Job Discussion Forums

[johnslat]

Dear bradyvictor86,

Odd, it still works for me here. This is the text:

Flounder vs. founder

To flounder is (1) to struggle or move with difficulty, as in mud; or (2) to behave awkwardly or make mistakes. One who flounders does not fail completely but merely struggles. To founder is (1) to cave in, (2) to sink below the water, (3) to fail utterly, or (4) to go lame. While to flounder is merely to struggle, foundering usually involves utter failure.

Because there are degrees of struggle and failure, and because failure is often the outcome of struggle, flounder and founder often come close together. In sports, for example, a losing season can be seen as either a struggle or a failure, and indeed flounder and founder both commonly appear in reference to losing sports teams.

Of course, both words have noun senses that are unrelated to the verb senses. A flounder is a type of fish, and a founder is someone who founds something. As far as we know, the words are not mixed up in these senses.
Examples
Flounder

His progress in creating a more moderate image will flounder if, as expected tomorrow night, he proposes more and more spending. [Washington Post]

If the Eagles flounder next year, especially on defense, look for more eyebrows to be raised at this puzzling move. [Delaware County Daily Times]

Parallel to this is the fact that the so-called peace process continues to flounder. [Jerusalem Post]

Founder

Last week, in the latest move to right BSC’s foundering financial ship, the school’s board of trustees pledged to raise money to make up the gap. [The Birmingham News]

These programs make so much sense that a bill extending all three passed the House on Dec. 15 on a voice vote, only to founder in the Senate. [New York Times]

[spiral78]

Ach, and A flounder makes a tasty meal:-)

[Snuff]

Sadly, I've been shot dead in the water... although you could say I've truly foundered. I was told on Friday, after a horrendous lesson earlier in the week.

As I mentioned earlier, my classroom management wasn't up to scratch, but things took a turn for the worst when a couple of students ran out of the classroom to hide. They did this last week, but it started to become a game for them even when their class teachers had a word with them. On Thursday, it happened again. The Czech assistant followed them and I carried on with the lesson. A few minutes later, one of the students who fled ran back to ask me to follow them. When I asked him where the assistant was, he became more insistent. He looked really distressed, so I followed him (bad decision on my part). It turns out one of the other students had chased the 'fugitives' to try and bring them back to the class, he locked them in the toilets, where they were hiding, had taken the key, and fled downstairs to his class teacher. I had no idea what to do. I had a class of students who I shouldn't leave behind, but this was an emergency situation, and the Czech assistant was nowhere to be seen. I kept asking, "Where is [ ASSISTANT'S NAME]? Is anyone locked inside?", but the student couldn't tell me. I told him to follow me and find a member of staff.

The psycho student was suspended for the day, but due to complaints from parents - one of them happens to be the investor for the school - they had to let me go. They'll continue to pay me for next month, provide a reference, offer any help they can, etc.

A very bizarre week, to say the least. I'm going to give myself until the 31st to land a new job, before calling it quits. Luckily, I have an EU passport, original documents, and a nice clean suit in my wardrobe. I've applied for the big language schools in Prague, and I'll start sending my CV to smaller schools too.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... *hysterical grin*

[spiral78]

Wow, awful. Good luck finding something else! It's not the greatest time to be job-searching, but not impossible, hopefully.