"Whenever" and "Seen"

[Catty1]

"wierd" is wrong; it's "weird". I know it sounds like the EE sound that the i makes should come first...but English is a crazy language with many parents. One can't assume anything about it!

My mom and sister, who were very intelligent - Darcia skipped grades in school, my mom had two undergraduate degrees and a Master's...spelled it "wierd" for years. It was quite a good feeling to point this anomaly out to them...

[phesina]

One good way I learned to remember the proper order of the i and the e in "weird":

Think of the words "weirdo" and "hairdo." Both of them contain these four letters in sequence: i-r-d-o.

[Moesha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lobodeb
Affect and effect. What is the proper way to use this? "How will this affect me?"

That's one I can't get right. My husband has tried to help me with it many times, but I just can't get it right. I really try to avoid using those words.

Grammar Girl Tip

There is an explanation there with a good visual way to remember the difference. She also has a good explanation of when to use "lay" and "lie".

[pomtzu]

I learned the "old school" way - i before e, except after c. However, English being what it is, "weird" happens to be one of the exceptions.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

What a funny thread!
Gee now that I think about it.... the english language is pretty darn complicated!

[kokopup]

What a funny thread!
Gee now that I think about it.... the english language is pretty darn complicated!

English has a lot of nuances not found in a many other languages.

[luckies4me]

"wierd" is wrong; it's "weird". I know it sounds like the EE sound that the i makes should come first...but English is a crazy language with many parents. One can't assume anything about it!

My mom and sister, who were very intelligent - Darcia skipped grades in school, my mom had two undergraduate degrees and a Master's...spelled it "wierd" for years. It was quite a good feeling to point this anomaly out to them...

Yes! Finally someone who spells it correctly! "I before E except after C" isn't always correct.

[luckies4me]

Also, what about " and '...did I use those correctly? Gosh, this thread really makes you think!

[kokopup]

luckies4me
So what is correct? Through or thru? I thought thru was only used for "drive thru"? And what about tho, and though? Is tho just the shortcut for though?

I think that "Through" and "Though" are correct and Thru and Tho are informal shortened versions that have come into exceptance.

Originally Posted by kokopup
Being a card carrying southerner I am guilty of using fixin and Y'all in my everyday speech. I have traveled all over the world and have found that there are MINOR differences all over the US. One that bugs me used by my daughter-in-law, a New Yorker, is "these ones". I don't think this is unique to her since I have heard this used in other parts of the US. For those critical of us southerner using y'all how about the use of "youse" or "youse Guys". I'll take y'all any day. Although there are some regional differences here in the US the use of slang is minimal here compared to the British Isles. You have to go to mainland Europe to hear proper English spoken y'all.

Instead of saying "these ones" you just say "these". I think saying "these", which is plural with "ones" which is really confusing because "one" is singular but you are making it plural by adding an "s". I think "ones" would qualify as an oxymoron.

In my quote from above in addition to "Youse" and "youse guys", "you guys"
is one I hear a lot especially out west.

[mruffruff]

Locals like to say they are 'fixin' to' do something. I always want to ask what they're 'fixin'.

[kokopup]

Originally Posted by kokopup
Being a card carrying southerner I am guilty of using fixin and Y'all in my everyday speech. I have traveled all over the world and have found that there are MINOR differences all over the US. One that bugs me used by my daughter-in-law, a New Yorker, is "these ones". I don't think this is unique to her since I have heard this used in other parts of the US. For those critical of us southerner using y'all how about the use of "youse" or "youse Guys". I'll take y'all any day. Although there are some regional differences here in the US the use of slang is minimal here compared to the British Isles. You have to go to mainland Europe to hear proper English spoken y'all.

mruffruff Locals like to say they are 'fixin' to' do something. I always want to ask what they're 'fixin'.

"Fixin is southern for About so I guess we are fixin "TO"

I take it since you refer to the locals as THEY that you are what "they" refer to as a damn Yankee

[mruffruff]

Definitely! I've only been here 22 years

[kokopup]

I had a first hand demonstration of how regional differences occur. I am from Birmingham, Alabama and in that area we refer to the green thing you use to water you lawn as a "hose pipe". I used this term once while in another area or the US and was laughed at because they quickly informed me that it was just a "hose".

Years later I was renting a house in The Netherlands from a couple that originally came from Birmingham, England. We were reviewing an inventory of items to be left with the house. While reviewing the list all of a sudden I came across "hose Pipe" in the inventory. I chucked to my self and ask about the entry. It seems that's the way they say it there. Birmingham Alabama was settled by a lot of iron and steel people from Birmingham England.

[mrspunkysmom]

"Fixin is southern for About so I guess we are fixin "TO"

I take it since you refer to the locals as THEY that you are what "they" refer to as a damn Yankee

How about "fittin' to"? I've heard that a lot in my classroom. That phrase earns the students two responses: 1) it's "fixin' to", and 2) fixin' doesn't cut it; your response should be "done started, ma'am".

I do live in the South, and I and a good portion of my students do know proper English. Some just choose not to employ their skills.

I also figure if you are going to butcher the language, the least you could do would be to use recognizable colloquialisms.