The Briefing Room
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: flowers on August 09, 2013, 06:28:12 pm
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Words that are used these days that are a pet peeve of mine.
Homeland Security. I hate that word "homeland" for me it sounds so Hiltler like.
Democracy. They always say we are a democracy when we are not.
Level the playing field.
Social Justice.
What are some of yours you don't care for or are a pet peeve of yours?
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'begs the question' for 'raises the question'.
Begging the question is a logical fallacy that has nothing to do with prompting a question.
'anxious' for 'eager'.
Anxious means 'filled with anxiety', not eagerly anticipating something.
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"irregardless"..........UGH!
"should have WENT with us".......you'd be surprised how many people use it there.
and incorrect usage of "to...and too"
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Fair
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Let me be clear....
:banging:
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Hopefully, as in, "Hopefully, the rain will hold off," when one means, "I hope the rain holds off."
Using "alumni" when only one person is referenced, e.g., "He's an alumni of our high school."
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Mixing singular and plural. For example: "The consumer wants good value for their money." I encounter it all the time in my students' writing and it drives me nuts. I can't get them to stop it. Another one is the overuse of the word "you" instead of maintaining a first or third person narrative. They just love to slip into the comfortable, non-threatening second person.
It's like when you go to a discussion forum, you know, and you post a reply... (instead of just saying I went to a discussion forum and posted a reply).
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Hopefully, as in, "Hopefully, the rain will hold off," when one means, "I hope the rain holds off."
Using "alumni" when only one person is referenced, e.g., "He's an alumni of our high school."
I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural.
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I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural.
I quite agree. Too bad so many "media types," including conservative talk radio hosts, don't understand the correct use of the word.
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I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural.
The Media are asses.
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My local TV newscast is a daily adventure in bad grammar. Continuing on ...
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The word "saw" is all but gone. From newscasters to reporters to editors and people everywhere, the common usage is, "I seen it!". No one says, "I saw it!" anymore.
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People who complain about the word ain't. It's a valid word.
Massadvj - you'd go nuts on my writing. I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.
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I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.
And why is that? Care to expound?
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And why is that? Care to expound?
Singular and plural is usually an accident due to not paying attention. Sometimes though it is deliberate - I use it to show the multiple facets of an individual. There are multiple you's. That sometimes needs be acknowledged to make things more real.
Tenses - well, I use a change of tense to show a flashback or flash forward, instead of making a scene break. Or sometimes I screw up. :laugh:
My poor editor goes nuts over it - she is very OCD about grammar.
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I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.
And why is that? Care to expound?
Ditto.
You'ns and youses are two of my favorites.
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People who complain about the word ain't. It's a valid word.
Massadvj - you'd go nuts on my writing. I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.
I am paid to prepare college students for professional writing. There are certain things that identify a writer as an amateur when they show up in a business report. The two I identified are big red flags that tell the reader "I am an amateur."
In script writing or fiction, it would be a far different story. Ditto in a discussion forum.
Still, it doesn't hurt to show some writing discipline in discussion fora.
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"At the end of the day" has been overused to the point of annoyance for me.
I also see a lot of "there, they're, and their" confusion that is annoyingly distracting.
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"My Bad" Where the H%## did that horrible phrase come from? Destroys the redemptive power and the meaning of the words "I'm Sorry" changing it to a say and forget now lets move on bad grammar quip.
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And call ne stupid if you want, but I just don't get "Stupid is as Stupid Does". If someone is being a dumb ass, then say so, instead of relying on a metrosexual phrase popularized by Forest Gump.
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Memo to America: one does not make a noun plural by adding an apostrophe and an "s," e.g., "I have two dog's."
Two dog's what? Two dog's leashes, collars, squeaky toys? (Or is that "toy's"?)
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Still, it doesn't hurt to show some writing discipline in discussion fora.
Totally agree. It is a good habit to get in to, to use reasonably correct English on the forums. Don't hassle me for my over use of commas though!
