# Those things that stop your car are not BREAKS, you moron! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719 "2009-06-23T14:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/81 "2009-06-24T17:21:29Z")
So if you _had_ brakes on your car can you call them “brokes?” ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/82 "2009-06-24T18:26:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I hear your username was supposed to be **Shot For Guns**. **Sorghum Fonts** , actually. It’s quite embarassing. What I find amusing is how often people refer to me as \*\*Shot with Guns \*\*or **Shot by Guns**. I assure you that neither of \*those \*things would leave me with [a nut-like flavor that hits the spot](http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/848/shotfromguns.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/83 "2009-06-24T18:52:02Z")
I’ll throw “alright” into the mix. I was amazed to see this being repeatedly used in a novel I was reading earlier this month. Shouldn’t that have been corrected by a copy editor? ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/84 "2009-06-24T18:57:14Z")
> [@Landshark](#): > > I’ll throw “alright” into the mix. I was amazed to see this being repeatedly used in a novel I was reading earlier this month. Shouldn’t that have been corrected by a copy editor? It’s in the dictionary. So not unless it was just a malapropism. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/85 "2009-06-24T19:05:12Z")
Some of you people seriously need a perscription for something to calm you down. (Gaaaah, it hurt to type it!) ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/86 "2009-06-24T19:07:40Z")
> [@Landshark](#): > > I’ll throw “alright” into the mix. I was amazed to see this being repeatedly used in a novel I was reading earlier this month. Shouldn’t that have been corrected by a copy editor? It makes my skin crawl, too. M-W apparently approves: [[QUOTE=m-w.com](http://QUOTE=m-w.com)] The one-word spelling alright appeared some 75 years after all right itself had reappeared from a 400-year-long absence. Since the early 20th century some critics have insisted alright is wrong, but it has its defenders and its users. It is less frequent than all right but remains in common use especially in journalistic and business publications. It is quite common in fictional dialogue, and is used occasionally in other writing \. [/QUOTE] … But that doesn’t mean I have to \*like \*it. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/87 "2009-06-24T19:46:17Z")
Can I add people who can’t seem to learn even the simplest of first names? My daughter’s name is Kristen. We have a neighbor who speels it Kristine. She pronounces it correctly, but spells it wrong every single time it needs to be spelled, which once resulted in my daughter leaving a birthday party thinking she didn’t get a goodie bag (when she was 4 and could recognize her name spelled out, but not that it was misspelled). We’ve pointed it out on more than one occasion, but it’s apparently not important enough to remember. The kicker is that the woman is a teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/88 "2009-06-24T20:01:26Z")
> [@Landshark](#): > > I’ll throw “alright” into the mix. I was amazed to see this being repeatedly used in a novel I was reading earlier this month. Shouldn’t that have been corrected by a copy editor? Well… yes and no. Firstly, as has been pointed out, “alright” is actually acceptable usage (even though it jars me, too) More importantly, however, “alright” and its first cousin “alot” are essentially colloquial contractions of phrases – everyone involves recognizes exactly what is meant. The malapropisms\* mentioned earlier are cases where people are using homonyms which are **not the same word** and **do not have the same meaning**! (not to mention, lose and loose aren’t even homonyms…) They’re just plain **wrong** Now, I really don’t get all stabby at people making the occasional mistake. Og knows I’ve made my share… But I expect people whose malapropisms are pointed out to hang their head in shame, or at least in mild embarrassment – not go on about how it doesn’t matter and we’re all being jack-booted language Nazis for pointing out their errors. **Those** are the people who make me see red. Or read. Or something… - Ooh, new word! Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/89 "2009-06-24T20:05:49Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Well… yes and no. > > Firstly, as has been pointed out, “alright” is actually acceptable usage (even though it jars me, too) > More importantly, however, “alright” and its first cousin “alot” are essentially colloquial contractions of phrases – everyone involves recognizes exactly what is meant. > The malapropisms\* mentioned earlier are cases where people are using homonyms which are **not the same word** and **do not have the same meaning**! (not to mention, lose and loose aren’t even homonyms…) They’re just plain **wrong** > > Now, I really don’t get all stabby at people making the occasional mistake. Og knows I’ve made my share… But I expect people whose malapropisms are pointed out to hang their head in shame, or at least in mild embarrassment – not go on about how it doesn’t matter and we’re all being jack-booted language Nazis for pointing out their errors. **Those** are the people who make me see red. Or read. Or something… > > - Ooh, new word! Thanks 🙂 I had no idea “alright” wasn’t… um, ok? Okay? