"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! - Page 37 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

I cba to look through the thread to see if this has already been addressed but it tilts the hell out of me.

Other similar ones that are brought about by people mishearing and making up some ******ed logic as to why it should be like that:

I'll just have a slither of cake. - WTF?! COS ITS A SMALL SLICE LIKE A SLITHERING SNAKE?!?!?!?! GTFO YOU CAN HAVE A TRIFLE OR NOTHING.

I'm tired, I'll have an expresso. - WHY? WHY? WHY? OH I SEE BECAUSE ITS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT, SO IT COMES QUICKLY, IS THAT WHY ITS AN 'EXPRESS' COFFEE?!?!

/rant

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11-03-2009 , 09:27 PM

#902

prohornblower

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Quote:

Originally Posted by W0X0F

These forms are colloquial and usually the speaker is from western Pennsylvania. Not strictly correct. In Wisconsin they will say "I threw the cow over the fence some hay", a sentence construction showing influence from the Germanic and Scandinavian cultures predominant there.

I like these types of posts. Post more. Have you studied this stuff at all?

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11-03-2009 , 09:46 PM

#903

W0X0F

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Treesong

Is this the old "Kay-bec" versus "Kwuh-bec" issue? Having little sympathy for the foreign policies of Dominique de Villepin, I'm of the "Kwuh-bec" school, just in an effort to tilt those of the opposite persuasion on this issue.

I pronounce it "Kwuh-bec" in normal conversation, but use "Kay-bec" when flying as this is the pronunciation specified by the Airman's Information Manual for the phonetic Q.

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11-03-2009 , 10:17 PM

#904

W0X0F

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KurtSF

At the poker table earlier this week, guy was going on about how there's no second "r" in sherbet, even though its usually pronounced shur-burt. I bet him "sherbert" was an acceptable alternative spelling. Whipped out the iPhone, looked it up, won $10.

Since you left out a subject on the last sentence, I don't know whether this should be inferred as:

(He) whipped out the iPhone, (he) looked it up, (he) won $10.

or

(I) whipped out the iPhone, (I) looked it up, (I) won $10.

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11-03-2009 , 10:32 PM

#905

W0X0F

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

I like these types of posts. Post more. Have you studied this stuff at all?

Can't tell from this if I'm being mocked or if you are serious. In any case, I like your name. Big Hornblower fan. I think I read the entire series 3 times. Some phrases will always stay with me, e.g. "Seasick at Spithead", "the men pumping with a will."

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11-03-2009 , 10:43 PM

#906

prohornblower

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Originally Posted by W0X0F

I can't tell from this if I'm being mocked or if you are serious. lol. In any case, my moniker is unrelated to whatever it is you speak of.

But to be clear, I really am fascinated by regional linguistics, especially if there are "practical" reasons for the nuances. I honestly would like to hear more of these examples if you know of any.

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11-03-2009 , 11:40 PM

#907

miajag

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While it may be technically acceptable, if you pronounce or spell it "sherbert" you sound like a moron.

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11-03-2009 , 11:46 PM

#908

SoloAJ

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W0X, pretty obvious the invisible pronoun is "I."

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11-03-2009 , 11:49 PM

#909

atakdog

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Quote:

Originally Posted by miajag

While it may be technically acceptable, if you pronounce or spell it "sherbert" you sound like a moron.

+1

These days there's some dictionary that will tell you that whatever spelling or pronunciation you're advocating is acceptable. If we trust all the dictionaries, it's fine to say sherbert and nucular and expresso and chaise lounge.

**** it — some things are just wrong, and a whole bunch of uneducated fools thinking otherwise doesn't make them right.

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11-04-2009 , 12:08 AM

#910

prohornblower

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Originally Posted by miajag

While it may be technically acceptable, if you pronounce or spell it "sherbert" you sound like a moron.

Damn, this is the only way I've heard it pronounced...

I've lived in St. Louis, and Houston, fwiw.

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11-04-2009 , 02:01 AM

#911

JaredL

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It's like daylight saving time. Most people say savings and most people say sherbert.

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11-04-2009 , 03:00 AM

#912

ArcticKnight

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Originally Posted by FluxCapacitor

Maybe I don't understand your question... A student can't really work on his roommates PhD anyway - that doesn't make sense.

What I'm saying is, students who are enrolled in a university and who are studying towards some degree often refer their degrees as if they already have them.

Example: I am currently working on my PhD.

