# There's no A in definitely, there's no D in privilege... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858 "2006-05-31T11:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/81 "2006-06-01T04:50:08Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I know I make my share of mistakes, but seeing people using “loose” when they mean “lose” makes me cringe. A cheerleading recruitment flyer went up at school the other day that read: We’re loosing our cheerleaders!" My big spelling pet peeve is “fridge.” There’s no d in refrigerator, so why should there be one there? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/82 "2006-06-01T05:03:33Z")
> [@brian\_ax](#): > > We’re loosing our cheerleaders! The football team will be happy to hear that. Nothing better than loose cheerleaders. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/83 "2006-06-01T05:16:46Z")
You’re not the athiest! I’m way more athier than you! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/84 "2006-06-01T06:34:23Z")
The new one (to me anyway) is people complaining about **adds** on TV. Argh! ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/85 "2006-06-01T07:28:23Z")
ghoti & ghoughphtheightteeau are two words you don’t see misspelled all that often, though from time to time, you might see an unnecessary e on the end of the latter. (thank you dan.) ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/86 "2006-06-01T11:29:56Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > For whatever reason (and I can’t for the life of me suss out the origins) some people use quotations for emphasis. This bugs me, too, out-of-place quotation marks, especially when people are trying to use it for emphasis. And why would they emphasize the word carts in that sentence, anyway? I’d emphasize ‘please.’ **Please** do not remove the carts from the store. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/87 "2006-06-01T11:43:05Z")
> [@brian\_ax](#): > > My big spelling pet peeve is “fridge.” There’s no d in refrigerator, so why should there be one there? I could be wrong (and probably am), but I think “fridge” with that spelling may relate to the brand name Fridgidaire (which I’ve probably spelled wrong 😃 ). ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/88 "2006-06-01T11:43:17Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > ghoti & ghoughphtheightteeau are two words you don’t see misspelled all that often, though from time to time, you might see an unnecessary e on the end of the latter. (thank you dan.) I gotta say I love ghoti pie, especially when the ghoughphtheightteeau is nice and creamy. “gh” as in “hiccough” at the start of the second one? > [@gabriela](#): > > I dunno if this counts, but I was on the stand yesterday answering questions for a defense lawyer who could not understand the difference between bleeding “beneath the scalp” and “inside the skull”. > > Didn’t matter if I used medical words (subgaleal hemorrhage, subdural hematoma) or “puddle of blood inside the scalp but outside the skull, versus bleeding on the brain”, he just didn’t get the distinction. > > The jury did, fortunately. Smarter than the defense. Reminds me of the doctor who informed the court that the victim of the assault “sustained bilateral, periorbital, peripheral haematomas”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/89 "2006-06-01T11:57:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I could be wrong (and probably am), but I think “fridge” with that spelling may relate to the brand name Fridgidaire (which I’ve probably spelled wrong ). 'Fraid you did. It’s **Frigidaire** : [http://www.frigidaire.com/](http://www.frigidaire.com/) From _Frigid Air_ (duh!), si it doesn’t _need_ a “d”. The “d” is there, I’m convinced, because you’ll pronounce “fridge” with a short “i”, as if it were a free-standing syllable from “refrigerator”. But you’d pronounce “frige” as “Fry-j” or something equally cacophonous. Standing by itself. it isn’t obvious that it’s part of the word “refrigerator”. But “fridge” seems to follow the rules that give us “fudge” and “bridge”, and naturally leads to the correct pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/90 "2006-06-01T12:06:13Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 'Fraid you did. It’s **Frigidaire** : [http://www.frigidaire.com/](http://www.frigidaire.com/) From _Frigid Air_ (duh!), si it doesn’t _need_ a “d”. > The “d” is there, I’m convinced, because you’ll pronounce “fridge” with a short “i”, as if it were a free-standing syllable from “refrigerator”. But you’d pronounce “frige” as “Fry-j” or something equally cacophonous. Standing by itself. it isn’t obvious that it’s part of the word “refrigerator”. But “fridge” seems to follow the rules that give us “fudge” and “bridge”, and naturally leads to the correct pronunciation. Oh well. I tried. 😃 I should have looked it up first. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/91 "2006-06-01T12:09:51Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I hope you dei. Thanks for that _magnum opus_. 😃 (Bonus point for the correct plural of “opus”.) ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/92 "2006-06-01T13:06:07Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > This bugs me, too, out-of-place quotation marks, especially when people are trying to use it for emphasis. > > And why would they emphasize the word carts in that sentence, anyway? > I’d emphasize ‘please.’ > > **Please** do not remove the carts from the store. Perhaps because they’re trying to differentiate the carts from everything else, which they don’t mind you removing from the store at all? “_Look, man – fine, take the fruit stand, but you are not taking it out in a cart, you hear me?_” ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/93 "2006-06-01T13:29:02Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Thanks for that _magnum opus_. 😃 > > (Bonus point for the correct plural of “opus”.) Opera, right? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/94 "2006-06-01T14:50:48Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Opera, right? Yup. Third declension neuter. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/95 "2006-06-01T16:00:09Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Reminds me of the doctor who informed the court that the victim of the assault “sustained bilateral, periorbital, peripheral haematomas”. Two black eyes? > [@CalMeacham](#): > > The “d” is there, I’m convinced, because you’ll pronounce “fridge” with a short “i”, as if it were a free-standing syllable from “refrigerator”. But you’d pronounce “frige” as “Fry-j” or something equally cacophonous. Standing by itself. it isn’t obvious that it’s part of the word “refrigerator”. But “fridge” seems to follow the rules that give us “fudge” and “bridge”, and naturally leads to the correct pronunciation. Plus, if you used the actual letters from the word you’d have “frig” which means something entirely different. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/96 "2006-06-01T16:03:04Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The “d” is there, I’m convinced, because you’ll pronounce “fridge” with a short “i”, as if it were a free-standing syllable from “refrigerator”. But you’d pronounce “frige” as “Fry-j” or something equally cacophonous. Standing by itself. it isn’t obvious that it’s part of the word “refrigerator”. But “fridge” seems to follow the rules that give us “fudge” and “bridge”, and naturally leads to the correct pronunciation. So, when you shorten “microphone” to just the first syllable, is it spelled “mic” or “mike”? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/97 "2006-06-01T17:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > So, when you shorten “microphone” to just the first syllable, is it spelled “mic” or “mike”? I think this is intended to be humorous, but it proves my point. I have seen “mike” written as short for “microphone”, but never “mic”. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/98 "2006-06-01T18:21:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I think this is intended to be humorous, but it proves my point. I have seen “mike” written as short for “microphone”, but never “mic”. Really? In radio and live sound, in catalogues and everywhere else, I’ve only seen it spelled “mic.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/99 "2006-06-01T18:21:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I have seen “mike” written as short for “microphone”, but never “mic”. I’ve seen “mic” used fairly frequently. Mostly in technical manuals and on equipment inputs. “Mike” seems to be more frequently used in novels and other prose, IME. Googlefight using _mic microphone_ gives 10,600,000 results, while _mike microphone_ gives 5,750,000. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858/100 "2006-06-01T18:41:04Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Oh, yea. There’s no ‘A’ in ‘Cemetery’. > > And the express check-out is for 10 items or FEWER, dammit. (But I’ve noticed they’re getting better. ‘Less’ shows up a lot.) It’s “checkout” (one word). Check-in gets the hyphen. Cannot as two words annoys me. Also saying your curiosity has been “peaked” rather than the correct “piqued.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-a-in-definitely-theres-no-d-in-privilege/358858.md?page=6)