Meaning of ENGAGED.

"An engagement is a promise to marriage, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage – which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged."

I am a bit anal about how this word is used. I know it is nice of ppl to say congrats on your engagement bla bla bla but when the person is getting MARRIED and not ENGAGED, it really puts me off slightly. Cuz you can't even get the occasion right???

To date, the worse way I have ever heard the word being used is this: "I heard so-and-so is getting engaged, CONGRATS!"

WRONG USE OF WORD THERE, MATE! (Unless you know for sure she is going to accept the proposal when her other half pops the question. But why would you do that and spoil the surprise for her??)

It should be: "So-and-so is engaged! CONGRATS!" And the only time you should be congratulating someone on her engagement is when she has already been proposed to, and is planning for her upcoming wedding.

To say that someone is getting engaged means the person is waiting to be proposed to. Now, that is just dumb! You don't anticipate a proposal! And if you have already promised to marry, that means you are already ENGAGED, not GETTING ENGAGED!!!

Unless of cuz, in some societies, an public engagement announcement is necessary before you get married, so then yea, you can probably say: "We are getting engaged next weekend, the engagement party is on Dec XX at XXXX."

But still, I would consider that engaged since you have already promised to marry. Meaning, the other party has already popped the question, you said yes, and hence the party to announce the engagement, right? The engagement party is just a procedure to go through with.

ARGH! Issit so hard to understand?

Yet there are still ppl on my FB, congratulating me on my ENGAGEMENT. I AM MARRIED!!! NOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!! I was only engaged from April 26, 2009 (the day my hubby proposed) till September 13, 2009 (cuz I ROM-ed on September 14, 2009, legally married).

I hope that is clear now. *heavy sigh!*