When people use words that aren't even words...

[maslex]

My husband will say ONtil instead of UNtil. DRIVES ME NUTS!!!

His mom says Walmarts too. ARRGGHHH!!!!

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Many of the "non-words" mentioned here are words, fixin' to, reckon, etc. They are mainly used by Southern Appalachian dialect speakers. Differences in dialects are not incorrect just different.

BTW, just because someone may use certain phrases or words doesn't mean they are not educated. Many people will revert to the speech they were raised with when they are 'comfortable'. I know I do

reckon is a word, fixin' isn't. now, it doesn't bother me when people say "fixin" but i'm just saying there's a difference.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

reckon is a word, fixin' isn't. now, it doesn't bother me when people say "fixin" but i'm just saying there's a difference.

Fixin' is a word. It was written as Southern mountain dialect speakers pronounce it. The word is fixing. I am sure that there are words that folks from NY say and we could write their pronunciation differently than the actual spelling.

The fact is everyone has a dialect. Some are more accepted. Some people consider those who use some dialects as less intelligent or educated, when that is not the case.

 

[ducklite]

Fixin' is a word. It was written as Southern mountain dialect speakers pronounce it. The word is fixing. I am sure that there are words that folks from NY say and we could write their pronunciation differently than the actual spelling.

The fact is everyone has a dialect. Some are more accepted. Some people consider those who use some dialects as less intelligent or educated, when that is not the case.

Regardless of intelligence and education, as an employer I'd hire the person capable of speaking "book English" with a high school diploma over the person with a college education who speaks a "dialect" which consistantly uses poor grammar and slang words if both were equally qualified otherwise.

Frankly for other than jobs which were basically "labor," I'd keep looking for a qualified applicant if all I got were resumes from people who couldn't form a sentence using "book English." I'm not refering to accents. Accents and dialects are two very different things.

Anne

 

[Pin Wizard]

Two on the top of my irritation list...

kindergarden

aks (Ever pick that one up in one of Billy Joel's songs? "Don't aks me why." Must be tough to spit out. LOL! Once you hear it, you will always hear it! But I've heard several people speak that way.

I used to tell my husband that he had his own dictionary at times.

 

[Pin Wizard]

"Where you at?"



Or any form of it! "Where are you at?" Didn't anyone teach you that you never end a sentence or question with the word at? (Or any preposition.) "Where are you?" works best! Every time I hear this one I cringe and wonder where they're from.

P.S. I also remember being told in college that just because a word is in the dictionary does not make it a "word." When one is misused over and over again, it's eventually added and accepted as the norm. Prime example...ain't.

 

[MariettaC]

How about "She went acrossed the street." I had heard this so many times that I began to doubt myself so I checked with Webster and ACROSSED IS NOT A WORD!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Regardless of intelligence and education, as an employer I'd hire the person capable of speaking "book English" with a high school diploma over the person with a college education who speaks a "dialect" which consistantly uses poor grammar and slang words if both were equally qualified otherwise.

Frankly for other than jobs which were basically "labor," I'd keep looking for a qualified applicant if all I got were resumes from people who couldn't form a sentence using "book English." I'm not refering to accents. Accents and dialects are two very different things.

Anne

In my post you quoted, there was no mention of jobs or hiring anyone. I was just making the point that some automatically assume that a person who speaks a certain way is ignorant when that is not the case. Just as some may assume that a person who has a NY/NJ accent or dialect is brusque and not friendly.

 

[ducklite]

In my post you quoted, there was no mention of jobs or hiring anyone. I was just making the point that some automatically assume that a person who speaks a certain way is ignorant when that is not the case. Just as some may assume that a person who has a NY/NJ accent or dialect is brusque and not friendly.

There are people with a NYC metro dialect that I also wouldn't hire for anything other than a labor typr of job. Anyone who was born in this country and can't speak "book English" sounds ignorant to me, regardless of their "dialect." And as I stated before, accent is a different situation. The CFO of the company I work for has a very strong accent that's a cross between TN and AL, but he uses proper grammar and "book English" and I would never think of him (or anyone else) as ignorant because of an accent.

Anne

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I think you might have missed this post of mine from earlier in the thread:

Many of the "non-words" mentioned here are words, fixin' to, reckon, etc. They are mainly used by Southern Appalachian dialect speakers. Differences in dialects are not incorrect just different.