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I have always been highly annoyed by the sentence: Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
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I have always been highly annoyed by the sentence: Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
*girl beer*
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Memo to America: one does not make a noun plural by adding an apostrophe and an "s," e.g., "I have two dog's."
Two dog's what? Two dog's leashes, collars, squeaky toys? (Or is that "toy's"?)
My gramar is terrible. Please feel free to correct me at any time that goes for you or anyone else here.
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My gramar is terrible. Please feel free to correct me at any time that goes for you or anyone else here.
Now I have the giggles.
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Now I have the giggles.
:patriot:
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Memo to America: one does not make a noun plural by adding an apostrophe and an "s," e.g., "I have two dog's."
Two dog's what? Two dog's leashes, collars, squeaky toys? (Or is that "toy's"?)
That's also a huge pet peeve of mine. I've even erased errant apostrophes off of restaurant blackboards. ("Margarita's" "Enchilada's," etc. Sets my teeth on edge.)
I also hate the phrase "It is what it is." How profound.
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its and it's
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Ebonics and blacks who don't bother to pronounce words. For instance, wif = with, and using me instead of I. Using words, such as using her or she, him or his is common, too. I don't get bothered by the wrong usage, but do notice.
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Ah yes, the old improper pronoun.
"Me and him are going out."
"Will you join Mary and I for dinner?"
Please feel free to correct me at any time that goes for you or anyone else here.
I wouldn't think of it.
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Please feel free to correct me at any time that goes for you or anyone else here.
Ah yes, the old improper pronoun.
"Me and him are going out."
"Will you join Mary and I for dinner?"
I wouldn't think of it.
I'm with you. It is not up to me to correct the grammar or spelling of anyone, unless it's impossible to read. The mistakes on posts are mostly typos, and/or being in a hurry.
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I'm with you. It is not up to me to correct the grammar or spelling of anyone, unless it's impossible to read. The mistakes on posts are mostly typos, and/or being in a hurry.
Most of the errors I make are when I'm posting from my phone.
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I see this all the time. Misuse of words that sound alike, but are very different.
Their, There, They're are very different usages. While "sounding" the same, they mean very different things.
Their misuse is either from bad education, laziness, or ignorance. It is our language. Please do not abuse it. Thank you.
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One of my huge blind spots is ie/ei words. Like kryptonite to me.
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My pet peeve is when somebody pretends they are a mountain hillbilly....constructing his own language and formats....rendering his posts basically crap. :chairbang:
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Loose and lose misuse drives me bonkers.
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My pet peeve is when somebody pretends they are a mountain hillbilly....constructing his own language and formats....rendering his posts basically crap. :chairbang:
Um... yes, that would do it.
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My pet peeve is when somebody pretends they are a mountain hillbilly....constructing his own language and formats....rendering his posts basically crap. :chairbang:
Ista say not talk my daylect? No good, DC. Is earn stripe for spek liek this.
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Yall jes ignant.
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Ista say not talk my daylect? No good, DC. Is earn stripe for spek liek this.
You started this thread....not me! ....or is that "I"? :laugh:
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Tell you true, writing dialect is murder. :beer:
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You all ever read William Faulkner? or Mark Twain?
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You all ever read William Faulkner? or Mark Twain?
Read em - envy the shit out of them. Good story, effortless prose in the words of their characters.
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Read em - envy the shit out of them. Good story, effortless prose in the words of their characters.
Happy one of our posters has read them. Wolves to you EC new gadsen8888
(PS. The wolf has been banished. So here's a rattlesnake. In praise--to be clear)
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My pet peeve is when somebody pretends they are a mountain hillbilly....constructing his own language and formats....rendering his posts basically crap. :chairbang:
You mean like this?
"I tell you young'un - my Aint Essie May, you know - the one that lives up yunder on Beefhide Holler? She tole me, the uther night - that she saw a haint! She did! She said dat haint spolt her milk - turned it blinket! Aint Essie got up outta bed and shot at it with her shotgun - she said that haint just disapeered outta plain site! Said the dawg never even woke up!
'Course, Pappaw always said Aint Essie was tetched."
