# The Professional Drivers' War on Pronouns **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568 "2010-12-17T23:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/1 "2010-12-17T23:26:17Z")
In the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a strange grammatical trend among those that drive for a living, no matter what the vehicle is. Instead of one saying that they are a “truck driver” or that they “drive trucks”, instead they say “I drive truck” for a living, dropping the pronoun. Same thing with people who “drive bus”, “drive taxi”, “drive wheelchair van”, and the like. Imagine an architect that tells others “I design building”, or an assembly line worker that says “I build car”. Doesn’t sound right, does it? So, why do people that drive vehicles for a living drop the pronoun? I have no idea, but I’m guessing it’s so they can sound like an insider of sorts. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/2 "2010-12-17T23:46:10Z")
In the case of “truck” at least, it’s technically not incorrect. An alternate definition of truck is "products, trade, commerce etc. So “_I drive truck_” could mean the same as “_I transport goods_”. Don’t think that would work for bus, or wheelchair van though. And I doubt that the people that say it are all that concerned about grammer. I suppose it’s just a sort of slang convention that’s worked its way into everyday conversation. SS ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/3 "2010-12-17T23:54:38Z")
In the case of “I drive truck” (presumably instead of “I drive a truck”), I think you mean that they dropped the article not the pronoun. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/4 "2010-12-18T00:01:54Z")
I didn’t notice it in truck drivers. But I did notice the usage of whatever its called when you use the same form as the singular to denote plural has increased of late. The specific cases I can recall were all measurements, e.g. “It’s about five mile from here”. I don’t know if measurements are a special case, but I think I’ve heard the equivalent of “I count five truck in the parking lot”. I don’t think it has anything to do with grammar though. I think it just sounds better. More definitive when talking about your occupation. Maybe just lazy speech in other cases. What do pronouns have to do with this? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/5 "2010-12-18T00:12:18Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I didn’t notice it in truck drivers. But I did notice the usage of whatever its called when you use the same form as the singular to denote plural has increased of late. The specific cases I can recall were all measurements, e.g. “It’s about five mile from here”. It was once customary to voice numbers like 5000 as “five thousands,” not “five thousand.” Living tongues evolve. If you want a language with a perfectly and rigidly set id grammar and usage rules, you may wish to try Latin. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/6 "2010-12-18T00:43:16Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Living tongues evolve. If you want a language with a perfectly and rigidly set id grammar and usage rules, you may wish to try Latin. You talkin’ to me? I only waste time attempting to use a reasonable facsimile of grammar and spelling to cut down on the noise from all them nitpicker. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/7 "2010-12-18T01:02:24Z")
It doesn’t sound any different than “I play sport” or “I teach math”. In the profession, I presume, “truck” isn’t just a noun for a vehicle; it’s an idea. If they said “I drive a truck” then it would sound like they drive a single vehicle all the time, instead of several different vehicles. “I drive truck.” “What kind of truck?” “Oh, this kind and that kind. All kinds, really.” ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/9 "2010-12-18T02:04:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Living tongues evolve. If you want a language with a perfectly and rigidly set id grammar and usage rules, you may wish to try Latin. Quite: this may be a case of reversion to a purer simpler way of thinking. I can recall some chap in 20009 BC speaking just like this. Struggling a bit to get his thought out coherantly, but he made himself clear. “_Me… I.._.” Long silence “_Round thing…_” Triumphantly: “_Me move round thing !_” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/10 "2010-12-18T19:26:58Z")
> [@BeautifulGiggles1985](#): > > I say that my mother has been a professional truck driver for the last 13 years, my father’s been driving for almost 16 and i have NEVER heard any kind of driver talk like that. I know it’s tradition here to have a “I’ve never heard/seen that” response on the Dope (e.g. “I don’t know about your part of the world, but I’ve never seen a blonde Swede”), but … well, [this](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22i+drive+truck%22). ---
**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:** [December 18, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/11 "2010-12-18T22:50:37Z")
It’s like “haul ass” or “kick butt.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/12 "2010-12-18T23:17:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Living tongues evolve. Lazy peopl abbrev. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/13 "2010-12-18T23:48:52Z")