BTW, just because someone may use certain phrases or words doesn't mean they are not educated. Many people will revert to the speech they were raised with when they are 'comfortable'. I know I do

Notice that I mentioned when they are comfortable in a situation as with family or friends. Not at a job interview. I don't know if you are familiar with code switching but many people are able to use "book English" with their own regional accent at the appropriate time. They are also still able to use words and phrases that some would not feel are correct in more comfortable situations.

Personally, I would hate to lose all the wonderful variations of American English that you can find all over the country and end up with a homogenized form of English in which we all sound the same. It would be a shame for all those dialects to be lost. It is a part of each regional culture. There was a PBS documentary several months ago that discussed the loss of different dialects and the differences in American English across regions. It was really interesting.

 

[ducklite]

I think you might have missed this post of mine from earlier in the thread:



Notice that I mentioned when they are comfortable in a situation as with family or friends. Not at a job interview. I don't know if you are familiar with code switching but many people are able to use "book English" with their own regional accent at the appropriate time. They are also still able to use words and phrases that some would not feel are correct in more comfortable situations.

Personally, I would hate to lose all the wonderful variations of American English that you can find all over the country and end up with a homogenized form of English in which we all sound the same. It would be a shame for all those dialects to be lost. It is a part of each regional culture. There was a PBS documentary several months ago that discussed the loss of different dialects and the differences in American English across regions. It was really interesting.

I don't have a problem with someone speaking anyway they want with family and/or friends. I strongly believe that in business and when speaking to strangers, "book English" should be used. I think we will probably both agree on that. My problem is that all too many people who speak dialects are unable to speak "book English" or are unable to distinguish when it would be appropriate to use it.

The one woman I work with will never have an opportunity for promotion due to sounding ignorant in her dealings with co-workers and vendors. In all honesty, I know a couple of people in management would be very happy to be rid of her entirely. And yes, she has been spoken to about her use of the English language, and she "reckons it's jus' all those northerners complainin' 'bout her 'gain, 'cus she talk [sic] jus' fine." Unfortunately for her, it's the SOUTHERN management that have the biggest problem with her.

Anne

 

[cybrkitn]

DH and I were talking yesterday about this thread and came up with another good one from my mom. She was pointed to her cats on the fence. But instead of saying fence, she said, "Look at the cats on the schmeltz." I don't even know if schmeltz is a word or not, but it had us laughing so hard!

 

[Sinderelli]

I haven't read the whole thread, so please forgive me if i repeat something. New Orleanians sometimes have a language all their own:

Makin' groceries means going grocery shopping.
Axe means ask
Zink for sink (my grandfather used to say this!)
MYOnase for mayonaise

The one that bothers me the most is mischievous- the correct pronunciation is MIS-che-vous. Almost everyone I know says mis-CHIEVE-ee-ous.

 

[Kycha]

"Where you at?"



Or any form of it! "Where are you at?" Didn't anyone teach you that you never end a sentence or question with the word at? (Or any preposition.) "Where are you?" works best! Every time I hear this one I cringe and wonder where they're from.

Sorry Pin Wizard, but this made me laugh. "From" is a preposition. So, you are breaking the preposition rule yourself.

 

[SweetSpellsSweetie]

When I answer the phone at the hopsital and I have someone ask to schedule a mammeogram, it takes everything in me not to hang up on them. I politely say " Oh, you mean a mammogram". You get one every year ladies- learn how to pronounce it.

 

[ducklite]

How about getting a "distemperment" shot for your pet. The correct word is distemper. It has nothing to do with the animals temperment, rather a disease called "distemper."

Anne

 

[#1MMFan]

Jewlery instead of jewelry and wonder instead of wander drive me insane!!!

Depends where you live on this, because we spell it "jewellery" so for us it can be pronounced as you hate!!!!

 

[goofygirl]

What do you all think of "truthiness" becoming a word?

(courtesy of the Colbert Report)

 

[LindsayDunn228]

When I answer the phone at the hopsital and I have someone ask to schedule a mammeogram, it takes everything in me not to hang up on them. I politely say " Oh, you mean a mammogram". You get one every year ladies- learn how to pronounce it.

THANK YOU for correcting them! As I already stated in this thread, my MIL, who has had a DOUBLE mastectomy, says mammEOgram. ARG!

 

[letterdavidman]

What do you all think of "truthiness" becoming a word?

(courtesy of the Colbert Report)

I would think it was funny. In a good way. Stephen Colbert ROCKS!