I Broke Free Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Okay, I have admitted to my shortcomings, now I want to bring up something that bugs me. In the past twenty years or so I have noticed Americans dropping the “LY” off the end of adverbs. It bugs me. Stop it! One does not tell someone to “Drive Safe.” You ask them to “Drive SafeLY.” He did not “Get here quick.” “He got here quickLY” Got it? Thank you.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichotomy Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I read somewhere that the Brits pronounce the "t", but I can't confirm that. If they did, a 15 minute gag in "Pirates of Penzance" would have to be cut. Of course we pronounce often with a 't' that's how you say it! I've never heard it be said otherwise. Funny old thing accents and dialects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My hook was into the whole thing of media, culture, and bad grammar at the moment. The young culture now is to use bad grammar and misuse of words. When I try and follow best friend's son, who I consider my nephew, on Facebook, I don't understand what the heck he and his friends are saying most of the time. They are all starting their Sr. year in high school this year but write like complete illiterates, apparently because it's cool. When he writes me, I have to ask him to translate. For instance, kids can call parents "paradoxes" or "parentheses." My kids made up the verb "to waffle" to mean when someone is "trolling" in real life. I haven't seen this yet. Guess I'm in for a whole world of confusion now. Now, I'd like to master derivative and integrals of hyperbolic trig functions and their inverses. Have fun with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 The two that get me are "for all intensive purposes" and "Shur-burt" It's fucking sherbet you fucking nitwit! It also grates on me when the English emphasize the "t" in the word fillet. The Russians do the same with ballet and buffet. The words are French, why not use them the way the French do? I also think we should use the local names for cities and countries. For instance, why do we call the city of Torino (where they held the 2006 Olympics) "Turin"? Or why do we call Moskva "Moscow"? Are Torino and Moskva really that hard to pronounce? No doubt I'm being a pedant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Okay, I have admitted to my shortcomings, now I want to bring up something that bugs me. In the past twenty years or so I have noticed Americans dropping the “LY” off the end of adverbs. It bugs me. Stop it! One does not tell someone to “Drive Safe.” You ask them to “Drive SafeLY.” He did not “Get here quick.” “He got here quickLY” Got it? Thank you.. Only 20 years? I've been hearing those my entire life. I'm sure I've done it too. I just figured it was spoken shorthand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitchu Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 How did "few and far between" become "far and few between?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 It's like dragging fingernails across a chalkboard when I hear someone say, "sitchiation". As in, "You've got no control of the sitchiation......." Only Ted Nugent can say that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadedAtheist Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 It also grates on me when the English emphasize the "t" in the word fillet. The Russians do the same with ballet and buffet. The words are French, why not use them the way the French do? I also think we should use the local names for cities and countries. For instance, why do we call the city of Torino (where they held the 2006 Olympics) "Turin"? Or why do we call Moskva "Moscow"? Are Torino and Moskva really that hard to pronounce? No doubt I'm being a pedant. You know, I've heard people pronounce the words both ways and until now I thought they were talking about 2 different things Regarding the names of places, I think it has to do with the easiness of saying a word. Moskva is not an "easy" word to say in English as it is in Slavic countries. I realized after many years that words that seem easy to pronounce to me are very hard for most Westerners. I learned this especially when I was studying Japanese and it took like an hour of the class' time with people trying to pronounce Hiroshima and a couple other Japanese words with "short" vowels (for a lack of a better term than I can think of now) instead of long vowels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxie Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Forgot to mention the crazy names down here in south: Catfish, Sookie (rhymes with cookie), Munch, Sugie, (pronounced shu-gee), Curley, Bubba-Chuck, Bogie, Uncle Daddy (chew on that one a while), Peck, a lawyer I worked for named Scooter, to name a few. Not sure what their real names are, except Scooter. And then there's the little old lady that lives down the street known as Aunt Panky (pronounced: Ain't Panky - Panky rhymes with hanky). Is it any wonder they have such a bizarre language? Hi Roxie! "Awiles" back I moved to Chattanooga and was about to ring a doorbell to inquire about renting a duplex, when a neighbor stopped me. She said to ask for "Skeeter". A middle-aged guy answered the door, and when I asked for Skeeter he was perplexed. She was laughing her ass off, he realized he was set up, and had to explain the story. When he was young and got a job at TVA, all the guys thought he was as skinny as a "skeeter". The name stuck, dang it! Oh! I forgot about Skeeter. Yep, knew 2 people called that. Hilarious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godless Dave Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I pronounce it something like off-ten. Are you saying it should be off-in? With a silent "t?" I suppose I might do that if I'm being lazy but usually I try to get that "t" in there (and always have). Maybe this is a regional thing? Or are you effen with me? mwc In the northeast US in the 60s, your grammar school teacher would ALWAYS stop and remind you that the "t" is silent. In the 1970s too. I was pretty shocked when I moved to the midwest, where almost everyone pronounces the "t". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I pronounce it something like off-ten. Are you saying it should be off-in? With a silent "t?" I suppose I might do that if I'm being lazy but usually I try to get that "t" in there (and always have). Maybe this is a regional thing? Or are you effen with me? mwc In the northeast US in the 60s, your grammar school teacher would ALWAYS stop and remind you that the "t" is silent. In the 1970s too. I was pretty shocked when I moved to the midwest, where almost everyone pronounces the "t". Around here (southeastern USA) if one didn't pronounce the "t" in the word "often" people would probably laugh and call you a yankee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted September 15, 2011 Super Moderator Share Posted September 15, 2011 Pronounciation and spelling is irrevelant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemybrain Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Pronounciation and spelling is irrevelant. Now you're just trying to make me crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted September 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 15, 2011 Pronounciation and spelling is irrevelant. Now you're just trying to make me crazy I agrees wit flowerduh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted September 15, 2011 Super Moderator Share Posted September 15, 2011 Now you're just trying to make me crazy Sorry but that has no affect on me. I think its the close proximity of so many misteaks in one place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemybrain Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Now you're just trying to make me crazy Sorry but that has no affect on me. I think its the close proximity of so many misteaks in one place. AAAAAAAAH! where's my red pen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted September 15, 2011 Super Moderator Share Posted September 15, 2011 AAAAAAAAH! where's my red pen? I know! I get flustrated too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemybrain Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 AAAAAAAAH! where's my red pen? I know! I get flustrated too. You're killin' me... Noob?! Please go beat him for me! In my English class online one young girl was saying "Yeah I'm always correcting people - I'm kind of the 'grammer' police." It was all I could do not to respond "Good thing you're not the spelling police." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noob Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Noob?! Please go beat him for me! I'll take care of it! He prolly won't survive!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemybrain Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Noob?! Please go beat him for me! I'll take care of it! He prolly won't survive!!! Well...you can probably spare his life. He's a pain in the ass, but he's a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowJacket Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I pronounce it something like off-ten. Are you saying it should be off-in? With a silent "t?" I suppose I might do that if I'm being lazy but usually I try to get that "t" in there (and always have). Maybe this is a regional thing? Or are you effen with me? mwc In the northeast US in the 60s, your grammar school teacher would ALWAYS stop and remind you that the "t" is silent. In the 1970s too. I was pretty shocked when I moved to the midwest, where almost everyone pronounces the "t". Around here (southeastern USA) if one didn't pronounce the "t" in the word "often" people would probably laugh and call you a yankee. I've lived in Appalachia since 1975 and never heard any educated person pronouce the silent T until around 2002. I'm pretty sure you won't find any recordings of Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, or even Will Rogers voicing the T in often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyjj Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I'm sure we don't pronounce the 't' in the UK- but I guess there are regional variations here to. It's 'offen' as far as I'm concerned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Okay, concerning pronouncing the "t" in the word "often." I think the most authoritative source I found for the preferred pronunciation of the word, along with the history of its pronunciation is found in the below link. The weight of the "authority" appears to prefer a silent "t" in the word. http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/beastly/#Often But I don't think there is necessarily a link between one's education and whether or not one pronounces the "t" or not since at least some dictionaries accept the pronunciation with the "t" sound, though it is not favored. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/often I think I was completely wrong when I suggested that pronouncing the "t" was a regional thing. It appears not to be regional at all, but there are variations all over the U.S., the UK, and Canada as seen from this forum discussion of how various people, who disclose their locations, pronounce the word: http://ask.metafilter.com/120986/Do-you-pronounce-the-T-in-often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ireckinso Posted September 16, 2011 Author Share Posted September 16, 2011 The two that get me are "for all intensive purposes" and "Shur-burt" It's fucking sherbet you fucking nitwit! It also grates on me when the English emphasize the "t" in the word fillet. The Russians do the same with ballet and buffet. The words are French, why not use them the way the French do? I also think we should use the local names for cities and countries. For instance, why do we call the city of Torino (where they held the 2006 Olympics) "Turin"? Or why do we call Moskva "Moscow"? Are Torino and Moskva really that hard to pronounce? No doubt I'm being a pedant. Funny you should mention cities, I live in Wytheville. Pronounced "With-ville." Of course you can tell the old timers from the out-of-towners. Old timers say "wuffle" and out-of-towners say "Ytheville." We have a town nearby spelled Fries, yet its pronounced Freeze. But then I do also live near Hogback road which is Rte. 666, if that tells you anything about the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul34 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Okay, concerning pronouncing the "t" in the word "often." I think the most authoritative source I found for the preferred pronunciation of the word, along with the history of its pronunciation is found in the below link. The weight of the "authority" appears to prefer a silent "t" in the word. And then you come to the debate about whether language should really be prescriptive, or whether we should allow language to evolve as it naturally does. I'm sure the reality is somewhere in between both extremes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts