# Misuse of 'whenever' instead of 'when'. Common near you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 12, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598 "2009-06-12T21:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/1 "2009-06-12T21:07:46Z")
In the coastal southeastrn US it was very common, 5-10 years ago, to hear ‘whenever’ used instead of ‘when’. Forn example: “Whenever I was in elementary school, I rode the bus.” “Whenever I took the trash out yesterday, a possum hissed at me.” This seemed to cut across age and social groups. Lately, in the mid-US, I don’t hear it at all. Is this a regional thing, or did it just die out? ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/2 "2009-06-12T21:12:31Z")
I knew someone who grew up in Washington (state) who used to do that, and it always made me think she was a bit slow… even though I knew she wasn’t. Drove me crazy to hear her say it. ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/3 "2009-06-12T21:15:29Z")
I know a guy from **Erie, PA** who does this. It drives me nuts! He’s the only example I’ve ever encountered. I’ve lived my whole life in southern NJ (Philly area), and went to college in Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/4 "2009-06-12T21:47:43Z")
The person I know who does it grew up in Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/5 "2009-06-12T22:03:24Z")
_On Whose Line Is It Anyway_, Drew Carey always said “Go ahead and start whenever you hear the music.” That always annoyed me, and puzzled me too, because he’s from Cleveland, and that’s not a local usage. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/6 "2009-06-12T22:54:50Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > _On Whose Line Is It Anyway_, Drew Carey always said “Go ahead and start whenever you hear the music.” That always annoyed me, and puzzled me too, because he’s from Cleveland, and that’s not a local usage. I hear a mix around here (Arizona) and use it as well. While the OP’s examples would come off as incredibly awkward the quoted example would be equally as awkward with just “when.” ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/7 "2009-06-12T23:07:52Z")
A friend from Northern Ireland used to do this. Don’t know if it was a regionalism or just her. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/8 "2009-06-12T23:13:12Z")
> [@](#): > > On Whose Line Is It Anyway, Drew Carey always said “Go ahead and start whenever you hear the music.” That always annoyed me, and puzzled me too, because he’s from Cleveland, and that’s not a local usage. Huh, I’m from Cleveland, too, and that one sounds perfectly natural to me. The OP’s examples, though, don’t. Is it possible there are two different regionalisms in play here? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/9 "2009-06-13T01:35:56Z")
It’s very common here (central MS). Seems like I’ve heard it ever since I can remember (I’m 49). ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/10 "2009-06-13T02:50:12Z")
I once rode in a taxicab whose driver said “everwhen” for “whenever” and “everhow” for “however.” I was sure I’d misheard him the first couple of times, but it continued through a talkative 20-minute ride. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/11 "2009-06-13T03:01:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Huh, I’m from Cleveland, too, and that one sounds perfectly natural to me. The OP’s examples, though, don’t. Is it possible there are two different regionalisms in play here? Me, too. According to my dictionary, “whenever” means “at whatever time.” ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/12 "2009-06-13T03:02:44Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I once rode in a taxicab whose driver said “everwhen” for “whenever” and “everhow” for “however.” I was sure I’d misheard him the first couple of times, but it continued through a talkative 20-minute ride. We get a lot of that, too. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/13 "2009-06-13T13:08:33Z")
> [@Martha\_Medea](#): > > A friend from Northern Ireland used to do this. Don’t know if it was a regionalism or just her. Yup - it’s a fairly common thing in Norn Iron. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/14 "2009-06-13T13:55:37Z")
> [@PaperBlob](#): > > I know a guy from **Erie, PA** who does this. It drives me nuts! He’s the only example I’ve ever encountered. I’ve lived my whole life in southern NJ (Philly area), and went to college in Virginia. Same here. Never heard it. Born and raised in Philly and live in South Jersey now. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/15 "2009-06-16T14:32:55Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > Yup - it’s a fairly common thing in Norn Iron. Usually preceded by “see”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/16 "2009-06-16T14:41:08Z")
I know a few people who talk like this. Two are from Pennsylvania but pretty far apart, Pittsburgh and Gettysburg. The others are from the Appalachian part of Ohio. Add my voice to those who find the Drew Carey quote sounds normal, while the examples in the OP sound messed up. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/17 "2009-06-16T15:28:06Z")
Never heard it before. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/18 "2009-06-16T15:36:07Z")
I have a good friend who does this. He’s from Pittsburgh. ---
**Author:** ![JustThinkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@JustThinkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustThinkin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/19 "2009-06-16T18:00:05Z")
Very prevalent in southern Indiana where I lived for a year and a half when I was younger. Drove me crazy. I once tagged a new acquaintance — after some conversation, I asked him if he was from southern Indiana (based on “whenever” use). He looked completely shocked and admitted he was from S. Illinois, just across the border from Indiana. He’d worked hard to lose his southern accent, but that gave him away. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598/20 "2009-06-16T19:16:48Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I know a few people who talk like this. Two are from Pennsylvania but pretty far apart, Pittsburgh and Gettysburg. The others are from the Appalachian part of Ohio. > > Add my voice to those who find the Drew Carey quote sounds normal, while the examples in the OP sound messed up. It sounds pretty messed up to me too, so much so that when I moved to the South I pointed it out to visiting family members, who also thought it sounded strange. To be clear, I’m not talking about ‘at a particular, but indefinite time’, as in the Drew Carey quote Nor do I mean ‘at any such time’, as in “At the supermarket, whenever a truck comes in, everybody pitches in to unload it.” I’m talking about cases that indicate an unambiguous time, as in “Whenever my Aunt Elaine moved to Arizona, we helped pack her stuff.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misuse-of-whenever-instead-of-when-common-near-you/499598.md?page=2)