Author |
Message |
Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:31 pm
It's easier to just stick a new horror in the dictionary than to actually teach people to speak properly, I guess, Mummy. Soon they'll say that "me" can be used as the subject, and me and you will have to relearn everything.
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:46 pm
On line is British. It goes along with "on queue," or "in hospital."
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 12:48 pm
Darclyte, my biggest letter dropping (and I drive 'myself' buggers with it) is the r on your. I re-read most things I type and always find at least one r dropped and squeak it back where it belongs.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:10 pm
Jenjackso, "on line" isn't used in the UK, neither is "in line," it's always "in the queue" or "queueing."
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Buffy
Member
07-13-2005
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:23 pm
My bit of education today (how's that, Jimmer?) was mentioned earlier. Saying "whenever" instead of "when." One shouldn't say, "whenever I was five." "Whenever" is an uncertain time. I was five in 1965 and 1966. That's "when" I was five. I know exactly "when" I was five. "Whenever" I get to Hawaii, I will be happy because it will be a certainty instead of some undecided time in the future. Another hint is that there is no such word as "conversate." It's "converse." "We will converse over dinner in our conversation." Just had to get that out of my system once I saw this thread. Thank you, very much. I shall now go back to lurking. :-)
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Cricket
Member
08-05-2002
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:26 pm
shoulda, woulda, coulda Oh, geez, you guys are making me remember my Mom. I told her I was going to put that on her gravestone, lol. I learned the same way Kitt did. Take the second person out. Where did 'whenever' come from? I've never heard that word until Big Brother. I think it was Nakomis that said it first.
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Kappy
Member
06-29-2002
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:33 pm
Question "Do you know where that thing is?" My answers for that question run from "What thing?" "You have a thing?" "What is that thing?" "What thing are you looking for?" There is literally no way I can answer that question without a question. As for my grammar, I tend to want to post as quickly as possible and considering it's a message board on the internet, I'm not as concerned with grammar as I would be if I were writing a letter at work or doing busines. I use to belong to a knitting group along with someone who worked as a copy writer. I didn't last long sitting next to that person.
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:51 pm
Kitt, my grandma is British and she says she grew up with on queue and then on line when they came to the U.S.
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 1:53 pm
Kappy, when they ask you where that thing is, try to make them say under where (underwear) by saying it's under there. That's a fun game in our home. Yes, I have younger children where underwear humor draws a chuckle.
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Stray_cat
Member
06-21-2006
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 2:24 pm
This brings back memories of when I was little, I'd send my grandmother letters. She was a teacher and would return my letters with all my corrections circled in red pen I still get a chuckle out of it.
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Darclyte
Member
07-11-2005
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 3:13 pm
I think "Wait On Line" is an Eastern US phrasing way of saying it as I've heard people from Pennsylvania, New York and Boston all say it that way. In Michigan (and much of the Mid West as far as I can tell) it's always been "Wait In Line." I'm not too sure about the South or West Coast, but I think I've mostly heard "Wait In Line" in the Western states. Jenjackso, yeah, I drop "R"s from "your" too. I also tend to scramble "the" and often mistype a letter when I have to streeetch my fingers to hit the letter. Like I often type "out" instead of "put." Makes for some odd readings sometimes.
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Just_gail
Member
08-25-2007
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 3:43 pm
"Whenever" also means "every time". Ronnie said something like "Whenever I got married I had the bachelor party the night before my wedding." I wondered how many times he has done that.
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Gumby
Member
08-14-2004
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 3:57 pm
Love your story Stray Cat! That made me chuckle.
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Jenjackso
Member
02-10-2009
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 4:01 pm
A little more research turned up that when people came into Ellis Island they stood on white lines when they were lined up and that is why it is mostly used by people from NY, which explains why grandma uses it, since she's a New Yorker now.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 6:10 pm
Jen, maybe it's an generational thing then (not suggesting your grandmother is old, but she does have "grand" in her name ;)) but it's certainly not used now, it's always in a queue or queueing.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 7:40 pm
Fascinating Jenjackso! My friend, who's 50 and grew up in New Jersey, says "wait on line". Drives me crazy. 
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Just_gail
Member
08-25-2007
| Friday, August 28, 2009 - 4:05 am
How about "neck in neck"? It should be "neck and neck."
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Friday, August 28, 2009 - 4:40 am
Why do you get on a bus, on a plane and on a cruise ship but you get in a car?
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Aurora
Member
11-24-2006
| Friday, August 28, 2009 - 4:52 am
Reading this thread for the first time. The misuse of "I" instead of "Me" drives me crazy! And here I thought I was the only one. I should have known one is never the only one. 
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Oliviamimi
Member
05-30-2009
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 12:26 pm
Proper English in some cases just doesn't work for me. Southern to the bone here. I am not going to say I actually know proper phrasing and grammar because I don't. I think that I have grown up speaking a certain way for so long that anything else is just foreign to me. I however do resent when someone corrects me. Simply because......... that is just rude lol btw I know that I am an intelligent person regardless. Btw, if anyone corrects me here I am going to blow rasberries at you!
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Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 12:29 pm
LOL, Dog. Maybe because you have to climb on something to get on a bus, plane, or cruise ship, but you just slide into a car? Let's see, we get in a metro car, get on a roller coaster...aaargh
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 1:13 pm
I'm guessing "on" a plane is just shortened for "Onboard" a plane. Because we'd say onboard a bus, ship or plane. I can't imagine hearing anyone say onboard a car.
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 2:24 pm
I got in a canoe but on a raft. lol. Thanks Brenda, on board makes sense. The in/on question was originally asked by a Spanish speaking student trying to learn English.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 2:43 pm
Dogdoc you have to tell the student that English doesn't make sense, there's no point understanding it, you just have to learn it! I'm always amazed that people who didn't grow up with the language pick it up so well, it's got the most stupid, inconsistent rules compared to most other languages.
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Anastasia
Member
08-26-2006
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 3:27 pm
I'm going to 'loose' some weight. ACK! It's 'lose' not 'loose'. That one makes me crazy.
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