Years ago, I heard an interesting analysis of the “nucular” issue. It suggested that among military brass who work with nuclear materials (warheads and submarines), “nucular” is the default for the radioactive stuff, but “new-clear” is what they say when referring to, for example, a family with a mom and a dad and 2.5 kids (the extra half is growing out of Junior’s shoulder–that’s what comes from working with nucular materials). It suggested that Bush’s nuculars might be a deliberate nod to the military, showing that he’s in the know on such things. I dunno if I buy it, but I thought it was an interesting distinction.
Right; and damned if I know, but it’s really fucking annoying.
It is truly an astonishing (and disheartening) phenomenon. (Do you ink your centennial nodes red, white, and blue? )
Most recent example of above: I receive a specimen labeled “glycomma”. OK, what the hell is that supposed to be? But I dutifully dictate it as “glycomma”, get the slides the next day, it’s mature adipose tissue. Oh, of course, it’s a lipoma. Now who the hell in the OR doesn’t know what a lipoma is?
Oh, yes, indeed, “the point is mute”. I sat through a very long and incredibly boring meeting during which the chairman, who ought to know better, said that about 10 times. I took out my tiny little gun and blew him away, which certainly enlivened the proceedings. Part of that short paragraph is a lie.
I gotta axe youz, is there a thread for something like “flout” used when “flaunt” is meant?
Where someone graduates college instead of graduates from college?
OTOH, I am the miserable wretch who spelled circumcision incorrectly and may never get over the shame of it. Which is why I didn’t point out the misspelling in the OP.
And it’s more a spelling thing than a pronunciation thing, but if you don’t know how to correctly spell words in common expressions and write things like:
“whoa is me”
“it didn’t phase me”
“it’s a mute point”
“for all intensive purposes”
“that greats on my nerves”
“gimme a brake”
and my favorite, “splitting hares”
Hode on, are you saying they had to put that woof in a hoe in the ground?
A girl I used to work with sang “Head Like a Hole,” by Nine Inch Nails like this: “Head like a hoe, black as your soe, I’d rather die than give you controe…”
lol
This is kind of different, but my friend at work was using the word “gaudy” to describe her jewelry. I thought it was strange that she’d say that about her own stuff, but it turned out that she thought gaudy meant pretty. :smack:
I’m told that my mother’s step-sister used to pronounce the name of the late Richard Widmark" as “Woodmark”, because she just assumed that everyone else was being common and slangy, and that she knew better.
But she fell into a river and died, so that’s all right.
)