To shred something is, by definition, “to cut it finely,” a simple statement seemingly invulnerable to misunderstanding. This is not a personal interpretation of the word’s meaning; it’s Miriam-Webster‘s. Unfortunately, our nation’s youth have taken a few too many creative liberties with shredding’s upstanding name. As a brand, the word shred guarantees a level of quality dismemberment from which there is no return. If something goes through the shredder, it’s not coming back. Using the word in any other semblance compromises 75 years of paper-shredding tradition, devaluing a concept and practice countless engineers have worked hard to perfect.Apparently, the term “shredding” has taken a new slang meaning within snowboarding’s counterculture. One snowboarder might say to another, “Dude, I totally shredded that mountain.” In this instance, the snowboarder is commenting on the skill with which he maneuvered down the snow-packed hill, in addition to the large amount of snow he displaced by cutting back forth on his board in the process. To be clear, displacement is not dismemberment. Were you to pick up all the snow that was shifted during the boarder’s descent, could you easily pack it back together? Yes. A little might melt in the process, but melting is an entirely different ballgame. Perhaps, “Dude, I totally sprayed that mountain” or just “I did a really good job snowboarding back there, bro,” would be a more appropriate word choice.For those who might make light of the issue, or believe the two definitions can co-exist, first consider the consequences. In arguably shredding’s all-time low point, director Greg Huson attempted to make the unholy matrimony work when he released the straight-to-DVD slasher flick Shredder in 2003, playing off of the newly minted double entendre. The tale takes place on a deserted ski resort where snowboarders are sliced up like hot butter by a disgruntled ski-enthusiast who takes exception with the snowboarding community. As evidenced by the film’s 4.4/10 IMDb rating, a dually-defined “shred” can and will not work. Don’t be a bystander, speak out against nonsensical snowboarding lingo at a lodge near you.