# Irritating Words and Word Usage **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168 "2000-12-18T17:01:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/121 "2001-01-23T04:20:45Z")
I’ve just been skimming this thread, so I apologize if this has been covered… According to my husband, who is a doctoral student in folklore, an accent is what you have when you’re trying to speak another language. A dialect is what you have when you’re speaking your own. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/122 "2001-01-24T21:53:04Z")
I’ve seen (and heard) this one numerous times. I just saw it in print (in a TV Guide article about game shows, in fact). The example I saw today was (speaking of contestants’ stories on “Queen for a Day”), “Each story was more agonizing than the next.” I’ve heard it various ways, but it’s the same structure: “Each was more \_\_\_\_\_ than the next.” If this is true, then the level of “agonizing” is getting less and less, not more and more as the sentence intended. Obviously the article meant to say that they kept getting more and more agonizing, not less. If A is “more agonizing than the next,” then B (the next) is less agonizing, and so on, until Z is not agonizing at all. The person should have said, “Each story was more agonizing than the last.” At least this would denote an increasing level of agony, not a diminishing one. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/123 "2001-01-25T02:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by a35362 \* > \*\*I always grind my teeth when I hear a chimpanzee being referred to as a monkey or a dolphin as a fish. Arrrgh… \*\* …unless of course the dolphin is a fish (dorado) rather than the dolphin mammal (cetacea). Know what you mean on this. I was at SeaWorld (which does not have a dorado exhibit), and the educator at the stingray exhibit had just finished a spiel on how the dolphins in the petting pool were mammals when some dweeb walks up and asks “where are the fish we can pet?” She diects him to the tide pool (seastars and small fish). He comes back screaming that she was an idiot - he wanted to pet the fish, “you know, the dolphins and whales!” Everyone at the exhibit started laughing at him; he just got pissed off and left. ---
**Author:** ![Pismonque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/46a35a/32.png) [@Pismonque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pismonque)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/124 "2001-01-25T05:31:25Z")
Dear god, where do I begin? I go nuts every time someone tells me that a story “centers around” something. How can anything center _around_ anything else? It either centers _on_ or _revolves_ around the subject. God! Makes me want to throttle something small and non-threatening every time I hear it. Another one: the widespread use of qualified absolutes. Stoid mentioned one before–_very unique_. There are loads more. A couple examples are _most unprecedented_ and _more perfect_. One more: people should be slapped on or about the head for stupidly mispronouncing common words. Example: “During the funeral procession, the _hearst_ drove over the _curve_ and into the _medium_.” It’s _hearse_, _curb_ and _median_, dammit! Doesn’t anyone ever look at a printed word these days? By the way, when I first moved to California from the Southeast, people actually seemed to get angry at times upon hearing me refer to a distant object as being “over yonder.” Y’all reckon I orta cut 'at out? ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/125 "2001-01-25T17:12:33Z")
Ok, I attend school in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY… …not Annandale-on-the-Hudson, NY My older relatives, in particular, insist on calling it this. ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/126 "2001-01-25T23:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spritle \* > > Spritle (just for you, Gunner) wants to remind people that there is a difference between “burned” and “burnt”. It’s a past tense verb, adjective thing. > > Also, “reference” is a noun. One can not have “referenced” anything, ever. > > Spritle began referring to himself in the third person for two reasons: > > It can get him out of trouble sometimes, “I didn’t do it, Spritle did.” > > Spritle was laughing at Doug Williams (former QB for Warshington 🙂 Redskins) when he said on National TV, “If Doug Williams wants to play football, Doug Williams is gonna play football.” If anybody can refer to himself twice in one sentence, we all should laugh at that! The third person thing kind of stuck in fun/social situations. > > Spritle NEVER refers to himself in the third person anywhere other than the boards or in social groups when he has been a-drinkin’. **quasar** thinks **spritle** is damn cool! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/127 "2001-01-26T07:17:40Z")
From a mailing I just received from Salomon Smith Barney: (Real name used for punishment purposes) > [@](#): > > My name is Dan Harty, I am 1st Vice President of Investments at Salomon Smith Barney a Worldwide Financial Services organization. My team and **me have been** involved with the United Artists 401(k) Plan since the spring of 1994…(emphasis mine) In the next paragraph: > [@](#): > > The NASDAQ composite checked in with **it’s** worst year ever… and > [@](#): > > For the **1st** time in my life… also > [@](#): > > …and your social security **#**. I realize sometimes those having a gift for investing and juggling numbers are weak in things like English and letter writing, but…GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY, YOU ILLITERATE MORON! This is not a casual note or quick email…this is a mass copied and mailed business letter. Get professional, whydon’tcha? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/128 "2001-01-26T21:20:20Z")
