# Did the word "alot" ever exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150 "2011-07-15T17:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/81 "2011-10-16T14:23:32Z")
I skimmed this thread and didn’t find a link to what I’m thinking of, so I hope this hasn’t been posted alread, but I’m sorry I just really don’t have alot of time. Give it a read. It’s alot of laughs. > **[The Alot is Better Than You at Everything](http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html)** > > As a grammatically conscientious person who frequents internet forums and YouTube, I have found it necessary to develop a few coping mechani... ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/82 "2011-10-16T20:19:57Z")
I’m all for proper grammar and spelling, and believe these things to be important in English. However, I also understand words and their respective mutations can and will continue to happen due to popular and colloquial usage, so I don’t see why we should discourage it if it makes sense; as in common sense. I’ve consistently made sure I always spell “a lot” as two words, but I can reasonably see it being promoted, altogether, as one new word with the same meaning. And I’ll even tell you why. When describing a vague amount of things, it’s common to say “a little” for a small amount, or even “a ton” for a large amount. “Little” has a clear meaning: small or few. “Ton” is a common unit of measure for weight and it’s meaning has evolved plenty over time, but has now settled into a few permutations that we’re all familiar with (~2,000 lb / 1,000 kg). Yet, it’s still acceptable, although informal, to describe something of _quantity_ as “a ton”, even when it should refer to weight. However, while “lot” certainly has several definitive meanings, to use it as a determining pronoun, adjective or adverb, some consider that usage as “informal” anyway, even if using the article/determiner “a” before it. I don’t know that you can say the same about “little”. But despite all this reasoning, “alot” just _feels_ like a word now, so I’m for accepting as such. And that’s just alright with me. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/83 "2011-10-16T20:25:55Z")
And, I’m sure I made alot of spelling and grammar mistakes above. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/84 "2011-10-16T21:10:42Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > even the _OED_ which includes a lot of weird, non-standard stuff - even Canadian stuff - does not list it). That’s not quite true. There’s no headword for “alot”, but it is listed as a variant spelling of “allot”: > [@OED2](#): > > allot alo(hook).t, v. Also 6-7 alot, allott… The word “alot” in this sense appears in a few citations given for other words. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/85 "2011-10-16T21:51:02Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > But despite all this reasoning, “alot” just _feels_ like a word now, so I’m for accepting as such. Well, judging by this thread, it doesn’t to many of us. Maybe it’s a case of age, and once us old-time traditionalists have died off, the rest of you will be free to alot yourselves willy-nilly on our graves. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/86 "2011-10-17T17:39:49Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > Two people in this thread report that they were taught this in Canada in the early 1980s or mid-1980s… > > Is there any way of finding out if there was such an educational trend that was implemented for a few years in the 80s in anglophone schools in Canada (or at least Ontario)? To the best of my knowledge–which is based on my experience in Ontario public schools in the 1960s and 70s–it was not. I was not taught to use “alot” (which to me, is an abomination), nor was I taught to use “should of.” At least, in my experience as a student in Ontario in those days, standards in grammar, spelling, and punctuation were extremely high; and neither of your examples would be permitted. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/87 "2011-10-17T19:40:19Z")
Yesterday I farted alot. _.jpg: **Doug** emitting green cloud in the shape of a critter_ I cut alot of farts. _.jpg: **Doug** , with scissors, snipping green cloud critter neatly in half_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/88 "2011-10-19T19:30:23Z")
There’s been plenty of merged spellings that have been accepted as formal, why not “alot”? \*alright whatsoever nonetheless / nevertheless notwithstanding\* etc… ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/89 "2011-10-19T19:49:15Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Seriously? I have never seen a professional publication use “can not.” I take it you’ve never read [articles from the Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1137/how-do-dryer-antistatic-sheets-work) by Cecil Adams, then. In which case, what are you doing here? ---
**Author:** ![wonkawoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc29f/32.png) [@wonkawoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonkawoo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/90 "2021-08-24T20:53:34Z")
I went to school in the late 60’s and 70’s. In New York until 8th grade. I remember being taught that alot was a word also alright now both are separated. I wondered if I was remembering wrong, because even though have been a great speller I have had some glitches along the way. Maybe some states were more likely to be taught that way, considering it may be a Canadian spelling? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/91 "2021-08-24T22:56:08Z")
Not to dispute the late, great @Polycarp, but I would not say that “alot” is two words. I don’t think English even supports the concept of two words without a space between them. I would say, rather, that “a lot” is one word, albeit one that is (formally) spelled with a space. The two components of that word cannot be meaningfully separated: If they were, then one might grammatically respond to “I had a lot of fun” with “I had even more fun; I had two lots of fun”. Since “two lots of fun” is ungrammatical, “a lot” must grammatically be one word. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150/92 "2021-08-24T23:07:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The two components of that word cannot be meaningfully separated: If they were, then one might grammatically respond to “I had a lot of fun” with “I had even more fun; I had two lots of fun”. Since “two lots of fun” is ungrammatical, “a lot” must grammatically be one word. But you can change “a lot” to its plural “lots,” i.e. “I had lots of fun.” Or, less formally “I had lotsa fun.” (Interestingly, while Chrome’s spellcheck says “kinda” is misspelled, it recognizes “lotsa” as a word. I would have though it would be the other way around. I would think “kinda” is much more accepted.) More importantly, there is the construction “a whole lot.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-word-alot-ever-exist/589150.md?page=4)