My favorite: "Lock and load." Yes, I know that, vernacularly speaking ( :tongue: ) that phrase is the correct term. But it still bugs me. How do you LOAD onto something that's already LOCKED?


Link: "lock and load" origin (http://www.sproe.com/l/lock-and-load.html)

See, load and lock makes a lot more sense.

Not if you were loading a Flintlock. And, I do believe it was a phrase long before the advent of a shelled cartridge weapon.

come to detorit... between the poor education and the ebonics your head will explode from this sort of thing. on the other hand, id like to suggest one that would actually be correct: "will farrel" for rhesus monkey (with apologies to all monkeys for the insult).

my, this thread certainly took a left turn some posts back!

come to detorit..

detorit?

Ferrell is going be be "in a special episode" with Bear Grylls, I guess to show his 'outdoorsyness'. He should leave him out there.

"Come to Detorit"?

It's properly spelled "de toilet." :tongue:

(No offense meant to any native of that fair city -- in fact, both my parents were born there. And look how I turned out! :freak: )

"Come to Detorit"?

It's properly spelled "de toilet." :tongue:

(No offense meant to any native of that fair city -- in fact, both my parents were born there. And look how I turned out! :freak: )

Send him to Detroit!!

Apparently it's the participle form of the verb "to bonify."

Oh, that HAS to be a sexual euphamism!! :lol:

You are all taking this way too seriously. I axe you to reconsider.

oops typographical error above...
"axe" is extremely common here...
while "de toilet" is cute, the actual name has an even more vulgar connotation. the city is named for the river, which the french folks who colonized the area called "the straights" or "the narrows". the word is also the root of one of the ever-expanding list of words you cant say on broadcast television. just pronounce the name as if you were reading it in french and you'll get it.

So you pronounce the final "t" in French, rather than it being silent?

oops typographical error above...
"axe" is extremely common here...


At the start of every year I tell the freshmen that saying "axe" for "ask" is one English error I do not let slide in class. I'll let the first offense go with a warning. After that they hate me for making them come up to the board and spell the two words...but if they see from their own writing that the words are spelled differently, they should be pronounced differently, too. Then if they're still mad, I just tell them that in many of the jobs they're likely to apply for, one exchange they don't want to happen is,

Boss: "So, do you have any questions for me?"

Them: "Yes, I'd like to axe you a question."

I have a friend from NY who always says "I had went" somewhere.
But he has more guns than I do, so I let it slide.

i believe the final "t" is silent. either way, the connotation is pretty clear!

Years ago I took several American Sign Language classes. After a while it became obvious those in the class who had paid attention in High School English and those who had not.

The sign for "to" was often used to indicate "too", which was incorrect on several levels. Essentially there is no sign for "too", instead several different ways of indicating "also" are employed.

"Your" and "you're" were interchanged a lot, and "their", "they're" and "there" were a source of pain for many students. Interesting constructions such as "They're car is broken" and "Their going to the store" were common mistakes.

Sign language is all very concept oriented: each sign usually means only one thing, be it a specific idea, adjective, noun, verb and so on. In many ways it is simpler than English, and very few signs had multiple meanings (as opposed to English words that often times have 4 or 5 usages).

Watching these people interchange "they're" with "their" told me that they had never fully understood what it was they were saying in English.

IMDb is a wealth of mistakes. Today I read a complaint about people who watch movies "in an unthinking manor". Make a note, movies are better at the Overlook.

. . . Today I read a complaint about people who watch movies "in an unthinking manor."So what do they want, a house that thinks?

Another pet peeve of mine is the confusion of flout with flaunt. I mean, the two words don't even sound that much alike, and yet people constantly say flaunt when they mean flout. "He flaunted the law." Was he waving a copy of the Constitution?

And Will Ferrel STILL sucks! :beatdeadhorse:

I have a friend from NY who always says "I had went" somewhere.
But he has more guns than I do, so I let it slide.

Arrgh! My boss and several fellows I know say that a lot and I have to say to myself, "Had gone! Had gone! Had gone!"

Where has the word "gone" gone, anyway?

And WHY, OH WHY do people insist on using the horrible (and ungrammatical) locution "aren't I"? It's no more correct than "I aren't"!