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You mean like this?
"I tell you young'un - my Aint Essie May, you know - the one that lives up yunder on Beefhide Holler? She tole me, the uther night - that she saw a haint! She did! She said dat haint spolt her milk - turned it blinket! Aint Essie got up outta bed and shot at it with her shotgun - she said that haint just disapeered outta plain site! Said the dawg never even woke up!
'Course, Pappaw always said Aint Essie was tetched."
Dat der deserves three wolves. But de wolf done be kilt off! Yee-haw, Alice
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You mean like this?
"I tell you young'un - my Aint Essie May, you know - the one that lives up yunder on Beefhide Holler? She tole me, the uther night - that she saw a haint! She did! She said dat haint spolt her milk - turned it blinket! Aint Essie got up outta bed and shot at it with her shotgun - she said that haint just disapeered outta plain site! Said the dawg never even woke up!
'Course, Pappaw always said Aint Essie was tetched."
LOL! I do know a couple who used to speak similar to that when they came to Ohio to work at a local plant back in the fifties. It took a long time to be able to understand them. This was back in the fifties. One family was from NC and the other from Hazard, Ky. We are still friends.
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LOL! I do know a couple who used to speak similar to that when they came to Ohio to work at a local plant back in the fifties. It took a long time to be able to understand them. This was back in the fifties. One family was from NC and the other from Hazard, Ky. We are still friends.
Grew up in SE Okla. A family from NJ moved to town and we could hardly understand each other...
(My 1,000th post and so little progress on being understood.) :silly:
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Grew up in SE Okla. A family from NJ moved to town and we could hardly understand each other...
They were very interesting back then. The girls stayed with us for a while, until the family got on their feet. One brother ended up building a house, mostly by himself. Sometimes, my dad would help him. The guy retired from his construction company, a millionaire. One of the girls and her daughters own a large cleaning service. They came here with nothing, received no government help, and the entire family is middle income to wealthy. They all still have a southern accent, and they speak very clearly. For a while back then, I started to pick up on their accent. LOL!
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I haven't read Faulkner since senior year of high school, when his three-page-long sentences wore me out. At least, they seemed that long. :laugh: As for hillbilly dialect, as one whose roots in W.Va. run hundreds of years deep, I only can say, "Don't look at us. It's those people from Tennessee (or fill in your favorite state) who talk funny."
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I haven't read Faulkner since senior year of high school, when his three-page-long sentences wore me out. At least, they seemed that long. :laugh: As for hillbilly dialect, as one whose roots in W.Va. run hundreds of years deep, I only can say, "Don't look at us. It's those people from Tennessee (or fill in your favorite state) who talk funny."
I'm from Ohio, and back in the eighties, I was in Upstate NY, getting my hair done. The girls kept talking to me, and finally when they were comfortable enough with me, said they loved my accent. I never considered Ohio to have a lingo, but compared to those beauticians, I suppose I did. I wonder what they would think of a real southerner? LOL!
While there, I was sitting at a diner, and the weather was brought up. I mentioned it smelled like rain, and looked like tornado weather. They made fun of me, and said they heard Midwesterners could "smell" the weather. The next morning, I woke up to the news that a tornado set down, uprooting trees and damaging some cars and a few buildings. When I walked into the diner, the regulars thought I was some kind of psychic. We ended up becoming friends. I spent most of my NY time in that diner, that has since been torn down. This was in Amsterdam, NY., near Albany.
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One thing that, in particular, annoys me is improper use of the "subjunctive." It's rare, but it needs to be used properly. It's "if I WERE in your position," not "if I WAS in your position." They don't even teach this little gem of grammar in grade school anymore, at least not since I went. I know people might get confused and think "were" is plural, but not in the subjunctive.
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One thing that, in particular, annoys me is improper use of the "subjunctive." It's rare, but it needs to be used properly. It's "if I WERE in your position," not "if I WAS in your position." They don't even teach this little gem of grammar in grade school anymore, at least not since I went. I know people might get confused and think "were" is plural, but not in the subjunctive.
