# Shepherd. Shepherd, shepherd, shepherd. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 6, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420 "2007-11-06T16:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/101 "2007-11-07T15:26:59Z")
Another word gone to hell is “strictly.” I’ve seen three different posts here in the last week where someone typed “strickly.” ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/102 "2007-11-07T15:38:16Z")
[QUOTE=Dead Badger] [Chicken CHICKEN](http://youtube.com/watch?v=yL_-1d9OSdk). [/QUOTE] Egg egg eggegg egg egg egg, egg eggeggegg egg? Egg egg eggeggegg “egg egg”[1] eggegg egg egg; egg egg eggeggeggegg (Egg, 1968); eggegg egg[2] eggeggeggeggeggegg (Egg, Eggegg, & Egg, 1993). [1] Egg egg eggeggegg egg egg “egg egg” egg “egg egg egg”. [2] Egg egg egg egg egg egg egg egg egg; i.e., eggs. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/103 "2007-11-07T15:39:06Z")
[QUOTE=Mellivora capensis] \ [/QUOTE] Don’t make me seperate you two. (Although I do like the use of ‘Fuckers’ at the end of every post.) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/104 "2007-11-07T15:53:29Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] You Americans don’t know shit about pronounciation. [/quote] Quite true. In fact, it’s almost completely unheard of over here. We do, however, pay some attention to _pronunciation_. > [@](#): > > It’s towards - two - wards. Not t’wards. This was easier to remember back before the Montgomery Ward stores closed. One would just remember to say “I’m going _to Ward’s_”, then the place you were going to. (It was correct to say “I’m going towards Ward’s” only if you were just leaving J.C. Penney or Ace Hardware.) > [@](#): > > It’s herd, prounounce the fucking H! Why do you say it “erb”???" 1. We don’t say _herd_ “erb.” We say it “hurd.” We do say _herb_ “erb,” if only to avoid confusion with men named Herb, whom you would probably call Herbert. 2. Now you’re bringing up _prounounciation_? That’s another thing we don’t do in the States. > [@](#): > > And whilst we’re here there’s no such word as gotten. Au contraire, my dear British person. As long as you’re _here_, there definitely _is_ such a word. There is, however, no such word as _whilst_. We do have _whist_, but that’s a card game. :dubious: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/105 "2007-11-07T17:04:11Z")
Careful **Beware of Doug** , you’re heading for a slap. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/106 "2007-11-07T17:25:06Z")
Hooray, no one’s bitching about the way I spell alarum in here yet! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/107 "2007-11-07T17:44:22Z")
It isn’t surprising that BBC news presenters struggle with New Orleans. They are closer to old Orleans, where Joan of Arc was the Maid of Orleans. Besides, the folks in New Orleans cannot agree on how to say their city. You can wander around town, and hear at least 10 different ways to sound it out. Nyew Orlins, Noo Orlee uns, Nwawlins, Narlins, Nawleens, Noo Awlins, and so on. The charming little dog, when in Texas, is a Shee-it Sue. Gonna is too deeply rooted to be eradicated. Some even believe :dubious: that in derives from Ghana in W. Africa, birthplace of famed hostage negotiator Amatalia Watt-Amaghanadu. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/108 "2007-11-07T17:54:55Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] See, I come from the opposite perspective. Not only should you not be able to spell your dog’s breed, you shouldn’t even be able to identify it. Mutts are the only real dogs. [/QUOTE] Yeah, and 'coz “mutt” is much easier to spell. 😛 (I’ve never personally owned a pure-breed dog in my life. My family had an Irish Setter when I was a kid. Talk about “box of rocks.”) ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/109 "2007-11-07T17:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Gonna is too deeply rooted to be eradicated. Some even believe :dubious: that in derives from Ghana in W. Africa, birthplace of famed hostage negotiator Amatalia Watt-Amaghanadu. [/QUOTE] Damn you. Damn you, damn you. Not just coffee or Diet Coke, but _a mouthful of chewed up brisket sandwich_, got sprayed onto my keyboard. :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/110 "2007-11-07T17:59:52Z")
At the high school in my district, where I occasionally sub, there are signs posted in every room stating: “Student’s should dress appropriately: no sagging, mid drifts, short skirts/shorts…” I’d like to point out to them that: a) Students! Not student\*\*’\*\*s! b) Mid drifts? Really? Parse that for me, if you would. c) Assuming that you really mean _midriffs_, how exactly do you get off forbidding them? How does one actually avoid having a midriff? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/111 "2007-11-07T18:15:03Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] At the high school in my district, where I occasionally sub, there are signs posted in every room stating: “Student’s should dress appropriately: no sagging, mid drifts, short skirts/shorts…” I’d like to point out to them that: a) Students! Not student\*\*'\*\*s! b) Mid drifts? Really? Parse that for me, if you would. c) Assuming that you really mean _midriffs_, how exactly do you get off forbidding them? How does one actually avoid having a midriff? [/QUOTE] Well, there’s a superfluous comma between _sagging_ and _mid_. They meant to say “no sagging midriffs.” Because, while we all like to see a 16 year old girl’s bare midsection, we’d really prefer it if she was a little hardbody. ---