I hate that one as well but it seems to be the only way for most folks to have a contraction and, if I'm not mistaken, generally accepted as good English though it is actually very stupid sounding. In other cases like this, it's more how good something sounds vs. any actual hard and fast rules.

I suspect that the word "ain't" started as a contraction of "am not." I think that it should be declared correct English to say, "I ain't" as a contraction of "I am not." At least it sounds better than "I am't." And "Ain't I?" sounds a lot better to my ear than "Aren't I?"

Now How seriously am I to take grammer lessons from someone who calls himself Perfesser when the correct spelling/pronunciation is PROfessOr?

jus' sayin..:)

PS my favorite malapropism is "Might could a"

Now if I was to offer my two cent to this discussion.... (as opposed to two cents :) )

Especially when it's grammar, not grammer time...

;)

That was only a spleling error Gato....does not count as grahmer......:D

Yeah Will Ferrel sucks... and what about people who write Prolly instead of Probably...where did they lose it?
Mcdee:p

Especially when it's grammar, not grammer time...

;)

Couldn't resist:p

http://www.metropolisgrafix.com/postings/grammer.jpg

That was only a spleling error Gato....does not count as grahmer......:D

Your right. I sholudn't'a been so meen. Sometimes I loose it, ya no?

Ayyyyup ;)

Now How seriously am I to take grammer lessons from someone who calls himself Perfesser when the correct spelling/pronunciation is PROfessOr?

Hee-hee! :D

I spell it that way since it's just a nickname and not an actual title (I only have two years' worth of post-graduate credits--still lacking another two years and a dissertation :tongue: ).

I was inspired by the pronunciation of the title by those who nicknamed me back in high school c. 1977.

hey, no harm..
one of my first brochures I had printed in my job had a big old typo right on the front touting the "perfessional" nature of their services. Oh boy, did I hear about that!

hey, no harm..
one of my first brochures I had printed in my job had a big old typo right on the front touting the "perfessional" nature of their services. Oh boy, did I hear about that!

That's definitely a case of spelling according to pronunciation. :p

Thankfully, there's spell check or I'd continue to have problems with separate, vacuum, license, surprise, cemetery, etc.:freak:

My Dad was a sign-painter at WT Grant in Hackensack, NJ, after WWII. His most embarassing memory is doing a Memorial Day banner that was going to be hung across the inside of the store. It was so big he had to paint one or two letters, let it dry, fold it over, paint a couple more letters... so he never saw it all at the same time.

When they hung it up, it said "HAPPY MEMEMORIAL DAY!"

:freak:

Excaping (MY personal tooth-grater) one aspect of this thread...having been drilled by my dad, the journalist, in spelling, I'm fairly good at it. A friend (otherwise no dummy) is awful. Is spelling a matter of rote memory, do ya'll* think, or a particular manner of thinking? Are there, that is to say, "naturally" bad spellers?

*a useful word, that should exist

I know that I've become a much worse speller as I get older. I can't "visualize" certain words the way I used to.*

*In fact, I just had to spell check the word "visualize".

Excaping (MY personal tooth-grater)One of mine as well. Another wince-inducer is "estatic" for "ecstatic."

Qapla'

SSB

. . . Is spelling a matter of rote memory, do ya'll* think, or a particular manner of thinking?

*a useful word, that should existIt DOES exist -- in the South!

And, since the apostrophe stands for the letters "ou" in "you all," the contraction should be written y’all.

Well, shut my mouth!

Are there, that is to say, "naturally" bad spellers?


Oh yes! I have a friend whose letters and emails feature about 30-40% misspelled words throughout. And some VERY creative misspellings of common words too. We usually share the letters and have a good laugh at his expense - or to get opionions on what a particular word is supposed to be! When we first met, back in our teens, he showed me a super-8 film he'd made "staring" himself. :lol: He has only improved recently thanks to spell check, but some misspellings still sneak by.

I use the contraction y'all all the time. It's a very useful word that fills a niche nicely and sounds good to my ear. It's also gender-neutral so I don't have to refer to girls as "guys" like the other popular expression.

Here's something that bugs me. I've noticed some of the older generation (60s+) pronounce "pulse" as "pults." I hit the first syllable hard myself and then slide in with the "s" sound but there's no "t" sound there. It just grates a little is all.

My late grandmother would pronounce "bomb" as "bum." And she said "puh-rary" for "prairie." These are intelligent people (IQ est. at 130+) but have pronounced words in an older style or had some strange ways of saying some particular words creep into their vocabulary.

I've frequently said "peench" instead of "pinch" which I think is a colloquialism.

As a consolation to those of us who sometimes have difficulties spelling, it used to be there was no real standardization of spelling--just customary spellings based on usage. The dictionary is a relatively recent invention of the English language. The spelling of the Constitution and other documents of that era is consistent but not correct with many words according to modern dictionaries.

there is a western Pa. version of "y'all"

its "y'uns". short for "you ones". It means the same as y'all but without the hillbilly baggage (ducks..):wave:

I can say that 'cuz I grew up in western Pa. but moved to mayberry

I use the contraction y'all all the time. It's a very useful word that fills a niche nicely and sounds good to my ear. It's also gender-neutral so I don't have to refer to girls as "guys" like the other popular expression.

Here's something that bugs me. I've noticed some of the older generation (60s+) pronounce "pulse" as "pults." I hit the first syllable hard myself and then slide in with the "s" sound but there's no "t" sound there. It just grates a little is all.

My late grandmother would pronounce "bomb" as "bum." And she said "puh-rary" for "prairie." These are intelligent people (IQ est. at 130+) but have pronounced words in an older style or had some strange ways of saying some particular words creep into their vocabulary.

I've frequently said "peench" instead of "pinch" which I think is a colloquialism.

As a consolation to those of us who sometimes have difficulties spelling, it used to be there was no real standardization of spelling--just customary spellings based on usage. The dictionary is a relatively recent invention of the English language. The spelling of the Constitution and other documents of that era is consistent but not correct with many words according to modern dictionaries.

My grandfather was from Brooklyn and lived in the Bronx. He was always... I was gonna say interesting, but really, the accent was annoying as hell.
"I got some deck chairs unduh a tar-po-lee-an in da garage."
"Do youse have filum in da cam-ra?"
"Youse watchin' Star Track? Dat dere is whatyacall yer impossible!"

^^ I can imagine Mel Blanc speaking it dat dose very woids!

. . . My late grandmother would pronounce "bomb" as "bum." And she said "puh-rary" for "prairie." These are intelligent people (IQ est. at 130+) but have pronounced words in an older style or had some strange ways of saying some particular words creep into their vocabulary.What I find odd is the way some folks say "warsh" and "Warshington," though those pronunciations seem to be dying out. Also the fact that some people drop the first "r" in forward, so it sounds like "foward." This seems to cut across regional and class lines."I got some deck chairs unduh a tar-po-lee-an in da garage."
"Do youse have filum in da cam-ra?"
"Youse watchin' Star Track? Dat dere is whatyacall yer impossible!"" 'Scuse me, youse guys, I gotta go to da terlet!"

How about ' opposed ta ' instead of 'supposted to' ? Yeah , that bugs me ...

What I find odd is the way some folks say "warsh" and "Warshington," though those pronunciations seem to be dying out.I've run into more than a few older people in the south for whom the seventh day of the week is "Sair-dee," with emphasis on the first syllable.

Qapla'

SSB

I've run into more than a few older people in the south for whom the seventh day of the week is "Sair-dee," with emphasis on the first syllable.PARTIAL TEXAN DICTIONARY:

awl -- That black liquid stuff that comes up from the ground
bidness -- Trade, profession, e.g., "Mah family's in the awl bidness."
farscape -- The outside emergency stairs on older buildings
hail -- Place of punishment in the afterlife
harket -- What the barber gives you
hep -- To aid or assist
mere -- Reflecting surface
prior -- Words addressed to the Deity
tarred -- Fatigued, exhausted

I've run into more than a few older people in the south for whom the seventh day of the week is "Sair-dee," with emphasis on the first syllable.

Qapla'

SSB

Several old-style Southernisms I remember hearing from my childhood. You don't hardly hear 'em no more:

"She's got the sugar-diabetes."
"It's pouring down the rain!"
"Land sakes!" (polite church-goer substitute for "For God's sake!")
"My Lands!" (polite church-goer substitute for "My God!")
"Land O' Goshen!" (polite church-goer substitute for "I'll be d**ned!!)
"That boy's a real Polecat!" (polite church-goer substitute for "That guy ain't worth a d**mn!"

