"all-pervasive"......can I use it in this way?

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I'm writing a character reference for a friend who runs a home-based childcare thing. She is Very Patient!

If I write " ....and her patient, unruffled demeanour is all-pervasive "

does it make sense or am I mis-using the term? I'm trying to say that she has the kind of calm manner that permeates the place, and everyone there just seems to go ' Ahhhhh ' Or have you got a better way to say it?
I have to get this to her today!

― donna (donna), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"All-pervasive" sounds kind of awkward. Why not just say it the way you explained it? Something like "...and her patient, unruffled demeanor puts everyone at ease." ??

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool, yep you're right. thanks heaps :-)
It just got worse 'n worse and grew more fiddly the more I thought about it.

― donna (donna), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Side issue: I can't decide if "all-pervasive" is redundant or not. I suppose it could mean that the thing in question pervades all things, as opposed to just lots of things. But really, I think pervasive already carries the connotation of the "all" along with it.

― nabiscothingy, Thursday, 17 February 2005 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I was going to say you could just say "pervasive" instead of "all-pervasive," but then I started to doubt myself and overthink it.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 17 February 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm, don't use it. Pervasive or all-pervasive maens that she pervades everything, which has a connotation of being invasive / all over something. Better to say something like: "she applies her patient, unruffled demeanour to every task at hand" or some shit.

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 17 February 2005 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

pervasive carries negative connotations. don't know if it should, etymologically, but it does. SHE WILL PERVADE YOUR CHILDREN omg. (phoneme "perv" may be coincidental, hold on...)

― f--gg (gcannon), Thursday, 17 February 2005 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

(N/A I've decided to answer our question by going around saying "semi-pervasive" until someone tries to correct me.)

― nabiscothingy, Thursday, 17 February 2005 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

no connection! per+vade (through+walk) vs per+vert (through+turn)

― f--gg (gcannon), Thursday, 17 February 2005 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

the oed, hours of semi-fun.

― f--gg (gcannon), Thursday, 17 February 2005 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe I'm a day late, but I've got that dollar you were missing.

" ....and her patient, unruffled demeanour is all-pervasive "

No, this does not say what you indicated you wanted to say. Luckily, the fix is simple. You may amend your phrasing to:

" ....and her patient, unruffled demeanour is an all-pervasive influence"

This fix preserves the original wording you seem to be attached to - while making your intended meaning much clearer. I hope this helps.

― Aimless (Aimless), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

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