"Pre... ?" Topic

For some years I've had a nagging sense of wrongness about a sign on a office supplies seller. Finally put my finger on it today.

"Pre-used furniture"

PRE used?

Surely that is is 'used' then? Pre used would be new.

My wife compounded this by refering to her paymet card she had been sent for her travel costs as 'pre-loaded' with cash.

No that would be loaded (note I am not getting upset with the evolution of the word loaded, that is just using physical imagery for an electronic idea – makes sense in context).

My correction of her was met with a sour face, despite her laughing agreement earlier.

I have a new mission in life – ridicule the misuse of 'Pre'

Could it be shorthand for "Previously"?

Oh shut up when I'm being curmudgeonly!

I'm with you. It's just (bad) ad-speak to try to sound like the item in question is better than another item with similar history. We went from "used cars" to "pre-owned cars" to "certified pre-owned cars" (which means what, exactly? That you have documentation that someone else owned it? Pffft.)
I despise such abuse of language.

It's used, dadgumit. Just call it what it is.

isn't hat kind of like New and Improved

I've always liked the idea of 'genuine plastic' in ads.

…or 'baked fresh'

Being able to 'bake stale' would be a more notable accomplishment, imo.

"Pre-used" sounds like "new" to me, but I suspect it really isn't, since otherwise they would have just called it that.

Where are the False Advertising Police when you need them?

Baked fresh makes sense – as in baked not long ago, or even to order, as opposed to baked and left hanging around.