It is not a reversion to a purer, simpler way of speaking. It is not lazy speech. It’s just a new item of grammar, although it’s presently only heard among a fairly small proportion of English speakers. Perhaps it will catch on and become the standard way of saying that one drives a truck for a living. Perhaps it will die out. Perhaps it will stay in use along with other ways of saying the same thing like “I drive a truck for a living” or “I drive trucks for a living” or “I’m a truck driver.” Languages are always changing. I would rather say it that way than that they evolve, since that might be misunderstood as saying that they are changing toward simplicity or complexity. (Although it’s not true that evolution is going toward simplicity or complexity either.) You can dislike it all you want, but you’re not going to stop language from changing. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/14 "2010-12-19T00:04:26Z")
I’ve certainly heard the term among [del] truck drivers [/del] guys who drive truck who hail from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Isn’t there a similar construct in a dialect of Pennsylvania? I don’t recall if it’s Philly or Pittsburgh, but in one of them it’s not unusual to hear “I need to wash dishes” (instead of “I need to wash the dishes”), or similar. There’s a better example I’m blanking on at the moment, but I’m sure another Doper can fill [the] gap. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/15 "2010-12-19T02:32:07Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I’ve certainly heard the term among [del] truck drivers [/del] guys who drive truck who hail from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. > > Isn’t there a similar construct in a dialect of Pennsylvania? I don’t recall if it’s Philly or Pittsburgh, but in one of them it’s not unusual to hear “I need to wash dishes” (instead of “I need to wash the dishes”), or similar. There’s a better example I’m blanking on at the moment, but I’m sure another Doper can fill [the] gap. I think the construct you are thinking of is “The dishes need washed” rather than “the dishes need to be washed”. I think it’s more likely a Pittsburgh thing–because I’ve never heard it in the wild as opposed to on a message board. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/16 "2010-12-19T02:38:20Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I think the construct you are thinking of is “The dishes need washed” rather than “the dishes need to be washed”. I think it’s more likely a Pittsburgh thing–because I’ve never heard it in the wild as opposed to on a message board. Yep, you’re right. So it’s a verb disappearing, not an article. [Emily L] \*Nevermind! \*[/EL] ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/17 "2010-12-19T02:53:12Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I think the construct you are thinking of is “The dishes need washed” rather than “the dishes need to be washed”. I think it’s more likely a Pittsburgh thing–because I’ve never heard it in the wild as opposed to on a message board. Nah…if it was a Pittsburgh thing it’d be “the dishes need _warshed_”. but first they’d have to run to Jant Iggle to get more dishwarshing detergent;) cite: I’m married to a native Pittsburgher ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/18 "2010-12-19T02:53:16Z")
My question is: Why do so many people noticing this thread [confuse articles and pronouns](http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=6548902&postcount=12)? That’s weirder than driving truck. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/19 "2010-12-19T03:10:26Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I know it’s tradition here to have a “I’ve never heard/seen that” response on the Dope (e.g. “I don’t know about your part of the world, but I’ve never seen a blonde Swede”), but … well, [this](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22i+drive+truck%22). Don’t you ever get tired of railing against Dopers that disagree with your worldview? Yes, people here are often exceptionalists, but equating your experience with someone stating they’ve never encountered a blonde Swede is ridiculous. I’m another child of a truck driver (actually, two, if you want to count my step father) and have never encountered this turn of phrase either. Just because you have experienced it does not mean it is particularly widespread. It sounds downright alien to me. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/20 "2010-12-19T04:20:44Z")
Clearly this way of talking exists, but it’s not universal, even among truckers. Here’s another place online where the term is explicitly defined: [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/drive\_truck](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/drive_truck) ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568/21 "2010-12-19T23:32:46Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > Don’t you ever get tired of railing against Dopers that disagree with your worldview? Yes, people here are often exceptionalists, but equating your experience with someone stating they’ve never encountered a blonde Swede is ridiculous. I’ve never known of elmwood to rail against Dopers who are exceptionalists, and I’m elmwood myself. Looks like a case of stereotyping or selection bias to me. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professional-drivers-war-on-pronouns/564568.md?page=2)