After all, it has the connotation of weakness, indecisiveness, and incompetence, thanks in large part to societal taboos.

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Mr. TRAINOR: I think there is a sort of negative connotation with being a great bar band.

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It's almost as if Microsoft realized "fans on a tablet" would have a negative connotation and went out of its way to make them discreet.

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Today success is synonymous with celebrating at the finish line, holding the trophy or the check, while achievement has more of a work and effort connotation.

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And that has a real negative connotation to, you know, a lot of Americans.

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But will this negative connotation put the fast-food chain out of business?

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How many people who are dreaming up names violently reject choices based on their emotional reaction not to the sound of the name but to the connotation?

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Stock buybacks give executives more flexibility since there is no negative connotation associated with repurchasing fewer shares than allowed by the announced size of the program.

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In the same vein, distortions of language can detach associated words from one another to change connotation.

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