Personally, I hate the way this sounds. Instead, I would always say "I am working on a PhD".

I don't know which version is right or if it matters, but referring to "my" degrees, which have not yet been obtained, bugs me.

I'm not sure why it is so bothersome. They person is fully acknowledging that they are working on it, so there is no implication that they have it. It seems appropriate to me.

In reviewing many resumes and CVs, I get more annoyed by Ph.D followed by "candidate" or "in progress" in brackets , using size 4 font.

On a related front, I find it really annoying when people infer that they hold a credential, and force your to find the one secret place in their resume or cover letter that explains that they in fact do no hold the credential.

Off into the reject pile they go....

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11-04-2009 , 03:07 AM

#913

atakdog

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Originally Posted by ArcticKnight

My reaction when people use infer when they mean imply is usually to ignore it, but sometimes the irony is just too much to resist.

(Normally I'd harp on the misuse of the plural they in the first paragraph, too, but y'all are too young even to consider that an error.)

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11-04-2009 , 03:09 AM

#914

atakdog

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredL

It's like daylight saving time. Most people say savings and most people say sherbert.

Most people are stupid, so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

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11-04-2009 , 09:22 AM

#915

SoloAJ

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Watching the Today Show this morning, I had the pleasure of hearing some guy say it "eck-specially." That one gets annoying.

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11-04-2009 , 09:55 AM

#916

otnemem

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sjp507

I'm tired, I'll have an expresso. - WHY? WHY? WHY? OH I SEE BECAUSE ITS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT, SO IT COMES QUICKLY, IS THAT WHY ITS AN 'EXPRESS' COFFEE?!?!

Ehrm, well, yes. What do you think espresso means in English?

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11-04-2009 , 02:24 PM

#917

W0X0F

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Quote:

Originally Posted by miajag

While it may be technically acceptable, if you pronounce or spell it "sherbert" you sound like a moron.

Outstanding license plate in your avatar!!

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11-04-2009 , 02:27 PM

#918

W0X0F

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SoloAJ

Watching the Today Show this morning, I had the pleasure of hearing some guy say it "eck-specially." That one gets annoying.

Do we dare even mention the common mispronunciation of "ask"? Or would that be considered racial? I've never understood how anyone can pronounce this as "axe".

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11-04-2009 , 02:41 PM

#919

baumer

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Quote:

Originally Posted by otnemem

Ehrm, well, yes. What do you think espresso means in English?

Dunno if this is a level but he is complaining about people pronouncing it eXpresso as opposed to the correct eSpresso you are talking about.

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11-04-2009 , 02:59 PM

#920

prohornblower

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and otnemem is reminding us all that "espresso" is just a fancy way of saying "express"

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11-04-2009 , 03:59 PM

#921

otnemem

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Originally Posted by baumer

Dunno if this is a level but he is complaining about people pronouncing it eXpresso as opposed to the correct eSpresso you are talking about.

No ****. I understood what he was complaining about. It was just funny that he was ridiculing the rationale for accidentally calling it expresso, when in fact the word espresso is derived from that exact line of reasoning.

EDIT: In his original post, he misused "its." Just realized that upon reread.

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11-04-2009 , 07:30 PM

#922

SoloAJ

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Despite some etymology that might be there I am really annoyed by expresso. That's not what it is called, even if the root word is express.

Today my students kept saying ect cetera. They're young, so I just correct them. It's pretty wild when grown adults still say that though.

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11-04-2009 , 08:20 PM

#923

ArcticKnight

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Originally Posted by atakdog

Your points are correct. In casual internet chat I'm not too worried about they versus his/her.

BTW, despite your stated reluctance, I doubt you ever skip an opportunity to harp. That said, this is the thread for it, so that's cool.

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11-04-2009 , 09:09 PM

#924

GMan42

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

Doesn't matter how the "insiders" say it. Written, it should always read "an SQL"

So going back to Bostaevski's point earlier, should it also always read "an SCUBA diver?"

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11-04-2009 , 10:45 PM

#925

prohornblower

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Originally Posted by GMan42

So going back to Bostaevski's point earlier, should it also always read "an SCUBA diver?"

The difference is words like sonar, scuba, and radar have all evolved from merely acronyms, to actual English words. "SQL" will never become a word, because it doesn't even follow basic rules of the language.

So you would say "a radar" "a sonar" "a scuba", but you would say "an SQL"

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