**Author:** ![JustThinkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@JustThinkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustThinkin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/112 "2007-11-07T18:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Gonna is too deeply rooted to be eradicated. Some even believe :dubious: that in derives from Ghana in W. Africa, birthplace of famed hostage negotiator Amatalia Watt-Amaghanadu. [/QUOTE] After lurking for a long time, I signed up as a guest today just to BWA HA HA HA HA giggle giggle giggle. Can I use this, **AskNott**? Please? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/113 "2007-11-07T19:14:59Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] You Americans don’t know shit about pronounciation. It’s mirror - mirr - orr. Not meer. It’s towards - two - wards. Not t’wards. It’s route, rhymes with boot. It doesn’t rhyme with about. It’s schedule - SH - ed - ewel. Not sked-dual. It’s herd, prounounce the fucking H! Why do you say it “erb”??? And whilst we’re here there’s no such word as gotten. [/QUOTE] Sorry, until you Brits do something about that extra syllable you crammed into “aluminum,” you’ve got no room to criticize American pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/114 "2007-11-07T19:33:08Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Sorry, until you Brits do something about that extra syllable you crammed into “aluminum,” you’ve got no room to criticize American pronunciation. [/QUOTE] Actually, the British pronunciation is more in line with the rest of the post-19th century elemental names (rubidium, niobium, technecium, americium, etc). We’re the ones who tossed that “extra” syllable out. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/115 "2007-11-07T19:56:14Z")
We say it with an extra syllable because we spell it aluminium - i.e. correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/116 "2007-11-07T20:04:47Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Actually, the British pronunciation is more in line with the rest of the post-19th century elemental names (rubidium, niobium, technecium, americium, etc). We’re the ones who tossed that “extra” syllable out. [/QUOTE] Nope. It was isolated in the 19th century (1812, specifically) and was originally called aluminum. The extra syllable was added shortly thereafter to make it more “classical” sounding. Like those classical elements, goldium, silverium, ironium, and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/117 "2007-11-07T20:16:33Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Anyway, by the same token, are any common (mis)pronunciations OK with you? Artic, libry and Febry? I note you splitting the hairs of my bêtes noires, but don’t see you taking 'merkins to task similarly over their criticism of other linguistic foibles. [/QUOTE] Those are all fine by me (i.e., I don’t consider them mispronunciations). You’re right; there’s no good reason for me to have been picking on you specifically. So, to hell with the lot of you in this thread! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/118 "2007-11-07T20:28:07Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Like those classical elements, … ironium, and so forth. [/QUOTE] Is that where we get that ironic oxide? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/119 "2007-11-07T20:38:58Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] **Illuminatiprimus** is labouring under the idea that “gotten”, an old word from England that was lovingly preserved by our American cousins while we cruelly let it die, is misbegotten. [/QUOTE] I still use it, thank you very much. In speech, and as a consequence quite often in casual writing. [QUOTE=Miller] Nope. It was isolated in the 19th century (1812, specifically) and was originally called aluminum. The extra syllable was added shortly thereafter to make it more “classical” sounding. Like those classical elements, goldium, silverium, ironium, and so forth. [/QUOTE] The full story is more complicated still. [Aluminium - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Etymology_and_nomenclature_history) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420/120 "2007-11-07T20:44:33Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Actually, the British pronunciation is more in line with the rest of the post-19th century elemental names (rubidium, niobium, technecium, americium, etc). We’re the ones who tossed that “extra” syllable out. Not really, as it happens. It was actually proposed as alumium by its original discoverer, Humphry Davy; aluminum and aluminium emerged more or less in parallel as reactions to the perceived unwieldiness of “alumium” (Davy himself settled on “aluminum”). Weirdly, I believe the “-inium” suffix was largely popularised in the States, not Europe. Your widespread usage of the “-inum” suffix is mostly on account of the first guy to commercialise the metal, Charles Hall. Either way, there’s pretty much no right, wrong or even original answer to this one. Bah, stoopid timeouts prevent me from posting this and I get wiki-pipped. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shepherd-shepherd-shepherd-shepherd/425420.md?page=7)