# I Weep for the Future. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 28, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851 "2005-05-28T03:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/61 "2005-05-30T06:13:12Z")
_Definately_ – this all-too-common spelling error definitely annoys me _Accidently_ – I hope the person who types this just accidentally omits a couple of letters _Publically_ – People who write this should be publicly corrected _Laxadaisical_ – A lax pronunciation of **lackadaisical** _Italian_ is not pronounced “Eye-talian”.\* Then there’s the apostrophe. Let’s review: 1. An apostrophe in a singular possessive goes **before** the final **s**. Example: the boy’s book. 2. An apostrophe in a plural possessive GENERALLY goes **after** the final **s**. Example: the teachers’ lounge. However… 3. An apostrophe in a plural possessive goes BEFORE the final **s** i n such cases as “the children’s hour” and “the women’s pages”. Generally, you’re fine if you put the apostrophe after the last letter you’d say or write if there were no “apostrophe s” construction (“the boy book”, the children hour", etc.) 4. An apostrophe IS ALMOST NEVER USED TO PLURALIZE A WORD. Mr. and Mrs. Hagan are “The Hagans”, not “The Hagan’s”. They may have “three daughters”, but not “three daughter’s”. However, it is generally acceptable to refer to “the 1960’s” or “getting straight A’s”, because “1960s” could be mistaken for a model number pronounced “nineteen-sixty ess” and “straight As” would likely be perceived as a mistyping of “straight as”. 5. _You’re_ is a contaction of _you are_. If that Buick belongs to you, though, it’s _your_ car, and it doesn’t need an apostrophe in that situation. Similarly, it’s (it is) no secret that _its_ means “belonging to it”, just as _his_ means “belonging to him”. \*well, it often is, but that’s not (in my prescriptivist opinion) correct. And that little starlike mark at the beginning of this footnote is an **asterisk** , not an _asterick_ or _asterix_. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/62 "2005-05-30T06:15:52Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > _Definately_ – this all-too-common spelling error definitely annoys me Whenever people do that, I ask them for the “defination” of that word. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/63 "2005-05-30T06:25:05Z")
Can someone explain why some people say Massa-TOO-setts ? To me, this and “NUKE-YOU-LAR” are not mispronunciations or regionalisms but just outright mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/64 "2005-05-30T06:52:41Z")
U R forgetting the l8est offNse against _writtN_ English, isn’t NE1 4 spelling out whole words B4 sending messages NE more? This irritating chatspeak has taken over any form of real-time written communication. I can live with that, although my teeth will be ground a bit shorter. I’ve spent too much of my life trying to puzzle out these rebus-like monstrosities. But I get it in emails, post-it notes, advertisements, and even written documents now. I’ve used the “Sorry, I can’t read idiot” line myself, but I’m trying so hard to be good. ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/65 "2005-05-30T07:24:30Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > ( **a35362** , onvelope is a common, correct pronunciation. That’s how I and most people around here say it. I say vahse for vase, too.) I was going to snark about how **a35362** says ‘EN-velope’, but **featherlou** you said it so much more nicely than I could have. Does this mean there are people saying ‘N-Rowt’? (en route). 😃 Lots of the locals hereabouts put new ‘flim’ (sic) in their cameras. And insist on being ‘mischiev-i-ous’ when talking about their fav-lit movie ‘hero-een’ (female hero). We get lots of fun dialectic misconbobulations in this neck of the penninsula. The ‘mischievious’ one always gets me. I have no idea where that extra ‘i’ comes from. Same thing happens with grievous. The News-announcers do it too. On air. Repeatedly! But I have to say i’m far from perfect, and I often make pronounciation faux pas or… what’s the plural of _faux pas_? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/66 "2005-05-30T10:26:30Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > U R forgetting the l8est offNse against _writtN_ English, isn’t NE1 4 spelling out whole words B4 sending messages NE more? Uhhg, my dad - the guy who yelled at my brother and I for using double negatives BEFORE WE WERE IN KINDERGARTEN - does this. It’s quite unsettling. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/67 "2005-05-30T10:27:32Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > my brother and I Me and my brother. Sue me. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/68 "2005-05-30T10:28:56Z")
Actually, I think it’d be “…my brother and me.” /nitpick ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/69 "2005-05-30T11:52:06Z")
