# “Irregardless” **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 11, 2000, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956 "2000-08-11T13:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/21 "2000-08-11T15:42:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AerynSun \* > \*\*Everyone should talk like I do - I am the pluperfect example of good grammar. \*\* I believe you meant to say "Everyone should talk like **me**. . . " As long as you’re going for correct grammar and all. I personally believe all this grammarifical nit-picking is flunomunous. And AerynSun, sorry, but did you _mean_ penultimate, in that a more ignorant - sorry, I meant to say ignoranter - statement is yet to come, and that example will be the ultimate? Or was that a play on the idea that people mix up one word thinking it means the same as the other? Sorry if I offend you with that question. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/22 "2000-08-11T15:49:52Z")
I have to admit I like the word “irregardless” irregardles of your objections(sorry couldn’t resist). It has such a great little trill at the beginning. And the problem with regardless, is that it is hard to find a syllable to stress when you want to emphasize the negativity of the word. Throwing the “Ir” at the beginning is a perfect stress point, which is why I think it caught on, even if it technically doesn’t make contextual sence. Although the one that pisses me off is “I could care less”, that just drives nails into my skull with its pointlessness every time I hear it. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2000, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/23 "2000-08-11T15:53:32Z")
I have actually seen “penultimate” used as a synonym for “ultimate” in the sense of “the best,” quoted from a book review on the back cover of a biography of some politician - wish I could remember which one. I have also heard people use “pluperfect” as a synonym for “perfect,” in the sense of “flawless.” Also, let me take the opportunity to commend NPR as well. They are the only other people on the planet I’ve heard use “comprise” correctly. It is a synonym for “contain,” and the phrase “comprised of” is not grammatical. ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/24 "2000-08-11T16:03:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AerynSun \* > \*\*I have also heard people use “pluperfect” as a synonym for “perfect,” in the sense of “flawless.” > \*\* If you’re the “pluperfect” something or other, I guess that means that you used to be it, but there have been two guys in that role since you. Or am I just too tenses? ---
**Author:** ![FarrisGoldstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/25 "2000-08-11T16:06:18Z")
I also hate it when people mispunctuate the word “y’all” as “ya’ll.” Apostrophes in contractions take the position of the letters they replace. Y’all, a contraction of “you all”, replaces the letters OU with the apostrophe. I wish people didn’t get so damned upset when someone corrects their grammar. Why should we be punished for wanting our language spoken methodically and correctly? Why should I be forced to end sentences with prepositions for the sake of not sounding queer? It’s difficult to be a grammarian and a hardcore Star Trek fan… It’s been using split infinitives since the beginning. I’ve heard of a few hairbrained petitions for paramount to change it to “Boldly to go where no man has gone before.” Ack… I give up. \<— (see?) ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/26 "2000-08-11T16:08:59Z")
Having never heard the word “pluperfect” before, I just looked it up. Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary defines it as: Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English pluperfyth, modification of Late Latin plusquamperfectus, literally, more than perfect Date: 15th century 1 : PAST PERFECT **2 : utterly perfect or complete** - pluperfect noun “Penultimate” however, only has the definition of “next to the last” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/27 "2000-08-11T16:52:04Z")
My personal language peeves: - “hopefully” when used to mean “I hope” - “basically” used as a crutch by anyone explaining anything - “different than” instead of “different from” - I’m constantly yelling at my radio about that one And I’ll not get into spelling… \ ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/28 "2000-08-11T17:34:28Z")
> [@](#): > > _by Bratman007_ > Everyone should talk like me… Gotcha! “Everyone should _speak_ …” **KimKatt** , Your comment, “His other frequently used abomination is ‘youse.’” reminded me of a good story. Several years ago I worked for a company with a LOT of people from New York. Being in the deep south this occasionally caused misunderstandings. At one of our all-too-frequent status meetings, I was describing a situation, what had been done, and what still needed to be done. When I got to the punchline I said, “… once we’ve finished the work in progress it will be out of our hands. It’ll be up to ya’ll to take it over and complete the project.” I then continued with my briefing. A short while later the boss asked my about my previous comment. Thinking that he meant the sentence I’d just vocalized I repeated it. But he was actually referring to the sentence above. It took us several minutes to get back to that point. Once we DID get there, I repeated the sentiment and upon uttering the word “ya’ll” I was stopped in mid-sentence for an explanation. I was dumbfounded. They had _never_ heard the word and wanted to know what it meant. Thinking slowly, and staring at all of the blank looks in the room, I finally came to my senses and said, “it’s kind of like ‘youse guys’”. That made them happy. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/29 "2000-08-11T19:31:40Z")