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/90 "2009-06-24T20:11:01Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I had no idea “alright” wasn’t… um, ok? Okay? 😕 Actually, apparently it is, despite many of us who seem to be shocked by the idea… 🙂 And anyway, I was saying that **even if it were demonstrably wrong** , I’d go easier on its users than on **proud** malapropists (?) who don’t care if they’re using a completely unrelated word to the one they wanted to use. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/91 "2009-06-24T20:16:06Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Well… yes and no. > > Firstly, as has been pointed out, “alright” is actually acceptable usage (even though it jars me, too) > More importantly, however, “alright” and its first cousin “alot” are essentially colloquial contractions of phrases – everyone involves recognizes exactly what is meant. Well, as **Shot From Guns** noted: > [@](#): > > … But that doesn’t mean I have to _like_ it. Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/92 "2009-06-24T20:40:41Z")
> [@Landshark](#): > > Indeed. I am interested, though, that “alright” is in dictionaries. Never occurred to me to look. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/93 "2009-06-24T21:23:15Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > The malapropisms\* mentioned earlier are cases where people are using homonyms which are **not the same word** and **do not have the same meaning**! (not to mention, lose and loose aren’t even homonyms…) They’re just plain **wrong** Did you mean: _ **homophones** _ ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/94 "2009-06-24T22:31:44Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Did you mean: _ **homophones** _ You are right, [but so am I](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=homonym&r=66), if to a lesser degree. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/95 "2009-06-24T23:53:43Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > You want to say chock-full. Cool! I did not know that was hyphenated and have learned something new! [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) also mentions choke-full and chuck-full. And nearby is my new favorite word (never heard it till I moved here): chockablock 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/96 "2009-06-25T00:21:00Z")
Not worth saying now… ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/97 "2009-06-25T00:48:33Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Cool! I did not know that was hyphenated and have learned something new! [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) also mentions choke-full and chuck-full. > > And nearby is my new favorite word (never heard it till I moved here): chockablock 🙂 Yeah chockablock…we used this all the time when I was a kidlet. As in full all the way to the choke point. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/98 "2009-06-25T02:24:49Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > (reads thread) > > Can anyone out there clarify for me whether or not “rate of speed” is redundant? It’s always driven me nuts when you have someone who is (I think) desperate to make themselves feel smarter by needlessly extending their sentences, and so they say, “I done seened that vehicle moving at a high rate of speed through the crosswalk.” > > Really? Because I’m pretty sure “speed” is dx/dt or distance/time or to put it in a way that’s right on your speed-o-meter, miles/hour. > > Speed is already a rate, right? So “high rate of speed” is completely redundant, right? > > -Joe [Nitpick] Although speed is a rate, moving at a high rate of tire revolutions per ounce of rubber deposited on the asphalt, a high rate of footfalls per cracks in the sidewalk or a high rate of ice cream cones per available pocket does not necessarily imply how fast or slow something is traveling. [/Nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/99 "2009-06-25T06:44:36Z")
> [@](#): > > The internet gaffe I tend to hate is “noone”. That is not a word! What exactly is a tounge and how does one stick theirs out? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719/100 "2009-06-25T07:59:08Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > The internet gaffe I tend to hate is “noone”. That is not a word! Sure it is. If you’re the Time-Keeper By Royal Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I and you need to inform other members of the Royal Court (or both members of the public that can read) that a particular event will take place at mid-day. 😉 Everyone makes spelling mistakes and typos from time to time. No-one is criticising that. But the whole breaks/brakes and lose/loose and you’re/your thing drives me mad. Having said that, I work with words so it’s rather important I know the difference between them and how/when to use them. And to all those people who whinge “It’s just spelling and u no wut I meen!” when called out on spelling like a 13 year old with a txt addiction: Yes, you’re right. I do know what you mean. And I have disregarded it as unimportant because you’re either not smart enough or considerate enough\* to have attempted to communicate in the proper, recognised form currently applicable to the English Language. \*With the obvious exemptions for people who don’t speak English as a first language and people with _genuine_ dyslexia/learning disabilities. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-things-that-stop-your-car-are-not-breaks-you-moron/500719.md?page=6)