# Let me axe you something.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2001, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283 "2001-11-14T06:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![dono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dono)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/81 "2001-11-15T20:45:13Z")
One of my buddies, well-educated and one of the most intelligent people I know, always says “each another” for “each other”. I don’t have a clue where that comes from, because other than that, he’s got a pretty neutral accent. I almost think he does it to be deliberately bohemian. [sub]Bohemian with a small “b”, no offense intended to any Bohemian-Americans out there.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/82 "2001-11-15T20:52:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kinsey \* > \*\*Re: the Lafayette issue. > Sounds like the “Lancaster” issue around here. > Is it Lank-uh-ster? Or Lang-caster? \*\* The name of the southcentral Pennsylvania county and the city comprising its seat are both pronounced LANK-ister. BTW, Lancaster County is famous for the large numbers of Amish who live there. That’s AH-mish, not AY-mish or AM-ish. Zap! ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/83 "2001-11-15T21:00:50Z")
Former English major to the rescue! “Where are you at?” is a no-no because sentences are never supposed to end in prepositions. Therefore, if someone calls you on this grammatical faux-pas, the correct response would be “Where are you at, ASSHOLE?” 🙂 Now. Do any of you know of the tendency of those in a certain geographical area (Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania area) to omit “to be”? My roommate was from West Virg/Virginia border, and used to say “the lawn needs mowed”, “my laundry needs folded”, “the car needs washed.” AAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! It was the weirdest thing. Since then I’ve heard that it’s a regional thing? ---
**Author:** ![Formerly\_Bandersnatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e36b37/32.png) [@Formerly\_Bandersnatch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Formerly_Bandersnatch)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/84 "2001-11-15T21:31:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\*I have a friend that uses “Self-conceived” in the place of “Conceited.” > “So that guy gave birth to _himself_?!” \*\* I think that, actually, this would not be giving birth to one’s self, but rather actually performing the act of conception upon one’s self. Therefore, “Self-conceived”, would be somebody that just fucked themselves. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/85 "2001-11-16T00:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zappo \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Kinsey \* > > \*\*Re: the Lafayette issue. > > Sounds like the “Lancaster” issue around here. > > Is it Lank-uh-ster? Or Lang-caster? \*\* > > The name of the southcentral Pennsylvania county and the city comprising its seat are both pronounced LANK-ister. > > BTW, Lancaster County is famous for the large numbers of Amish who live there. That’s AH-mish, not AY-mish or AM-ish. > Zap! \*\* Down here in Baltimore, you hear both. Lank-ister and Lang-caster. I think Lank-ister just sounds “more right.” And yes, it’s where all them Aim-ish people live **at**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/86 "2001-11-16T00:07:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scredle \* > \*\*Former English major to the rescue! > > “Where are you at?” is a no-no because sentences are never supposed to end in prepositions. Therefore, if someone calls you on this grammatical faux-pas, the correct response would be > “Where are you at, ASSHOLE?” > 🙂 > \*\* So, scredle, where’d you major in English at? 😉 ::d & r:: ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/87 "2001-11-16T01:46:03Z")
The one that bugs me most is NUCULAR… ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/88 "2001-11-16T02:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kinsey \* > **Another example that drives me crazy: > “My coworkers and myself went out to lunch.” > “My husband and myself bought a new house.” > Arrgghh! It’s “ME”!!!** Um, actually it would be **“I”**. Just take the other people out of any given sentence to see whether “I” or “me” is the appropriate word. [sub]Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You feel free to correct the egregious error I’m sure to make in my next post, okay?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/89 "2001-11-16T02:27:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GreatKingRat \* > **Maybe the words are mispronounced because of alltimers disease.** Hey-don’t you know it’s Oldtimer’s Disease??? AAAAARGHHH! ---
**Author:** ![Winkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/41988e/32.png) [@Winkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winkie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/90 "2001-11-16T03:17:02Z")
A former boss said phantom instead of fathom. As in “He just can’t **phantom** how much we do here.” Of course he can’t – **phantom is not a verb!!!** My husband’s family uses retch as the past tense of reach. As in “I retch in the cabinet and got some cereal.” For the first year or so, my automatic response was “Well, did you clean it up?” ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/91 "2001-11-16T03:24:00Z")
