Talk:absolute value

I think it would be nice to have some discussion of possible verb forms of "absolute value". I think using "absolute value" as a verb for "take the absolute value of" is somewhat common--although speakers might disavow the usage if they saw it transcribed into print. (Similarly "times it by" for "multiply it by" and "minus it from" for "subtract it from" may be comparable usages that occur commonly but that users "know it's wrong".) I'm more accepting of "absolute value it" than I am of "times it". But recently I've heard more than one person use "absolute" alone as a verb for absolute value: "absolute it". The different usages may or may not correspond to countries I've been in ("absolute value it" in US, "absolute it" in Australia). (Or may correspond to generational differences ("absolute value it" when I was in school decades ago, "absolute it" now.) But in any case, people need and use verb forms of "absolute value", and it would probably be worth discussing what people do and how they or others feel about the correctness of it.