Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 26 Jun 03 - 07:47 PM learned, learnt Jewellery-jewelry is an odd one, inspiring the OED editors to a mini-essay. "In commercial use commonly spelt jewellery; the form jewelry is more rhetorical and poetic and unassociated with the jeweller. But the pronunciation with three sylables is usual even with the former spelling." I would agree that "jewelry" has pretty well taken over in North America. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Gray D Date: 26 Jun 03 - 08:09 PM Phew/few, no/know, its/it's okay/ok I/eye have/halve reset/rested my/m'eye cookie/biscuit Gray D |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: DonMeixner Date: 26 Jun 03 - 11:35 PM I have spelled and seen jewelry spelled many ways and I thing all are acceptable as long as archaic usage is acceptable. Here are some thoughts. Jewelry- The bracelets I make are Jewelry Jeweller - A person who makes Jewelry Jewellery - The place where a Jeweller make Jewelry. Don |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: DMcG Date: 27 Jun 03 - 09:30 AM One of the banners over the aisles in my local supermarket says there are 'Air freshners' nearby. It has been there for years now and irritates me every time I see it. The managers claim no-one else has noticed it. Then they refurbished the next nearest supermarket and made spelling mistakes in its labels as well. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Jim Dixon Date: 27 Jun 03 - 09:39 AM McGrath: Dreamed/dreamt Dwelled/dwelt Kneeled/knelt Leaned/leant Leaped/leapt Learned/learnt Smelled/smelt Spelled/spelt Spilled/spilt Spoiled/spoilt (I found them on this list of irregular verbs.) In all the above cases, modern American usage favors the -ed versions. The -t versions would seem archaic. Yet we hang onto built, dealt, felt, lent, meant, spent. I don't think I've ever heard builded, dealed, etc., in ordinary speech, but isn't builded in the King James Bible? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Bagpuss Date: 27 Jun 03 - 09:51 AM Apparently the irregular versions of the word are earlier and tend to be replaced by the regular version as time goes on. The more common or frequently used a word is, the more likely it is to retain the irregular form for longer. Rarely used words succumb to the regular form earlier in our language history. Words in which both forms are used are in the middle of this transition process. That's as far as i remember from my English Language course at university, anyway. Bagpuss |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Gareth Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:13 AM "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch" Gareth |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: John MacKenzie Date: 27 Jun 03 - 12:53 PM If your feet small, and your nose runs, you're probably upside down!! Giok |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 27 Jun 03 - 01:43 PM Dreamed-dreamt etc. Been reading a number of current UK novels recently, and the -t ending seems to be alive and well in the UK although it has mostly been lost in American usage. Amusing how many people ignore dictionaries and English language teaching in schools and follow their own bent- see a number of the postings above. This contributes to the changes with time in the language, but adds to debate and to the proliferation of threads like this one. This is repetitious, but I still would like to hear an explanation of the reasons behind the -ize, -ise schism in the UK. The better (or should I be politically correct and say more expensive) private (English public) schools in England and the Oxford-Cambridge publications all demand -ize, while most people use -ise. Along with that, why did the Americans keep the older, established -ize while most Britons shifted to -ise? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: John Hardly Date: 27 Jun 03 - 01:48 PM I screw up "Cincinnati" and "necessary" regularly. The "I" before "E" except after "C" or when sounding like "A" as in neighbor and weigh, and its exceptions cause many mis-spelled words. As long as the pedants are out and biting like bass on a spring pond -- whatever happened to "lit"? Was it ever NOT the past of "light"? Is "lit" not a word? or is it one of those "Lay/lain" thingys where lit is the past of the activity of, of rinstance, sanding on a tree branch as a bird might, while "lighted" is what I might have done to a light bulb? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Nigel Parsons Date: 27 Jun 03 - 02:51 PM Guest Q; Jim Dixon: Unless US dictionaries are different, learned & learnt are not synoymous. Learnt: (lurnt) is usually reserved for the past participle of the verb 'to learn', i.e. "he learnt his two times table" Learned: (lurn'id) is the adjective to describe someone who has learning. "The learned gentleman taught his pupils English until they had learnt enough" Nigel |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: wysiwyg Date: 27 Jun 03 - 03:13 PM I believe PLEASE and THANK YOU are commonly confused with GIMMEE and IT'S ABOUT TIME. ~S~ |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Jim Dixon Date: 27 Jun 03 - 03:15 PM American dictionaries ARE different (but I don't have one to examine right now). Americans would say "He learned his two-times table." As a verb, "learned" would be pronounced as one syllable, to rhyme with "turned." We also have "learned" pronounced as two syllables when it's an adjective, as in "the learned gentleman." But that's not a usage we hear often. American English has had its own standard since Noah Webster published his first dictionary. Nowadays "Webster's" is almost a synonym for dictionary. The term "Webster's" is no longer a protected trademark, so anyone can publish a dictionary and call it "Webster's." Many cheap and poor dictionaries are called that. "Merriam-Webster," however is a trademarked name, and the name of our best publisher of dictionaries, in my opinion. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: beadie Date: 27 Jun 03 - 03:29 PM The adjective "learned" seems restricted to the lofty discourse of lawyers and politicians, although I have heard it used as a descriptive for "learned" professions (theology, medicine and law). . . . and the learned gentleman can stick THAT in his Funk and Wagnalls ! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 27 Jun 03 - 03:31 PM I'm with Dave on this one. It's one thing to make a mistake, but to have your mistake on a public sign, have it pointed out to you, and then to do nothing about it! We have a Miniture Soldier Museum in town. Also a business sign which says Wensday. Of course all MY mistakes are just typos. I really do know better. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: TheBigPinkLad Date: 27 Jun 03 - 04:00 PM In our language it's difficult to describe differences in pronunciation because we don't have a symbol for schwa even though it's the commonest of English vowels. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 27 Jun 03 - 04:07 PM Merriam Webster- "learnt Chiefly Brit past and past part of learn." OED- Learn v pa t and pple learned, learnt. In other words both are acceptable to the OED if not to Nigel and his teachers (I think I was taught the same as you, Nigel, but we end up absorbing the teacher's preferences). Learnéd in the sense of erudite. Some Americans speak of a knowledgeable man as learnéd, using the two-syllable pronunciation used in the OED, but Webster's accepts both, reflecting the American tendency to abandon the accented -ed ending. Yep, still biting. John H, I know that in talk I probably mess up light-lit- lighted. Webster's accepts lit or lighted as past for the verb. Lighted is often seen in 19th C. writing. In the US Navy they have the phrase "the smoking lamp is lit." Lit often used with up- her face lit up. Lit (up) = drunk. Lit as short for literature. Webster's also accepts both "the bird lit on the branch or lighted on the branch. I know some birders who prefer lighted but I think most of us say lit. The OED also accepts both. In the US I think most of us turn on or turn off a light bulb or lamp and avoid the l-word. Or we could outen the light as our Pennsy. Dutch friends are supposed to say. Hmmm, bite, bit, bitten (and bit)- why not light, lit, litten? Lighten up? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: JohnInKansas Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:15 PM WYS reminds of the people who say "excuse me for ..." when they're about to do something for which there is no excuse (and none offered). "Forgive me" would be much more appropriate - and might be possible when we're in a good mood. A "cartoon" carried locally, Non-Sequitor, runs frequent "What he/she said"//"What she/he heard" and "What they mean"/"when they say" bits that tweak on numerous foibles. Unfortuately, most of my "collected favorites" are mainly "sight gags" that don't translate well without the pictures. John |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Jim Dixon Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:28 PM Restaurant menus are a common source of misspellings. I have seen omlet and omlette countless times. My local college grille serves Monte Crisco sandwiches. They also have a weird way of spelling focaccia but I can't remember it. Advertising copywriters feel free to abuse the language. Usually, they know exactly what they're doing, but they will gladly break any grammar or spelling rule if they think the resulting text will appeal to their target audience. Case in point: the lowly word 'n'. I mean the contracted form of and as in rock 'n' roll. Copywriters love this word because it has a nice slangy informal feel to it. It conveys that their product is effortless to use, just like grammar and orthography. They have invented brand names like Clairol Nice 'n Easy® haircolor (spelling haircolor as one word) or SPRAY 'n WASH® laundry stain remover. Once you start noticing 'n', you see it everywhere. The consensus among advertisers is that one apostrophe is sufficient; two is too much effort. Trouble is, they can't agree on whether the apostrophe should go before or after the n. I wish I could think of more examples. I know they're out there, but Google ignores punctuation, apparently. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Bill D Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:56 PM well, it is work to find exactly the ones you want, but Non Sequitur is on the web, and a treasure it is! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 27 Jun 03 - 07:51 PM Non Sequitur (and many others) available Daily from the Washington Post. Also a selection of the political cartoons from several papers. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: jimmyt Date: 27 Jun 03 - 10:29 PM I have a hard time with people using the word preventive pronouncing it as preventative. The extra syllable is not there. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:20 PM The OED considers preventive preferable, but preventative has been around since the 17th century. The syllable is available if you prefer to stretch the word out. Merriam Webster's lists it without comment. Since both are 17th century in print, neither is prevenient. The OED did not admit omelet (omelette) to their Dictionary until 1987. The word first appeared in English in 1846 in the "Jewish Manual, or Practical Information on Jewish and Modern Cooking." Acton, in 1846, in his "Modern Cookery," introduced the "omlette(sic) aux fines herbes" to English cooks. All examples from the OED. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Jim Dixon Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:32 PM Jimmyt: The Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine thinks preventative is a good word, and so does the Center for Preventative Health. The Guardian used preventative in a headline, and BBC News says, "Paddy Ashdown called for strong preventative action." If you want to argue with those guys, go ahead. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:44 PM I goofed on omelet- Skipped over the entry; it was in earlier editions of the OED. 1611- defined as a pancake of eggs. Spelling varied, everything from amulet to omlet. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: catspaw49 Date: 28 Jun 03 - 12:05 AM I think that spelling fart with a ph (phart) makes it less offensive. Spaw |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST Date: 28 Jun 03 - 03:17 AM as a linguist and someone who cant speeell this thred haz faseneated mee. Just showz u how langwidge continyooz ta chaynj it iz ownli bekoz we rite thet we av theez problems - are mispronunciations not just colloquial (or is it coloquial or kollokwial?) dialect? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Tattie Bogle Date: 28 Jun 03 - 08:42 PM Complimentary/complementary seem to be just about mutually interchangeable now, and nearly always wrong! As is seperate, acomodate, comunicate, etc. As for pronunciation, nearly everyone who is not French says Deja vous (pron.voo) meaning already you, instead of Deja vu (pron. more like view)meaning already seen, which is what it really means. I like the medical ones, e.g. prostrate intead of prostate, or the lady who told us she had "ballistic kidneys" when she had the polycystic variety! But nearly every newscaster talks about cervical with emphasis on the first syllable, whereas most medics say cerveyecal, with emphasis on the second. As for the apostrophe's everywhere these day's! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Tattie Bogle Date: 28 Jun 03 - 08:47 PM Oh and I forgot the Scottish ones, e.g. definaytely (long A!) and sangwich, badmington (never had a g in them when I went to school!) And in some areas they say "went" where the usual would be "gone", e.g. "he's went to Aberdeen" |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Webster Date: 28 Jun 03 - 09:23 PM A "catalytic converter" is not a "cadillac Converter" In the Southern USA, people "warsh" their clothes, "rinch" and "bresh" their hair. They drink "alkyhol",which they buy when they have some "extree" money. "Weird" is my failing...mostly, I spell it "wierd", if I do not pay attention. Webster |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 28 Jun 03 - 10:20 PM Warsh is widespread in the western US. I have heard it in the UK- perhaps it came from there originally. Anyone in the UK know if it comes from one region or another? I have been told it is Irish. Asphalt- What is the source of ash-felt? I think this was asked before, but I can't remember if an answer was found. In Canada, very few people correctly pronounce it as-falt. Just remember the ie rule- i before e except after c and in certain weird words. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,pdc Date: 29 Jun 03 - 02:14 AM My two cents' worth: the one I cannot abide, and unfortunately it is becoming ubiquitous is "There is, or there's" for "There are." It's in newspapers, magazines, on news broadcasts -- all the places one would expect or hope to find correct language. "There's lots more where this came from, hon!" "There is no excuses for this kind of behaviour." |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Nigel Parsons Date: 29 Jun 03 - 02:44 PM Of course, there is always Polari which could be described as "the queens' English" Nigel |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: dick greenhaus Date: 29 Jun 03 - 10:59 PM Well, I'm not going to get into regional pronunciations--I think they add color to conversation. As in Brooklyn, where departing travelers (travellers to the UK educated) are wished "Bon Verge!", or folks in Kentucky that comb their har and put on their paints. What I hate is "Normalcy"--a gaffe from a previous illiterate President that has come to be cast in stone (whatever that means.) |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Jun 03 - 11:41 PM Normality is accepted in Merriam Webster's but No normalcy. Surprisingly, the OED has it. "Now frequent (esp. in U.S.), used in the sense of normality." 1920, W. G. Harding in F. L. Allen, "Only Yesterday," (1931), "America's present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration." The British author G. K. Chesterton took it up in 1932- "Life in a modern town, whatever else it is, is not Normalcy." John o' London's (1939) "That insistent normalcy of men who cannot permit themselves to be thrown off balance." Even the New Statesman has used it. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Crazy Eddie Date: 30 Jun 03 - 07:20 AM 'Spaw, You say the "I think that spelling fart with a ph (phart) makes it less offensive" Now I hate to contradict a Mudcat Icon, but after all "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So I don't think spelling your farts with a ph will make them less offensive! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: dick greenhaus Date: 30 Jun 03 - 06:33 PM Old Warren Gamaliel Harding (who also was involved in his share of financial scandals) also coined "generalcy". But at least he wasn't misunderestimated. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Amos Date: 30 Jun 03 - 06:37 PM Jim Dixon: A generation before Johnson made that retort the word "stink" meant much what "smell" in the sense of producing an odor does today, and smell meant primarily to perceive that odor. But since Shakespeare was writing at the same time, roughly, it was already a losing battle, IIRC. A |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Mr Happy Date: 30 Jun 03 - 06:42 PM re: lying in adverts- what does it mean? Razor blades being 'twice as thin'? do they mean half as thick as ......? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: jimmyt Date: 30 Jun 03 - 09:13 PM to Jim Dixon regarding Preventative/preventative So I see when I do a search on google, but it also asks "did you mean PREVENTIVE?" COuld it be a usage that is predominately English/preventative, American /preventive? If you do a search for Preventive, you will also find lots od organizations calling themselves Preventive etc. I was taught this was incorect or colloquial, and I just guess I accepted the information as fact and should have been more questioning, but at least in America, it seems to be the more accepted usage. will do more digging on it |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 30 Jun 03 - 10:48 PM The American (Merriam Webster) and Oxford English Dictionary entries for preventive and preventative were mentioned in my post of 27 Jun 03, indicating both have been in use since at least the 17th century. Since these are the two major dictionaries for their respective countries, their acceptance of both makes the question a matter of preference. The OED says preventive is "preferable," but Webster's Collegiate makes no comment. Certainly "preventive" is more common at this time. Preventative is often used by medical men with reference to a preventative drug or preventative treatment, but others will leave out the extra syllable. I doubt that there is a clear preference among medical practitioners at this time. Examples, preventative: Earl Orrery, 1676- "All preventative thoughts of hostility were silenced." De Foe (on the Plague), 1722- "To send a Preventative Medicine to the Father of the child." J. Pratt, 1775- "Without meeting any new preventative in my way..." Pennant (medical), 1774- "The practice of Bleeding- as a preventative against the pleurisy." Dylan Thomas, 1934- "Do you believe in preventatives (referring to contraception). Examples, preventive: Milton (Church directives), 1641- "A preventive fear in case the omitting of this duty..." Fuller, 1639- "A preventive war..." Sir T. Browne (medical ref.), 1646- "Physicke is either curative or preventive." Godfrey (medical ref.), 1676- " Yet would I not have you think there are no Preventives, or means to preserve Health for the future." New Statesman, 1963- "Released from preventive detention..." And many more examples of each, with many nuances of meaning. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: JennieG Date: 01 Jul 03 - 08:15 PM A favourite here from people who should know better is Austrayia instead of Australia...even politicians have been guilty of this one. Why should they represent a country they can't even pronounce? And Spaw - if we spell phart to make the action less offensive (notice I didn't mention the smell) does this mean we can now spell the 'f' word 'phuque'? As in 'phuque housework'? Cheers JennieG off to phuque some housework...I am on holidays and I am not sweeping the floor! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Jul 03 - 09:26 PM Everyone knows it is Os-tryl-yah. Sorry, but I listened to an old LP by Bob Sharp today. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Denise:^), house-sitting Date: 02 Jul 03 - 03:38 AM Wow--a *major* pet peeve of mine! Some of these have been mentioned, but here goes: Jag-wire (Jaguar) nuc-you-ler (nuclear) reg-ill-er (regular) "Five cent your change." (Instead of 'cents.') Sure-bert (sherbet--"Sure, Bert!" is what Ernie says on Sesame Street--NOT a frozen dessert!) I was just at a concert where the performer announced, at least three times, that he was still "calm and COLLECTIVE..." Ah-capello (a capella) There's a shoe store 'round here that they call "DSW Shoe Warehouse." Aaaargghhhh! The 'SW' part *stands for* shoe warehouse--so, they're now calling it "Desgner Shoe Warehouse Shoe Warehouse..." In writing: "Please pay Frist" (first) "Quite, please." (quiet) "Tomato's for sale" (or anything else that doesn't own something using the posessive 's...as in, a mailbox that announces, "The Quimby's...") I'm sure more will jump out to torment me, but that's enough for now... |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar Date: 02 Jul 03 - 07:12 AM The officially correct spelling "[un]paralleled". According to the normal patterns of [British and Irish] English this should be "[un]parallelled". My guess is that people who can spell are so proud to show that they know that there is a single "l" at the end of the adjective "parallel" that they overcompensate and fail to double it where they should do so. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Lidy Date: 02 Jul 03 - 08:32 AM I'm a linguist, I spend ages analysing and writing essays on this stuff, and what's really weird is that in academic circles in this subject, nothing is considered "right" or "wrong". The whole point is not to prescribe but to describe...obviously we're a bit more fussy about spelling because that doesn't vary as much regionally, but mispronunciation is just something we note down! Example; have you noticed how NOBODY in the UK under the age of around 40 speaks "RP" (Queen's English) anymore? The accent will totally disappear as the generation does... Fascinating stuff! |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Snuffy Date: 02 Jul 03 - 08:42 AM "Five cent your change."? In many parts of Britain the local dialect regularly uses the single form after a number (or other word denoting plurality) - "forty mile", "ten pound", "a dozen head", etc. Why add an "s" when the number already tells you it's plural? |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: dick greenhaus Date: 02 Jul 03 - 10:59 AM I've been told that the three most commonly misspelled words in English are: vermilion, inocculate and ukulele For what its worth. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 Jul 03 - 11:45 AM The correct spelling is 'ukulele. Only in Hawai'i is the correct spelling taught. Department of Useless Information- Vermillion is commonly found here in Canada (French also an official language). In 1296, first appearance in print in English, it was spelled vermelyon. |
Subject: RE: BS: Commonly misspelled/mispronounced words From: Noreen Date: 02 Jul 03 - 11:50 AM A wonderful site to peruse is Ask Oxford.com from the Oxford University Press, whose authority cannot be questioned... I've certainly learnt a lot from it! :0) Are spellings like `privatize' and `organize' Americanisms? Learned and learnt Is there an apostrophe in the plural of pizza? |