# Mispronunciation/ Poor grammar that bothers you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475 "2005-07-07T17:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/341 "2013-08-19T16:10:56Z")
I know someone who says something like “once-st” and “twice-st.” Can’t wait to hear them read a fairy tale. “Oncest upon a time . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/342 "2013-08-19T16:15:05Z")
> [@saje](#): > > And vinaigrette is ‘vin-eh-gret’, not vin-eh-GA-ret. There’s no A in that word. …^ :dubious: The pronunciation point is valid, though. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/343 "2013-08-19T16:24:46Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > I know someone who says something like “once-st” and “twice-st.” > > Can’t wait to hear them read a fairy tale. > > “Oncest upon a time . . .” Is his name Gollum? ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/344 "2013-08-19T16:35:39Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > You are certain they don’t want you to die? Pardon?? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/345 "2013-08-19T18:09:48Z")
My dad says “somethink” instead of something. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/346 "2013-08-20T20:18:44Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > An inadvertent incident is something that can’t be avoided no matter how strenuously someone tries to prevent (avert) it. That is incorrect. All [definitions](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inadvertent) I find show inadvertent to mean “unintentional”, not “unavoidable”. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/347 "2013-08-20T21:34:37Z")
> [@saje](#): > > . . .And vinaigrette is ‘vin-eh-gret’, not vin-eh-GA-ret. There’s no A in that word. Still not as unsettling as getting a vinegaroon in your 'vin-eh-ga-ret." > [@EmilyG](#): > > My dad says “somethink” instead of something. Your dad is General Burkhalter!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/348 "2013-08-20T23:12:45Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > That is incorrect. All [definitions](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inadvertent) I find show inadvertent to mean “unintentional”, not “unavoidable”. Right, the root is **advert**. not avert. To “advert” means “to turn one’s attention towards” so “inadvertently” more or less means “without paying attention to” or perhaps “thoughtlessly.” (See also: advertise – which shares a similar etymology relying on advert, which could generally be said to rely on turning one’s attention towards a product, service, etc) ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/349 "2013-08-20T23:37:15Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Right, the root is **advert**. not avert. To “advert” means “to turn one’s attention towards” so “inadvertently” more or less means “without paying attention to” or perhaps “thoughtlessly.” > > (See also: advertise – which shares a similar etymology relying on advert, which could generally be said to rely on turning one’s attention towards a product, service, etc) I posted this not having read more than the post I quoted, I see this was already addressed. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/350 "2013-08-21T01:00:29Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > That is incorrect. All [definitions](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inadvertent) I find show inadvertent to mean “unintentional”, not “unavoidable”. > [@Jragon](#): > > Right, the root is **advert**. not avert. To “advert” means “to turn one’s attention towards” so “inadvertently” more or less means “without paying attention to” or perhaps “thoughtlessly.” > > (See also: advertise – which shares a similar etymology relying on advert, which could generally be said to rely on turning one’s attention towards a product, service, etc) I think \*\* Grestarian\*\* is confusing “inadvertent” with “inevitable” — in·ev·i·ta·ble /inˈevitəbəl/ Adjective Certain to happen; unavoidable: “war was inevitable”. Noun A situation that is unavoidable. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/351 "2013-08-22T23:37:50Z")
The root of my complaint is its modern usage. It seems to be increasingly used as an equivalent to “accidentally” (which is why I mentioned the other term) but with more syllables, as a means to avoid claiming or placing responsibility. We inadvertently published the wrong names yesterday in our article on Judicial Corruption… I would be happy if the people and organizations using the term would simply use the simpler “thoughtlessly” or “carelessly” and be accountable for their oversight, The copy-editors and content editor for this section failed to catch this egregious error in last night’s article on Rural Methamphetamine Labs. The editor-in-chief wishes to apologize to those who were incorrectly implicated in this situation and promises the error will be remembered when it is time for annual performance reviews. …but the usage is equivalent to _gosh, it happened and it’s a shame, but nobody’s to blame for it._ –G! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/352 "2013-08-23T01:01:08Z")
Some decades ago, I encountered a particularly jarring usage from a friend of mine, of the form “this needs fixed”. Never made a big deal over it, have not noticed being common, but it sure rubbed me the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![Pavot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e4f/32.png) [@Pavot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/353 "2013-08-23T14:28:16Z")
“Exscape” instead of “escape.” People also sometimes say “Pacific” when they mean “specific.” My name is also pronounced without the “t” as it is French but I can forgive that one as not everyone knows the way other languages work. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/354 "2013-08-23T14:43:18Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Some decades ago, I encountered a particularly jarring usage from a friend of mine, of the form “this needs fixed”. Never made a big deal over it, have not noticed being common, but it sure rubbed me the wrong way. It’s a dialectic variation common to certain parts of the US, most notably the Pittsburgh area and those who use it are generally astonished to learn not everyone is familiar with it. It’s definitely not ‘wrong’ in any sense, but simply a dialect that has a slightly less restricted list of complements needs can take. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/355 "2013-08-23T16:21:12Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > The root of my complaint is its modern usage. It seems to be increasingly used as an equivalent to “accidentally” (which is why I mentioned the other term) but with more syllables, as a means to avoid claiming or placing responsibility. “Accidentally” and “inadvertently” each have 5 syllables. > [@](#): > > I would be happy if the people and organizations using the term would simply use the simpler “thoughtlessly” or “carelessly” and be accountable for their oversight, Your complaint is the attitude that refuses to accept blame, rather than anything incorrect about their use of “inadvertently”. Someone did, without intention, print the wrong information. It was a mistake, an error, a goof, a piss-poor attention to detail, a mindnumbingly stupid blunder of epic proportions, but it nevertheless was _unintentional_, i.e. _inadvertent_. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > It’s definitely not ‘wrong’ in any sense, but simply a dialect that has a slightly less restricted list of complements needs can take. It looks to me like they just elide “to be”. It is jarring to the ear. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475/356 "2013-08-23T16:24:40Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > The root of my complaint is its modern usage. It seems to be increasingly used as an equivalent to “accidentally” (which is why I mentioned the other term) but with more syllables, as a means to avoid claiming or placing responsibility. > > We inadvertently published the wrong names yesterday in our article on Judicial Corruption… > > I would be happy if the people and organizations using the term would simply use the simpler “thoughtlessly” or “carelessly” and be accountable for their oversight,[/COLOR] > > …but the usage is equivalent to _gosh, it happened and it’s a shame, but nobody’s to blame for it._ I see your point, but I still disagree. The “carelessly” is exactly part of the definition of “inadvertently”: (of a mistake) Made through lack of care; negligent. In other words, “We screwed up by publishing the information before we’d gotten our facts straight.” It looks to me as if the newspaper (in this case) is using the word correctly, but it’s the degradation of the word’s “general/common” usage that makes it seem like a weasel word. I would compare it to what has happened to “decimate”. If I stomp on an anthill until I’ve killed 1/10 of the resident ants, I would correctly and accurately state that I “decimated” those ants. But most people hearing me would likely assume that I wiped them out entirely, or nearly so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mispronunciation-poor-grammar-that-bothers-you/311475.md?page=17)