Hi All - I'd deduced the "unexceptional" - hadn't realized it was incorrectly stated - but never thought of "disinterestedness" in the manner you present, but more as being neutral. How that would apply to singers presenting material is still a puzzlement, unless the reporter meant the singers did not add one whit of "interpretation", but sang everything note for note, precisely, with no vibrato, trills, theatrics, etc. I also liked the usage of the word "yacht" in the regatta news. They reported the results of the "under 15 foot yacht" races! Doesn't that conjure up visions of Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket and her 'yacht' ~~~ Cheers, Julia (who personally owns a 16 foot open outboard-motor-powered yacht. Move over, Hyacinth!) .................. Hi Julia, <snipped> "Disinteredness" is a word that was commonly used in the 19th C, paricularly in literature. It still has the same meaning, which comes from"interest" in the sense of bias, interested in the outcome; therefore someone who exhibits disinterestedness is objective, free of bias, generous. It does not mean "UN-interested" in the sense of bored. Similarly, "unexceptional references" were asked and given very commonly by employers in the 1800's, early 1900's, simply meaning there would be nothing unusual (i.e. bad) in the references/work history given. Joanne Toronto, Canada