Excellent point. Had a great English teacher--was taught with emphasis!
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I'm from Ohio, and back in the eighties, I was in Upstate NY, getting my hair done. The girls kept talking to me, and finally when they were comfortable enough with me, said they loved my accent. I never considered Ohio to have a lingo, but compared to those beauticians, I suppose I did. I wonder what they would think of a real southerner? LOL!
While there, I was sitting at a diner, and the weather was brought up. I mentioned it smelled like rain, and looked like tornado weather. They made fun of me, and said they heard Midwesterners could "smell" the weather. The next morning, I woke up to the news that a tornado set down, uprooting trees and damaging some cars and a few buildings. When I walked into the diner, the regulars thought I was some kind of psychic. We ended up becoming friends. I spent most of my NY time in that diner, that has since been torn down. This was in Amsterdam, NY., near Albany.
Ah, yes, you crossed past the Northeast-Midwest Speech Isogloss. It passes right through central New York and Amsterdam is firmly on the east side of it, where the northeastern accents predominate. Most of western New York (my neck of the woods) is in the midwestern part. The accent's most pronounced in Buffalo and Cheektowaga, where there are people you swear came from downtown Chicago because the accent is so thick. My Buffalo accent, in my natural speaking voice anyway, is pretty strong (although I'm just as adept at others, ranging from southern to the Queen's English).
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Ah, yes, you crossed past the Northeast-Midwest Speech Isogloss. It passes right through central New York and Amsterdam is firmly on the east side of it, where the northeastern accents predominate. Most of western New York (my neck of the woods) is in the midwestern part. The accent's most pronounced in Buffalo and Cheektowaga, where there are people you swear came from downtown Chicago because the accent is so thick. My Buffalo accent, in my natural speaking voice anyway, is pretty strong (although I'm just as adept at others, ranging from southern to the Queen's English).
My son's wife is from Amsterdam, but she doesn't have an accent. However, most of my son's friends do.
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Prosecution rests, your Honor! :whistle:
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:shrug:
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Grew up in SE Okla. A family from NJ moved to town and we could hardly understand each other...
(My 1,000th post and so little progress on being understood.) :silly:
Congratulations on your 1000th post Gourmet Dan! :beer:
Speaking of accents, my husband & I went to Bar Harbor, Maine once for a vacation. Every time I opened my mouth, people would say, "Say that again" - or "How do you say dog/like/night?". They were fascinated by my accent!
Thing was - I couldn't understand a word they said!
Bah Hahbah, Maine?
:silly:
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Just got back from a tour of the south, Bama, Tenn ....I now speak fluent redneck.
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Grew up in SE Okla. A family from NJ moved to town and we could hardly understand each other...
(My 1,000th post and so little progress on being understood.) :silly:
Which part of NJ? I'm from Central NJ and I can hardly understand North Jerseyans. They speak as if they were stung on the tongue.
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Just got back from a tour of the south, Bama, Tenn ....I now speak fluent redneck.
Many speak fluent redneck around here.
wash = worsh
pillow = priller
wolf = woof
nuclear = nucular (thanks Bush)
I can't think of more right now, but there's a lot of crazy pronunciations.
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Which part of NJ? I'm from Central NJ and I can hardly understand North Jerseyans. They speak as if they were stung on the tongue.
I don't remember what part of NJ. We didn't think it made any difference which part... :silly:
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I can't think of more right now, but there's a lot of crazy pronunciations.
My sister loves 'Swamp People' because they are speaking American and they still use sub-titles... :silly:
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Some of you know I am from Wisconsin originally. Recently, I was in Louisville, Kentucky on business and I was sitting in the hotel bar while waiting for a colleague. Seated at a table was a couple and their adult daughter. They were talking to the bartender and just yucking it up about the bartender's accent (a little too much, I thought). Anyway, I said, "You're from Wisconsin, aren't you?" They paused, said they were from Manitowoc, Wisconsin and they asked how I knew. And I said, "Your accent." They were completely puzzled.