Biggest mispronunciation problem I have, and see on TV all the time: Nevada. Listen up folks, NOBODY in Nevada calls it Nuh- **vodd** -uh. It’s Neh- **vad** -uh. Very simple. Also, my roomate is from Hawaii, and is the most irritating person in the universe when it comes to bad grammar. He shortens EVERY sentence to about 3 words, and seems to choose tense at random. “Are you going to the cafeteria?”=“You go for eat?” “I’m not going to go to class today”=“I no go class” “What did you say to him?”=“What you say him?” And so on… ---
**Author:** ![TN\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TN\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TN_hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/92 "2001-11-16T03:50:07Z")
Re: You (plural) In most of the South one hears “y’all” or sometimes “you all.” In and around the Great Smoky Mountains, “you 'uns” or “y’uns” is not uncommon. (I say _y’all_ but I find _y’uns_ to be quite charming) Now **Tabithina** informs me that they say “y’uns” in the Ozarks. That’s several hundred miles away. Just curious: is it a _mountain thing?_ Any theories? And for those of you whose knowledge of rural Appalachia is limited to scenes from Deliverance, that’s **not** what we mean when we say we were “_reared_ in the hills” …😉 * * * Peace, y’all, TN\*hippiebilly ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_The\_Bold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dale\_The\_Bold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_The_Bold)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/93 "2001-11-16T03:53:18Z")
One I see on the boards a lot is “could of.” Drives me up the wall and down the ceiling. Oh, and since people in Minnesota pronounce aunt as “ont,” I’ve created the new sound of uncle as “oon-kel.” Take that, use it, and claim it as your own if you want to. ---
**Author:** ![Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disciple_of_Alf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/94 "2001-11-16T04:06:25Z")
Last year, taking world history, I had a teacher who seemed to be trying to use proper grammar, but any attempt would just collapse on him. He knew that ending sentences with a preposition was wrong, so he would try his best to put them somewhere, randomly, in the beginning. It would result in such wacky sentences as, “The Holy Roman Empire, of which much fame is attributed to…”\* It was like he had forgotten about the first preposition he used (which didn’t make any sense in the first place), because it confused him, and he went on to put it at then end irregardless. Then for the last couple months of school, we had a student teacher. He wasn’t _too_ bad a teacher, but there was one thing he said that drove me absolutely crazy. Every single day, after he made every single point, the question would follow: “Is there any questions?” Over and over again he would ask it, and nobody would point it out to him. I just felt like screaming at him, “No, Mr. T, I don’t think there _ **ARE** _,” but being the shy, introverted type, I could never muster the courage. -Disciple of Alf \*I know this sentence doesn’t make sense, I just needed an example, and that’s the best I could do. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/95 "2001-11-16T04:20:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InternetLegend \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Kinsey \* > > **Another example that drives me crazy: > > “My coworkers and myself went out to lunch.” > > “My husband and myself bought a new house.” > > Arrgghh! It’s “ME”!!!** > > Um, actually it would be **“I”**. Just take the other people out of any given sentence to see whether “I” or “me” is the appropriate word. > > [sub]Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You feel free to correct the egregious error I’m sure to make in my next post, okay?[/sub] \*\* No, you’re quite right. Sometimes, though, it is “me.” I know sometimes “me” is correct (instead of “I”) but can’t think of an example right now. Hmmm… “Who is this present from?” “It’s from John and me.” (you wouldn’t say, “It’s from I”, right?) I just hate this “myself” thing. I hear it all the time. I heard it a lot during new bits on 9/11. Someone being interviewed would say, “The firefighters told my co-workers and myself to leave…” “Myself and my husband saw the plane…” Yes, in the midst of tragedy, I was nit-picking grammar… ---
**Author:** ![Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@Disciple\_of\_Alf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disciple_of_Alf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/96 "2001-11-16T04:23:51Z")
That’s another thing my world history teacher would do without fail; he would misuse the word myself. “So if you could just bring those to myself after you’re done,” or, “Just set those papers up by myself.” Good thing it wasn’t a grammar class. ---
**Author:** ![hegel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/97 "2001-11-16T04:30:55Z")
I believe the “at” in “Where are you at?” is redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/98 "2001-11-16T06:07:19Z")
Cheat Chet? No Jew? Nose go. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/99 "2001-11-16T06:24:46Z")
“I and my family” is correct grammar. Putting yourself last in a list is usage, not grammar. “I’m a” as shorthand for “I’m going to” _literally_ drives me crazy. Listen to nearly any _athalete_ being interviewed on TV and you’ll _here_ this. It has _inflected_ my students. I’m a workout in the oft-season. I’m a do my homework first thing when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/100 "2001-11-16T14:29:09Z")
I hate, really really hate, people using nouns as verbs. A particularly egregious version of this occurred in the Olympics when athletes/commentators would refer to their desire “to medal” meaning win a medal. grrrrr. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283.md?page=6)