, “Hey, maybe you don’t know this right now, but it’s not so hard, so I bet you’ll be able to pick it up with a modicum of effort.”

And at what point were we allowed to welcome “amigo” into the broader US culture when — even within the lifetime of some people on this board — it was little used and not readily understandable by a “normal” person in many regions of the US? How would it become understandable to more people without simply being used in their midst?

(yes, that use of “modicum” was a little Easter egg for you.)

Clearly you did not play Athens 2004 for PS2 every day from the summer of 2004 until now.

”And away first time! And the crowd really trying to get behind the athletes!”

”Things are hotting up in this, the penultimate round!”

I think saying "penultimate" is easier and sounds better than "second to last."

Not really. Too easy to say "pentultimate".

"Penultimate step" is used by these bros to teach how to dunk / jump high.

This guy also talks about the "penultimate step" teaching how to long jump.

It's just the most obvious word to describe "second to last".

“Much excitement as Ingebrigtsen running gooder than Kerr in next to last lap! Who can turnover bestest when the kicking starts on final half lap? As Hocker is faster sprinter than field and could make people go home devastated!”

There, fixed it for you.

It's a European word. Penultimate is not a word that Americans use or hear on any sort of regular basis. It's a cultural difference. I'm 55 and the only time I've ever heard the word used is when I'm visiting Europe. I don't think I've ever heard the word uttered in the United States.

No. The context does NOT help understand the meaning of this word. It could mean exciting lap, final lap, first lap, painful lap, anything.

I believe that the overwhelming majority of the general public, especially in the western hemisphere, would have to use a thesaurus/google/dictionary to see what penultimate means.

English speaking countries outside of the U.K. are blissfully unaware of the words definition.

I have a stem degree which I use in my professional life every day and penultimate is a common word.

You don't have a stem degree and you are a wanker. I would have liked to have called you an idiot, but the mods would have banned me.

Apparently, Swangard is one of the heirs to Phil Knight's billionaire real estate delevop[er friends in Vancouver, BC. They own the TV production firm that low balls below cost nealy all USATF shows on Peacock and NBC. The firm doesn't pay workers. It's all volunteer. IATSE hates them with a passion.