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Anyway, I said, "You're from Wisconsin, aren't you?" They paused, said they were from Manitowoc, Wisconsin and they asked how I knew. And I said, "Your accent." They were completely puzzled.
I like the people who say that a lot of places in their state have names that are American-Indian in origin.
Yeah, well don't we all... :laugh:
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My sister loves 'Swamp People' because they are speaking American and they still use sub-titles... :silly:
:silly: :silly: :silly:
That always cracks me up.
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Many speak fluent redneck around here.
wash = worsh
pillow = priller
wolf = woof
nuclear = nucular (thanks Bush)
I can't think of more right now, but there's a lot of crazy pronunciations.
creek=crick
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I don't remember what part of NJ. We didn't think it made any difference which part... :silly:
Oh, there is a HUGE difference! We hide a lot of NJ from people who are just passing on through OR NY'ers looking to move here!
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Prosecution rests, your Honor! :whistle:
:silly: :beer: :silly:
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creek=crick
Yep! I forgot that one. I found the full list:
Redneck Speak English Translation Proper Redneck Usage
Afeared Afraid He’s afeared of his own shadow.
A-Fixin Getting Ready We’re a-fixin to go to town.
Aim Intend or Plan I aim to go to town soon.
Biggety Stuck up or a Show off Well ain’t she biggety lately!
Chimbley Chimney Santa Claus comes down the chimbley.
Clum Climbed I Clum that tree over yonder.
Crick Creek I’m goin to the crick to go swimmin.
Dawg Dog That shore is a dumb dawg.
Doins A function or gathering Are you goin to the doins tonight?
Dreckly Soon I’ll be there directly.
Et Eaten Have you et yet?
Fetch Bring or Go Ge t I want you to fetch the eggs fer me.
Fer For Let’s rest here fer a spell.
Gander To look Take a gander at that there bird!
Git Get Go git some milk from that cow.
Haint Ain’t I haint going to the store for Roastners today.
Hankerin Craving I have a hankerin for Roastners.
Hep Help Hep me warsh this dawg!
Hisn His That dog is hisn.
Holler A Valley My family lives down in the Holler.
Mighty Definitely She shore is mighty mean today.
Neckid Unclothed Get Neckid and throw them clothes in the warsh.
Onest Once Child, I don’t aim to tell you more than onest!
Parts Area or Neighborhood What parts do ya’ll come from?
Peakid Pale or sick looking You look mighty peakid today.
Pizen Poison There’s pizen snakes in these parts.
Plumb Very (nothing to do with pipes) I shore am plumb wore out.
Pritnear Almost I’m pritnear done with my mendin’.
Roastners Corn on the Cob Them roastners shore are good.
Set Sit Ya’ll set and rest fer a spell.
Shed of Get rid of I shore want to be shed of this cold.
Shore Sure I Shore like those flowers.
Skeered Afraid He is skeered of his own shadow.
Smart To hurt That leg shore smarts.
Spell A period of time I went to church fer a spell today.
\Wallerin Whining or Crying Sit still and quit yer wallerin’.
Warsh Wash Warsh yer hands ‘n face befer dinner.
Winder Window The pie is coolin on the winder sill.
Ya’ll You All Ya’ll set with us fer a spell.
Yeller A color between orange and green. Look at that Yellar dog over yonder.
Yonder Over there Billy Bob went yonder to fetch hisn dawg.
You’ns You or all You’ns better aim to come for vittles.
Yourn Yours This aint mine, is it yourn?
Younguns Children You younguns better git to bed now.
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Yep! I forgot that one. I found the full list:
Redneck Speak English Translation Proper Redneck Usage
Afeared Afraid He’s afeared of his own shadow.
A-Fixin Getting Ready We’re a-fixin to go to town.
Aim Intend or Plan I aim to go to town soon.
Biggety Stuck up or a Show off Well ain’t she biggety lately!
Chimbley Chimney Santa Claus comes down the chimbley.
Clum Climbed I Clum that tree over yonder.