For all intensive purposes, the OP is inferring that people don’t know that “irregardless” is different than “regardless.” Supposably, many of we people use this phrase inproperly. Furthermore, the OP begs the question, “How come so many people misuse certain phrases despite of being corrected?” Some snooty grammerians think a person should be hung for not knowing all these little rules. Me – no. Maybe we could liason on this topic later. What we each know might compliment someone elses’ knowledge. But don’t forget, to air is human, to forgive, the vine. I’m kind of tired, so I think I’ll lay down a while. ---
**Author:** ![FarrisGoldstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/30 "2000-08-11T19:37:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*My personal language peeves: > > - “hopefully” when used to mean “I hope” > - “basically” used as a crutch by anyone explaining anything > - “different than” instead of “different from” - I’m constantly yelling at my radio about that one > > And I’ll not get into spelling… \ \*\* I see no problem with using hopefully at the beginning of a sentence to mean “I hope,” nor does English literary grammar. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/31 "2000-08-11T20:14:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by missbunny \* > \*\*For all intensive purposes, the OP is inferring that people don’t know that “irregardless” is different than “regardless.” Supposably, many of we people use this phrase inproperly. Furthermore, the OP begs the question, “How come so many people misuse certain phrases despite of being corrected?” > > Some snooty grammerians think a person should be hung for not knowing all these little rules. Me – no. > > Maybe we could liason on this topic later. What we each know might compliment someone elses’ knowledge. But don’t forget, to air is human, to forgive, the vine. > > I’m kind of tired, so I think I’ll lay down a while. > \*\* To forgive, the vine? ROFL! Yay! to missbunny for the funniest post of the day!! (In my book anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/32 "2000-08-11T20:19:43Z")
My pet peeve? Misusing the word “momentarily.” Many, if not most, people use it to mean, “in a moment,” or “shortly,” whereas, in fact, it means, “ **for** a moment,” or “briefly.” To wit: Stewardess on intercom: “We’ll be landing momentarily.” My expectation based on the above: The plane will descend, touch down, cruise along the landing strip for a few seconds, then ascend and fly away. Sigh. Still, the language is always evolving, and words are continually (or continuously) shifting in definition. That’s the nature of language, the efforts of the French linguistic legislators notwithstanding. 'Twasn’t very long ago, for example, that “nauseous” meant “causing nausea,” instead of its current widely-accepted meaning of “nauseated.” We can resist the slippage, but only so far, and only at the risk of our collective sanity… ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/33 "2000-08-11T20:39:52Z")
> [@](#): > > I feel it’s gotten to where words like ‘irregardless’, and most of the “Ebonics” and other common slurs of our time are becoming normal, standard even to some extent. Just out of curiousity, why did you put Ebonics in quotes? It’s a recognized American English dialect, also known as African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) and has been a legitimate subject of linguistic study for nearly a century. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/34 "2000-08-11T21:23:07Z")
In my past history, I have never said anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/35 "2000-08-11T21:32:30Z")
My pet peeve with TV newspeople is the mispronunciation of “has” as “is”. President Clinton is been under constant attack since he took office. They expand “President Clinton’s been…” the wrong way. It makes me grit my teeth. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/36 "2000-08-11T22:29:23Z")
> [@](#): > > 'Twasn’t very long ago, for example, that “nauseous” meant “causing nausea,” instead of its current widely-accepted meaning of “nauseated.” I get weird looks when I tell people I feel nauseated, but the humor in listening to people tell me how nauseous they are more than makes up for it. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/37 "2000-08-11T22:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunshine \* > \*\*It also KILLS me when people mix up “their” and “they’re”. IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT! Pay attention in 3rd grade, wouldja? > grrrrr. > \*\* Your kidding. That bothers you? Well, that’s you’re option to let it bother you. Those people just don’t know they’re grammar. Obviously, their uneducated. I’M KIDDING!!! I hate that, too. Obviously, also mixing up “YOUR” and “YOU’RE.” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/38 "2000-08-11T23:14:38Z")
It irks me to no end when somebody uses an apostrophy to preceed an ‘s’ being used to make a plural. To wit: Pig’s for sale; I have five disk’s; Twelve book’s. That mistake just drives me up the wall. How can any living person with a pulse and a breath in their lungs be so irredeemably stupid? It must be all the emphasis placed on pseudo-dialects like ‘Ebonics’. ‘Ebonics’: The liberal attempt to spend excessive amounts of money in creating bilingualism where none has ever existed instead of actually solving the problem by funding English departments. ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/39 "2000-08-12T00:33:55Z")
missbunny: It is unpossible that I could of said it better. And what’s the problem with Ebonics being considered an actual dialect? Not too long ago, when it was called “jive,” it required subtitles, for goodness’ sake. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956/40 "2000-08-12T01:16:30Z")
Wha?? Did I make a funny? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irregardless/28956.md?page=3)