In the course of my life, a lot of money has been spent on my education. My parents sent me to private Catholic schools from K-12, and I went to a private Catholic college for four years. That's a whole lotta money! Why do I bring this up? Because as a person who has been well-educated in great places of learning, I should speak as such. To not do so would be a complete waste of those education dollars.
I live in the South, and just like in any region, people speak in a specific manner. Accents are one thing, and colloquialisms are funny and sometimes endearing. I have no problem with these things. What I don't like is when the phrases or ways of speaking go against the normal rules of the English language. One of my favorite words to use is "y'all," which is a contraction of "you all," and therefore follows the rules of English. Most phrases and sayings are the same way.
Let me give you a specific example of something that drives me insane. One person I talked to on the phone recently said something that sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. When referring to her husband's medication, she said "his'n." AHHHH! The last time I checked, his'n isn't a word; it makes no sense! I also believe I have heard the same woman use the word "ain't," which is a pretty common occurrence around here. It drives me mad when people say it! She could just as easily have said "his" instead of "his'n," and could have said "isn't" instead of "ain't." I honestly believe that some people don't think before they open their mouths.
In my opinion, you don't have to be well-educated to speak the English language correctly. You just have to surround yourself with people who do, and you will, too. Obviously I am not perfect, and I'm sure there are things that I say that are not grammatically correct. The point is that I always try to speak (and write) in a way that reflects the quality education I have received. I do hope that my blog posts reflect that also!
Are there any specific phrases that drive you mad? Are there any specific people you want to rat out that say things you can't stand? Or are you guilty of saying certain phrases you aren't proud of?
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9 comments:
My biggest pet peeve with language is "you know". No, I don't know or I would be asking you! This seriously drives me crazy. It's one thing if it is filler, then it's just poor speaking, but when it is the end of their sentance the end result is they didn't tell you anything.
It is not uncommon for someone at work to say to me, "I have a problem with that you know." To which I reply "no I don't know so I can't help you." I am quite often heard to say, "I have no idea what that means", "use your words", or "adjectives are free use a couple". Along with you know are the words thing and that, words that don't tell me anything. If I have to think too hard to figure out what you mean when you are talking to me I get bored and stop listening.
Thank you for meeting your challenge, you are half way through the month and have given us very entertaining blogs.
One of my biggest pet peeves with language is mispronunciation of the letter I.
It is famIly not famAHly
It is Immunity not AHmmunity
It is Immediately not AHmmediately
Grates on my nerves.
It seems to me that the younger generation relies heavily on the word "like". It is like too much.
The accepting of manner of speech is so a manner of custom. When one of the Hatfields or McCoys says ‘ider’ my blood curdles. However if a Cabot or a Lodge (or Kennedy for that matter) sais ‘Cuber’ it is strange but somehow acceptable. They have to do something with the ‘Rs’ they leave out of Havad.
I do not accept that Y’all is proper use of English, I think it started with ignorance of the plurality of you. Can you explain its use in the singular…..Taking to one person, “y’all coming.” This is the same ignorance that spurs incorrect use of possessive plurals. ( You know who you are)
Your right, there is nothing that can replace being raised in a home where correct English is spoken. Don’t ever forget the advantage that gives you and that many have to work hard to overcome the disadvange of having chosen the wrong parents.
Spck had a ball with this.
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Y'all are doing a good job with the blogs, Sean! :-) (Tongue in cheek)
Tying together with your previous post: "That weiner was his'n."
Some of my peeves:
1. Like Uncle John indicated, "like" is used like, too much.
2. Similar to what Gretchen said, I have noticed that many African Americans who speak very quickly pepper their fast talking with "You know what I'm saying?"
3. Phrases that make absolutely no sense such as "Keep it real!" Keep WHAT real? Why would it NOT be real?
4. "Mashing" the button on an elevator, rather than pressing the button.
5. Presidents (both R and D type) that say "NOO-cu-lar" instead of "Noo-clee-ar". Speak cularly!?
I had 2 or 3 others in mind but did not jot them down before I started typing, and now I have CRS. If and when they come back, I'll add another comment.
Q: What is the plural of "y'all?"
A: "All y'all."
Q: What is the possessive of "y'all?"
A: "Y'allses."
I am NOT kidding. Someone once asked me something and used "y'allses."
Oh yes..."CUT" off (or on) the lights or electricity. That's one of my chalkboard nails. I think of cutting like using a sharp tool, such as knife or scissors. "Switch" off seems more correct. Turn off is agreeable to me, too, but there is no turning going on.
At work, I felt that people used the word "pull" too much, meaning to populate a report with certain pieces of data. "The SSN doesn't PULL to the report." "We need to have it PULL the dependent DOB." It got to the point where it was used so much that I wanted to PULL my hair out!
Liberry. My MIL says this instead of library and I cringe every time.
The other day she also told me that Jackson did not have any shorts in his drawer. I was astonished since I had just put out his summer clothes and had put ten pairs of short in his drawer. After many confusing minutes we figured out she meant underwear. I know this is just an age thing though, like my grandmother having a davenport instead of a couch like the rest of the world.
Having worked most of my life with factory workers I find that there are no big or small errors that bother me. I have become used to the South's localisms having worked there many years. The Mississippi blacks made many errors but not as many as the Georgia blacks who said testes in place of tests. (I have a doctor's appointment for some testes.)
The most difficult time was understanding the Cubans who made little effort to use proper English and the Bosnians who had no idea what was being said. The Bosnian counsulate even supplied an interpreter for our factory. They also rewrote our manuals in the Bosnian language.
I count myself lucky that I was never requested to give a lecture in French aa John was. Now there would have been a fracturing of the language. (John said the engineers he lectured to were histerical with laughter.)
Marcel has a good memory.
What he is referring to is a briefing I was asked to give to a group of French Air Force officers about 20 years ago. Most of them had been working with me so they knew me well. But my boss told me to give my presentation in French because it would demonstrate that we are sensitive to their needs. In less than 5 minutes into my presentation my audience (being polite) was trying not to laugh out loud. Mercifully their Air Force General stopped me saying "John, please speak English. We understand your English more than your French." Then the house erupted in laughter. This is one of the many moments in my career that I think back on fondly.
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