#1 : related discussion: to finesse - #1

ggf. auch : überarbeiten

Wer den Satz geschrieben hat, hat finesse im Wörterbuch nicht vorher nachgeschlagen und hat es daher total falsch verwendet. Anscheinend möchte er, wie du vermutest, sagen, "verfeinern," aber so wird das Verb nicht angewendet.

I like wmw's suggested "an etw. feilen". In this usage, it has nothing to do with doing something in a subtle and delicate manner. In fact, I don't think any of the major English dictionaries adequately defines this usage of it.

Note the sentence following wmw's original quote in the original BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment...
An early design concept for the new ship has been drawn up by naval architects, but this will need to be finessed.
A clear imperative is that the final design features a helideck - something omitted on the Clark Ross and which experts have told the BBC is really essential for effective Antarctic operations.

In this sense, to finesse means to refine or change or, as wmw suggests, hone, from the original design to the final design.

Please note that "finesse" has another meaning in English -- originally from card games but also used in politics & social situations -- to trick an opponent to pass up an opportunity or to flush out an opponents best card leaving the opponent at a disadvantage with no other higher cards. In politics & social situations it means to use trickery or deceit to entice someone to say something or do something that reveals his/her true intentions.

finesse verb :
to handle, deal with, or do (something) in an indirect and skillful or clever way

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finesse

= ?

WRONG examples (like this one):
• Two of the salesman already have *finessed [read: "revised"] the numbers
• The Perth waterfront plan was developed in a rush and will need to be *finessed [read: "refined"]
• a hard-working comedian who constantly had new material to be introduced and *finessed [read: "refined"]
• has *finessed [read: "reworked"] this first-generation model into a more sophisticated successor
• During his two years at Harvard University, he spent much of his time *finessing [read: "refining"] his programming skills
• Once you're finished *finessing [read: "revising"] your script, save it
http://corpora.informatik.uni-leipzig.de/cgi-...

This example sentence, like many I found on the internet, is simply wrong. It should read "refined," "reworked," etc. The reason no reputable English dictionaries list that sense is that it's not right. As Bob C. said, that's not what 'finesse' means.

So #1 here is also wrong, and the post #1 in the other thread linked there is also wrong.

This is all astonishing to me -- I had no idea so many people didn't know what this verb meant. In fact, of the examples in the Uni Leipzig text corpus, there are probably more wrong than right. AARGH! Paging Bryan Garner ...

Unfortunately, the lone LEO entry for 'finesse' as a verb, 'überlisten,' is also inadequate -- in fact, probably also wrong.

I'm working on a Wrong Entry and some better suggestions.

*f5* Here it is. Thanks in advance for comments and suggestions.

related discussion: to finesse - überlisten

Wow! I am impressed! I never realized. I guess I'm going to have to revise (not finesse) my mental list of misused words like
flammable / inflammable / non-flammable
comprise / be comprised / constitute

And you're right. If only we could get a message to Bryan Garner. I'm certain he's revising one of his dictionaries for a new edition soon.