So, you guys obviously understand why I can't keep myself from correcting, or at least making fun of, the occasional spelling gaff around here. Just trying to help make the world a better place to communicate in.

I've run into more than a few older people in the south for whom the seventh day of the week is "Sair-dee," with emphasis on the first syllable.

I very nearly say it just that way. I only add a little bit of an "ah" between "Sair" and "dee." I like to make a distinction between those that pronounce a word a certain way and are fully aware of all it's syllables and correct spellings and those that are only aware of the vocalization and not the spelling. You can usually tell the difference when they speak though it is often very subtle.

The various dialects in England are even more infamous for skipping over parts of words when pronounced and their standard pronunciation for many of those words (example: "secretary") has changed in the last two or three centuries due to this contracting of words.

I've got a friend who has a bit of a hearing problem and the words he comes up with in attempting to make irregular English regular and other malapropisms are often hilarious. "Reverse side effects" instead of "adverse side effects" for example. You almost always know what he's trying to say so it's good for a laugh every once in a while. He's very good-natured about it and open to learning the correct usage and pronunciations. I supply him with the necessary info at times.

I had a buddy who, before he died a couple of years ago, would correct me every once in a while on terms I had similarly messed up--especially medical terms (saying "colostomy bag" instead of "ostomy bag" for example). I could still use his help. :(

Several old-style Southernisms I remember hearing from my childhood. You don't hardly hear 'em no more:

"She's got the sugar-diabetes."

I still hear this one occasionally--mostly black friends and acquaintances.

"It's pouring down the rain!"

Don't know if I've ever heard that one.

"Land sakes!" (polite church-goer substitute for "For God's sake!")
"My Lands!" (polite church-goer substitute for "My God!")
"Land O' Goshen!" (polite church-goer substitute for "I'll be . . . !!)

I've only heard those used seriously on movies. Otherwise, it was someone being silly.

"That boy's a real Polecat!" (polite church-goer substitute for "That guy ain't worth a . . . !"

I used to hear "polecat" all the time--usually in reference to a smell on the road when driving. Don't hear it much anymore.

What I find odd is the way some folks say "warsh" and "Warshington," though those pronunciations seem to be dying out. Also the fact that some people drop the first "r" in forward, so it sounds like "foward." This seems to cut across regional and class lines.

That has got to be related to the dialects from England that unnecessarily add an "r" sound when there's no corresponding element of spelling.

The funniest thing I ever heard accent-wise was a teenage girl from New York City that accosted a couple of buddies and me when we were visiting Mystic Seaport in our summer whites back in '90 when I was in sub school. (Back then at least, you could get in free to the seaport and the aquarium if you were in uniform. We had tourists taking our pictures right and left the whole time.)

I'm from Alabama, one buddy was from Georgia (related to Clyde Barrow, interestingly enough) and the other buddy was from Texas (and descended from General John B. Hood). Our accents were impeccably Southern, especially my one buddy when he had a "chaw of tobaccy" in his mouth.

The girl asked us where we were from. We told her and she giggled and replied, "I nevah sar anybuddy from da Sout befowah!"

Once I figured out what she had said, I reassured her that we were the real thing and politely refrained from elaborating on how we'd seen waaaay too many Yankee transplants where we were from. :D

when I was in high school, we took a trip to Long Island for an exchange concert and stayed in their student's homes. When talking about my future career plans with the parents, I said that I was planning on going to art school.

the mother's face lit up and she said "Oh, you're aw-tis-tic!"

to which I replied, "no, there's no history of autism in my family". (well, not out loud)

I just smiled and ate my tunafish sandwich

That has got to be related to the dialects from England that unnecessarily add an "r" sound when there's no corresponding element of spelling.I assume you're referring to the speech habit of interpolating an "r" sound between a word that ends on a vowel and one that starts with a vowel, so that no idea of sounds like no idear of, or I saw a movie sounds like I sore a movie. The "r" makes the separation between words more distinct and is not considered altogether incorrect.

BTW, maybe this thread has gone on for so long that Will Ferrell doesn't suck anymore!