“There are only four musics on that CD.” “They keep highering the minimum age.” “We need an extensible ladder.” I should carry a stick with me to bite down on. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/70 "2005-05-30T13:11:29Z")
I have a dear friend who is very intelligent, but somehow missed the proper conjugation of “to drag.” Every time she says she “drug” something I cringe inwardly. However, that’s nothing compared to the seething hatred I experience when local furniture companies advertise “bedroom suits.” Goddamn it, it’s from the French, and what the hell do you think that “e” at the end is for anyway?! Really, I just want to hunt these people down and slap them for a couple hours. I actually keep a mental list of stores I won’t shop at because of this mispronunciation. I realize it’s irrational, but I can’t help it. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/71 "2005-05-30T13:52:34Z")
Going. Everbody’s going. I hear that all the time from the Teenage Terror and her friends: “Jenny ran into Sally and Jenny goes, ‘Did you see Heather’s new earrings?’ And Sally goes, 'No…” I’ll usually ask them where they went and how long it took to get there. The blank looks are priceless. And don’t get me started on the “Me and Jenny are going to the mall.” stuff. Aaarrgghhh. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/72 "2005-05-30T13:58:07Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > It’s either an archaic or a regional variant of “chimney”, but it’s a perfectly good word: Dickens also uses it in _Oliver Twist_, and from memory Tolkien has Sam use it in _The Lord Of The Rings_. Dorothy Parker also used it in her poem “Lines On Reading Too Many Poets.” ---
**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:** [May 30, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/73 "2005-05-30T14:13:13Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > talian is not pronounced “Eye-talian”. And we are NOT at war with EYE-RAQ! My hat is off to the bravery and dedication of our armed servicemembers. But I gotta tell ya: most I see on TV, and read on bulletin boards, talk like a bunch of robot doberman redneck bureaucrats. These folks are a lot more alike than Our Boys in 'Nam, Korea, or War Two were. You hear regional accents - two or three officially approved ones, anyway - but the way of speaking is uniform. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/74 "2005-05-30T14:45:13Z")
My absolute favorite is from the talking head on the local news, who not only said the words, but had them on a big graphic next to him: “It’s a doggie-dog world!” It perpetuates asininity. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/75 "2005-05-30T14:53:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I hear that all the time from the Teenage Terror and her friends: > > “Jenny ran into Sally and Jenny goes, ‘Did you see Heather’s new earrings?’ And Sally goes, 'No…” I’ve thought about this, and I think “he goes . . .” or “he’s like . . .” are used when the speaker knows she can’t reproduce the words verbatim, and therefore is reluctant to actually use “he said.” I don’t think there’s a legitimate verb for “he expressed this basic idea, which I’m paraphrasing.” Oh, and for the person who wondered how people come up with “heighth,” I’m guessing they want it to match “length” and “width,” which is a natural enough impulse (but they still sound stupid). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/76 "2005-05-30T14:58:40Z")
> [@AerynSun](#): > > I’ve thought about this, and I think “he goes . . .” or “he’s like . . .” are used when the speaker knows she can’t reproduce the words verbatim, and therefore is reluctant to actually use “he said.” I don’t think there’s a legitimate verb for “he expressed this basic idea, which I’m paraphrasing.” Your analysis is borne out by a research project a classmate of mine presented to our dialectology class. Among her findings, she collected an instance in which a girl is recounting a funny incident whose humour hinged on the exact wording of what someone said. She says, “…so then he’s like – I mean, he _says_…” ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/77 "2005-05-30T15:39:43Z")
Oh, I gave up on the future a long, long time ago. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/78 "2005-05-30T16:21:42Z")
Ever get people asking you about the correct “pronounce-iation” of a word? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/79 "2005-05-30T16:26:27Z")
WAHLAH! :rolleyes: Or sometimes Walla or Wa-La. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851/80 "2005-05-30T19:00:42Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Actually, I think it’d be “…my brother and me.” > /nitpick Hmm, I don’t think so. > [@AerynSun](#): > > I have a dear friend who is very intelligent, but somehow missed the proper conjugation of “to drag.” Every time she says she “drug” something I cringe inwardly. “Drug” is correct, so are some of the other things people are bitching about here, including “nup-choo-ul”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-weep-for-the-future/305851.md?page=5)