Awkward words
#52
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NW Illinois
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I'm enjoying this thread. I always tell my students not to rely on the computer for spell/grammar check. My favorite example to share with them is the person who wrote about a plan to lose weight. Her sentence was "I plan to cut out between meal snakes."
#53
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,265
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When I hear someone use the word conversate, it's like nails on a chalkboard. I know it's actually considered to be a word in an ebonics dictionary, but I still can't get on board with it being a "real" word. Other words that fusstrate me (lol) are: anxious vs. eager, lieberry instead of library, axed instead of asked. Phrases that that bug me are, "I don't got none," and "You see what I'm saying."
#55
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I misuse lay/lie, but not because I don't understand the difference; I do. The reason is that my parents (although both sticklers for good grammar) both misused it all the time. When you grow up hearing it used incorrectly, it sounds awkward to say it correctly. I say "I laid your phone on the counter" instead of "I lay it on the counter" because "lay sounds like present tense. I'll say I'm going to lay down for a nap. I will write these correctly because I take time to think about them, however.
Words that are often used incorrectly on this board - boarder instead of border, salvage instead of selvage/selvedge.
My DH was from NY, and he had a funny way of saying drawer. The kids used to try to get him to say it, because they thought it was funny. Now I have trouble saying the word too. (Try it - it's a hard word to say!)
#58
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Southwest
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I always had trouble saying "delivery report" at work. Unfortunately, I had to say it lots of times! It's been 2 years since I've retired and I STILL can't say it! Try it 3 times in a row!!!!! You'll almost swallow your tongue! ha!
Something lots of people say around here is "samich" instead of sandwich!
Something lots of people say around here is "samich" instead of sandwich!
#59
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My dear Husband is from Philly and he has an accent that tickles me. Conner for corner and wooter for water. When he says bury it sounds more like beery and mary is meery.
I am from southern California. So we have made a truce.....I don't tease him (much!) and he doesn't make fun of my hippy dippy (his words) way of speaking.
How about Stood instead of stayed?
I am from southern California. So we have made a truce.....I don't tease him (much!) and he doesn't make fun of my hippy dippy (his words) way of speaking.
How about Stood instead of stayed?
#60
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,265
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My husband and I clash on the pronunciation of words all the time. He is from Massachusetts and I am from South Carolina. For example, he pronounces Amish using a long vowel sound on the a. I pronounce it using a short vowel sound on the a.
Somebody mentioned the misuse of words on this board, like boarder vs. border. I wonder how many people really do know the difference, but when they re-read their post, they find their mistake and cringe a little. I know that has happened to me before. I definitely know the difference between their, there, and they're, and two, too, and to, but there have been times when, in my haste to send an email or a message, I just overlook a mistake until it's too late. Ernest Hemingway said "The first draft of anything is s__t." How true that is. I'd like to think that some of the mistakes that I see are just a lack of editing, and I hope that everyone will look at my errors with the same attitude. And can I just say that the auto-correct feature on my Kindle is the devil reincarnated.
Somebody mentioned the misuse of words on this board, like boarder vs. border. I wonder how many people really do know the difference, but when they re-read their post, they find their mistake and cringe a little. I know that has happened to me before. I definitely know the difference between their, there, and they're, and two, too, and to, but there have been times when, in my haste to send an email or a message, I just overlook a mistake until it's too late. Ernest Hemingway said "The first draft of anything is s__t." How true that is. I'd like to think that some of the mistakes that I see are just a lack of editing, and I hope that everyone will look at my errors with the same attitude. And can I just say that the auto-correct feature on my Kindle is the devil reincarnated.
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