There used to be a word such as **normality**. Poe used it before 1849. Then in 1857 came a mathematical term: **normalcy**. By 1893, it had become the synonym of normality. Fine. Then along came Warren G. Harding, popularised the thing, and **normality** was lost. Even BBC World Service use normalcy now. I cry bitter tears of frustration. I know normalcy is now established usage (sigh!) but I hate it. I like normality. Has more of a ring to it. For stars sakes, do the astronomers refer to the climax of an eclipse as a “totalcy?” End rant. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/129 "2001-01-26T23:28:03Z")
I didn’t see this one mentioned, and I may catch hell for bringing it up, but it’s NOT “real-a-tor”…please…please, it’s “real-tor”. Also “jewlery”…people, it’s “jewelry”!!! I’ve also noticed an alarming increase in the number of people confusing “then” and “than”…do I need to explain this??? Look it up if you don’t know! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/130 "2001-01-27T02:35:44Z")
How about using the word “impact” when what they really mean is “affect”? Or using “affect” when what is meant is “effect”? Every time I hear some say “This impacts our bottom line”, I have to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Then there’s “per”, or worse, “as per”. An abomination, if there ever was one. Come on, people, “per” is a percentage or a ratio. You do not say “per your request”, you say “as you requested”. Lastly, an addition to the intentionally misspelled advertisements. A flower shop near where I lived had the chutzpah to put this on a billboard: “Luv Ya Bookay”. And people wonder why kids have so much trouble spelling. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/131 "2001-01-27T17:39:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brad\_d \* > \*\*I’d be interested in a more authoritative answer on accent/dialect, too. True linguistic definitions may very well be quite different from lay meanings, and Merriam-Webster probably isn’t the best place to go to resolve that. What say the linguists? 🙂 \*\* The linguist (or at least the linguistics major who took sociolinguistics last term) says this: An accent is a set of phonological or allophonic procedures, i.e. it affects only speech sounds. A dialect, on the other hand, involves morphological, syntactical, or semantic differences, i.e. it involves actual words and grammatical structures. I pronounce “about” /@bVUt/ whereas most Americans pronounce it /@b}Ut/. That’s an accent. I call a “light-standard” what most Americans call a “lamppost,” and a “metro” what most Americans call a “subway.” That’s a dialect. And it’s not true to say that someone “has an accent” or “speaks in dialect.” _Everybody_ speaks in an accent and a dialect. ---
**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/132 "2001-01-27T22:19:46Z")
It bugs me when people write “must of” or “should of” instead of “must have” or “should have.” True, it sounds like that when a person _says_ “must’ve” or “should’ve”…but if it’s written, for the love of cheese don’t write it like that! GAAAAH! ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/133 "2001-01-27T23:23:38Z")
> [@](#): > > **Ammurit** : I had students use that word often. They would ask about something I had just taught them: “Are you gonna axe me that on a quiz?” I always responded: “My dear, I’ve neglected to bring my axe with me to school today. Tomorrow when I do remember to bring it, rest assured that you will be the first I use it on.” The reversal of the /k/ and /s/ sounds, changing “ask” /aesk/ to “aks” /aeks/ is a regular feature of many dialects of American English- Appalachian, Black, Southern, and some in New York. The pronunciation survives from Middle English, just not in Standard. It’s as English as English gets. Criticism of this type perpetuates the myth that non-standard dialects of English are somehow corrupted versions of Standard English, instead of just socially stigmatized dialects that evolved alongside the Standard dialect. Students understand this on some level- they realize you’re making fun of them, not correcting them. Teachers, particularly English teachers, should know better. This thread makes me sad. The dictionary is the secular bible, and you’re all bible-thumpers. -fh ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/134 "2001-01-30T13:59:50Z")
I said: > [@](#): > > Well, if I’m wrong, that’s cool, I suppose, but I had always been under the impression the accents dealt with pronunciation differences because the one being spoken is not the primary one…what I mean is, my mom is Dutch and she has a Dutch accent, my buddy Jatin is Indian (dot, not feather) and has an Indian accent. A dialect refers to people from the same country, from a different region, that have particular speech mannerisms [y’all (South), youz guys (Phili), cawfee (New York-ish)]. To which **Ammurit** replied: > [@](#): > > Dialect doesn’t always refer to regional differences within a country. I’m not a professional linguist, but here’s what information I have to offer. In the Netherlands, the people speak Dutch. In Belgium, a portion of the population speaks what is locally called Flemish. Dutch and Flemish are considered to be different dialects of the same language. The Scandinavian languages give another example. Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish are spoken in three different countries, and are considered to be three different languages; however, because Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes can understand each others’ languages to a certain degree, there has been put forth the idea that the three languages should more accurately be termed dialects of a common Scandinavian language. And **Helena** later followed with: > [@](#): > > According to my husband, who is a doctoral student in folklore, an accent is what you have when you’re trying to speak another language. A dialect is what you have when you’re speaking your own. Which leads me to say “that is what I meant, sorry I described my query poorly.” I should have instead put forth my belief that [a] dialect refers to people _that speak the same language, but for various reasons, be they geographic or based upon tradition, have particular speech mannerisms that differentiate their spoken word from others, or what might be understood to be the “grammatically correct” version of the spoken language._ This being the case, I think I stand correct when I state that hicks have a southern dialect, additionally, Easterners have a mighty funny dialect, certain urbanites have what might be termed a ghetto dialect and interestingly, portions of Ohio and California speak “grammatically correct English.” Likewise, if I were to say that a person raised in the UK had a British dialect, I would not (necessarily) be wrong (the catch, of course, being that they must be from the Britain portion of the UK 😉 ) _but_ again if I were to say my mother, who was born and raised in the Netherlands, has a Dutch accent, that would be 100% correct. Long winded? Yes. Vindicated? Perhaps, though I don’t think anyone was really saying otherwise, but clarification was in order. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/135 "2001-01-30T16:16:49Z")
one that gets me more and more as we get closer to the middle of February is “ValentiMes day.” one of my co-workers says it. No, you silly twit, there’s NO FREAKIN’ “M” in Valentine! But then, this is the same person who chews with her mouth open…while she’s on the phone with customers. but that’s a rant for another day. Grr. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/136 "2001-02-01T16:44:58Z")
I’ve started a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=58179) in Great Debates based on this thread. In particular, it was inspired by **hazel-rah’s** comment. ---
**Author:** ![Vector](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dc4da7/32.png) [@Vector](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vector)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/137 "2001-02-01T17:49:27Z")
If you have ever used the word “eclectic” you are either stupid or pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/138 "2001-02-01T19:24:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vector \* > \*\*If you have ever used the word “eclectic” you are either stupid or pretentious. \*\* Not necessarily. Some of us are erudite. And sometimes the word fits the sense of the phrase. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/139 "2001-02-01T19:54:51Z")
quoting from [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) on the usage of verb forms of effect vs. affect: "The confusion of the verbs affect and effect is not only quite common but has a long history. Effect was used in place of 3affect as early as 1494 and in place of 2affect as early as 1652. If you think you want to use the verb effect but are not certain, check the definitions in this dictionary. The noun affect is sometimes mistakenly used for effect. Except when your topic is psychology, you will seldom need the noun affect. " Anyways, that’s like, what I thought and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![AuntPam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@AuntPam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntPam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168/140 "2001-02-01T20:39:21Z")
Hazel-Rah: Although I agree with you that’s ill-informed and condescending to make fun of others who speak different forms of English (is a Yorkshireman saying “I mun know tha” (I must know you) speaking “broken” English?), I DO think one should tell the truth to kids who want to substitute “aks” for the more common pronunciation “ask.” First, you need to find out if they are aware that they do it. I trained radio announcers once upon a time; the first thing you had to do was get the trainee to hear his or her own regionalisms. It’s harder than yout think. (“That’s ‘butcher’ not ‘butcha’ store.” “What’s the difference?” “Not ‘Lawn Guyland’ but ‘Long Eye-land’.” “I don’t get watcha mean.”) Then you need to teach them how not to do it. I usually point out that the “announcer” way to say the word in question is so that it rhymes with “mask,” like “Halloween mask.” Or task, or bask, or cask. You might have to explain some of those last three depending on the age group. Then tell them the Real Truth. Rich people with good jobs and lots of money say “ask.” People who aren’t going to have good jobs and lots of money say “aks.” Also, fair or not, a lot of people will assume that you’re dumb and lazy if you say ‘aks’." Sure they’re prejudiced themselves, but is it worth it to give up interesting work, more dollars, and a good first impression on strangers just so you don’t have to change your speaking style in certain situations? Heck, hardly anyone I know talks the same in church as they do during a backyard barbecue. There’s just different levels of formality for different times in life. I do wish more Americans understood that variant verb forms in so-called dialects actually carry EXTRA information that’s missing in “standard” English. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-words-and-word-usage/46168.md?page=8)