Crick Creek I’m goin to the crick to go swimmin.
Dawg Dog That shore is a dumb dawg.
Doins A function or gathering Are you goin to the doins tonight?
Dreckly Soon I’ll be there directly.
Et Eaten Have you et yet?
Fetch Bring or Go Ge t I want you to fetch the eggs fer me.
Fer For Let’s rest here fer a spell.
Gander To look Take a gander at that there bird!
Git Get Go git some milk from that cow.
Haint Ain’t I haint going to the store for Roastners today.
Hankerin Craving I have a hankerin for Roastners.
Hep Help Hep me warsh this dawg!
Hisn His That dog is hisn.
Holler A Valley My family lives down in the Holler.
Mighty Definitely She shore is mighty mean today.
Neckid Unclothed Get Neckid and throw them clothes in the warsh.
Onest Once Child, I don’t aim to tell you more than onest!
Parts Area or Neighborhood What parts do ya’ll come from?
Peakid Pale or sick looking You look mighty peakid today.
Pizen Poison There’s pizen snakes in these parts.
Plumb Very (nothing to do with pipes) I shore am plumb wore out.
Pritnear Almost I’m pritnear done with my mendin’.
Roastners Corn on the Cob Them roastners shore are good.
Set Sit Ya’ll set and rest fer a spell.
Shed of Get rid of I shore want to be shed of this cold.
Shore Sure I Shore like those flowers.
Skeered Afraid He is skeered of his own shadow.
Smart To hurt That leg shore smarts.
Spell A period of time I went to church fer a spell today.
\Wallerin Whining or Crying Sit still and quit yer wallerin’.
Warsh Wash Warsh yer hands ‘n face befer dinner.
Winder Window The pie is coolin on the winder sill.
Ya’ll You All Ya’ll set with us fer a spell.
Yeller A color between orange and green. Look at that Yellar dog over yonder.
Yonder Over there Billy Bob went yonder to fetch hisn dawg.
You’ns You or all You’ns better aim to come for vittles.
Yourn Yours This aint mine, is it yourn?
Younguns Children You younguns better git to bed now.
:laugh: Mr flowers is from the south.
One more my stepfather used this one, he was from Missouri can't=caint
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One thing that, in particular, annoys me is improper use of the "subjunctive." It's rare, but it needs to be used properly. It's "if I WERE in your position," not "if I WAS in your position." They don't even teach this little gem of grammar in grade school anymore, at least not since I went. I know people might get confused and think "were" is plural, but not in the subjunctive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZzsw3Ppp84
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:laugh: Mr flowers is from the south.
One more my stepfather used this one, he was from Missouri can't=caint
Didn't see --> tar = tire
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press = closet
bloomers = panties
playin' possum = pretending to be asleep
britches = pants
maters & taters = tomatoes & potatoes
as useless as a knot on a log = Obama
:seeya:
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press = closet
bloomers = panties
playin' possum = pretending to be asleep
britches = pants
maters & taters = tomatoes & potatoes
as useless as a knot on a log = Obama
:seeya:
(http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/yes/yes-yes-smiley-emoticon.gif)
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pert near=almost
:th_10444:
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Coke = soft drink of any flavor or brand.
Yeah, the Coca-Cola Company has to be thrilled about that one. (/sarcasm)
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One thing that, in particular, annoys me is improper use of the "subjunctive." It's rare, but it needs to be used properly. It's "if I WERE in your position," not "if I WAS in your position." They don't even teach this little gem of grammar in grade school anymore, at least not since I went. I know people might get confused and think "were" is plural, but not in the subjunctive.
I don't think they really teach much grammar, period, these days.
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Oh, there is a HUGE difference! We hide a lot of NJ from people who are just passing on through OR NY'ers looking to move here!
Hiding what you still can from NY'ers is a good thing; look at the bad influence NY has had on the north of NJ.
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I don't think they really teach much grammar, period, these days.
They apparently don't teach common courtesy these days.
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They apparently don't teach common courtesy these days.
I quite agree; sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander, and all that.