Words in the wrong context - Page 7

lookout123 · 08-13-2008, 12:03 PM

i can see a team of archaeologists giving eachother high-five's in the year 3126 when this thread is found. "I told you Nigel, they DID use a silent L sound in caulk back when they spoke English! You owe me 500 pesos!"

FStop · 08-13-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lookout123

i can see a team of archaeologists giving eachother high-five's in the year 3126 when this thread is found. "I told you Nigel, they DID use a silent L sound in caulk back when they spoke English! You owe me 500 pesos!"

Nice foresight, blending British names with Mexican currency. lol

lookout123 · 08-13-2008, 12:07 PM

yes, but the name will be pronounced nee he. they've combined spanish pronunciation with our affinity for silent L's, of course.

Urbane Guerrilla · 08-14-2008, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I sometimes listen to Dennis Miller's radio show and he's from Pittsburgh. The other day they had a halting discussion of caulk, halting because Miller doesn't pronounce the "l" in the word. It was comedy gold.

Sucking caulk....

*

*

Now that's an esoteric vice.

Kingswood · 08-15-2008, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I sometimes listen to Dennis Miller's radio show and he's from Pittsburgh. The other day they had a halting discussion of caulk, halting because Miller doesn't pronounce the "l" in the word. It was comedy gold.

It took me a while to work out why this was funny. Some Americans pronounce caulk the same as another word that shouldn't be said on air in the USA. I pronounce these words differently (even though I do not pronounce the "l" in "caulk" either), so the significance wasn't immediately apparent.

Americans with the cot-caught vowel merger do sound pretty funny sometimes to those of us who distinguish these vowels.

Walk, wok.

* When you walk a dog, you put it on a lead and walk around with it for a while.
* When you wok a dog, you cut it into small strips and fry it in hot oil with vegetables.

Stir-fried Fido, anyone?

Urbane Guerrilla · 09-02-2008, 01:33 AM

And then there are those half-brights who pronounce the T in often.

classicman · 09-02-2008, 07:49 AM

Guess I'm only a half-bright then, I certainly pronounce it.

DanaC · 09-02-2008, 07:54 AM

Me too. Sometimes. Mostly in fact. Indeed, most people I know do. Must be a dialect thing.

I wish I was like UG. It must be great to be able to so accurately judge people's intelligence levels and educational achievements based purely on their dialect/pronunciation, or grammatical errors.

HungLikeJesus · 09-02-2008, 08:19 AM

Yes, why wouldn't you pronounce the t in often? Do you not pronounce the first r in February, and the h in what, where and when?

Cicero · 09-02-2008, 07:58 PM

I uh- pronounce the t in often.

Well better half-bright than not bright at all!

Sundae · 09-03-2008, 04:57 AM

England is a country of half-brights.
Near everyone I know pronounces the t in often, albeit in a swallowed kind of way.

DanaC · 09-03-2008, 05:50 AM

I think you only pronounce it offen if you are really posh :P

dar512 · 09-05-2008, 10:29 AM

The use of 'anxious' when the word should be 'eager' bugs the snot out of me. Yes, I know that some dictionaries now have that as one possible meaning. Writing guides still strongly recommend using them as originally defined.

I understand about the whole 'living language' argument. But it seems to me that, in cases like these, the language is the worse for it. Words that once had a precise and useful meaning are now more bland and less useful.

Flint · 09-05-2008, 10:35 AM

Hey, the living language embiggens us all.

Shawnee123 · 09-05-2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dar512

The use of 'anxious' when the word should be 'eager' bugs the snot out of me. Yes, I know that some dictionaries now have that as one possible meaning. Writing guides still strongly recommend using them as originally defined.

I understand about the whole 'living language' argument. But it seems to me that, in cases like these, the language is the worse for it. Words that once had a precise and useful meaning are now more bland and less useful.

Oh oh oh...I hate it when someone uses "yet" when they mean "still" as in "Do you have that recipe yet?" What they mean to ask you is if you kept the recipe because they had given it to you last month, and wondered if you still had it in your possession.

Drives me batty.

08-13-2008, 12:03 PM	#91
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	i can see a team of archaeologists giving eachother high-five's in the year 3126 when this thread is found. "I told you Nigel, they DID use a silent L sound in caulk back when they spoke English! You owe me 500 pesos!" __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

08-13-2008, 12:07 PM	#93
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	yes, but the name will be pronounced nee he. they've combined spanish pronunciation with our affinity for silent L's, of course. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

09-02-2008, 01:33 AM	#96
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	And then there are those half-brights who pronounce the T in often. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

09-02-2008, 07:49 AM	#97
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Guess I'm only a half-bright then, I certainly pronounce it. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

09-02-2008, 08:19 AM	#99
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	Yes, why wouldn't you pronounce the t in often? Do you not pronounce the first r in February, and the h in what, where and when? __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

09-02-2008, 07:54 AM	#98
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Me too. Sometimes. Mostly in fact. Indeed, most people I know do. Must be a dialect thing. I wish I was like UG. It must be great to be able to so accurately judge people's intelligence levels and educational achievements based purely on their dialect/pronunciation, or grammatical errors.

09-02-2008, 07:58 PM	#100
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	I uh- pronounce the t in often. Well better half-bright than not bright at all! __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

09-03-2008, 04:57 AM	#101
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	England is a country of half-brights. Near everyone I know pronounces the t in often, albeit in a swallowed kind of way.

09-03-2008, 05:50 AM	#102
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	I think you only pronounce it offen if you are really posh :P

09-05-2008, 10:29 AM	#103
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	The use of 'anxious' when the word should be 'eager' bugs the snot out of me. Yes, I know that some dictionaries now have that as one possible meaning. Writing guides still strongly recommend using them as originally defined. I understand about the whole 'living language' argument. But it seems to me that, in cases like these, the language is the worse for it. Words that once had a precise and useful meaning are now more bland and less useful. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

09-05-2008, 10:35 AM	#104
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Hey, the living language embiggens us all. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

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