At least say it correctly.
1. Definitely (not “definately” or the uber-egregious “defiantly”)
2. Personnel (personel, personell, personal, personnal … Please don’t.)
3. Truly (not truely)
4. Noticeable (not “noticable”)
5. Probably (not Probly or prolly)
6. Mischievous (not “mischievious”—the root is “mischief,” so I don’t want to hear you saying “mis-CHEE-vee-us)
7. Apparently (not “apparantly”)
8. a lot. (See the way I put a space between the two words? Now you try it.)
9. Memento (not “momento.”)
10. Library. Li•brar•y. Librrrrrrrrary. Rrrrrrrrrr. If you’re going to say “libary,” please punch me in the face first. Hopefully the dizziness will overshadow the auditory trauma.
11. Misspell (Oh, the irony.)
While we’re here, I’d like to state publicly that I am SO MAD at Merriam-Webster.com. The paper dictionary has always listed common variances of words. The online version does a far better job of keeping up with modern society, so these “variances” are added more frequently. These days, many of the words listed as variances are simply mispronunciations and misspellings of actual words. Take “espresso,” for example. I will probably never recover from the shock of seeing “expresso” listed as a variance. Yeah, it’s a variance. It’s a variance from the correct way to say the word.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
QUESTION:
Hey Pearl,
Can you please advise on the usage of "whether" and "rather."
L.W.
ANSWER:
“Whether” is a word that indicates alternatives. Use it when referring to more than one choice/action/situation.
Here are some examples:
“You need to decide whether you will wear the red dress or the green dress.” (Using the word “whether” indicates that there are two options.)
“You need to decide whether you will attend the party.” (The other option is not attending the party. One could say, “You need to decide whether or not you will attend the party,” but it’s already understood.)
The word “if,” on the other hand (sometimes used interchangeably with “whether”), should be used to indicate a condition – just one condition.
“Call me if you decide to go to the party.” (Call me on that condition – if you decide to go.)
“Rather” is a word that indicates a degree of preference. “I would rather have pecan pie than chess pie.” This does NOT mean than I don’t like chess pie. I like both pies. I just prefer pecan pie. Oh—the other thing is that “rather” is often confused with “instead [of],” but they aren’t the same. “Instead [of]” means “in place of.” Additionally, they don’t need to be used at the same time.
“Give me apple pie instead of cherry pie.” (I don’t want cherry pie at all. I want apple pie.)
The sentence doesn’t need to say, “I would rather have apple pie instead of cherry pie.” (This is muddled. There are too many words in that sentence. People stop listening when one uses too many words. Trust me. I know.)
I want pie.
Hey Pearl,
Can you please advise on the usage of "whether" and "rather."
L.W.
ANSWER:
“Whether” is a word that indicates alternatives. Use it when referring to more than one choice/action/situation.
Here are some examples:
“You need to decide whether you will wear the red dress or the green dress.” (Using the word “whether” indicates that there are two options.)
“You need to decide whether you will attend the party.” (The other option is not attending the party. One could say, “You need to decide whether or not you will attend the party,” but it’s already understood.)
The word “if,” on the other hand (sometimes used interchangeably with “whether”), should be used to indicate a condition – just one condition.
“Call me if you decide to go to the party.” (Call me on that condition – if you decide to go.)
“Rather” is a word that indicates a degree of preference. “I would rather have pecan pie than chess pie.” This does NOT mean than I don’t like chess pie. I like both pies. I just prefer pecan pie. Oh—the other thing is that “rather” is often confused with “instead [of],” but they aren’t the same. “Instead [of]” means “in place of.” Additionally, they don’t need to be used at the same time.
“Give me apple pie instead of cherry pie.” (I don’t want cherry pie at all. I want apple pie.)
The sentence doesn’t need to say, “I would rather have apple pie instead of cherry pie.” (This is muddled. There are too many words in that sentence. People stop listening when one uses too many words. Trust me. I know.)
I want pie.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Still up for Debate
I’ve been wrestling with the proper way to pronounce the word “gyro.” (Oddly enough, I have not been contemplating how to achieve World peace or new ways to reuse candy wrappers.) The sad thing is that I just spent time researching it (if you can call what I did “research”).
It turns out that we’re all right, EXCEPT for the dude who says, “jī-rō,” as he is referring NOT to a tasty, portable, composite-meat sandwich (hopefully consisting mostly of lamb) of somewhat-Mediterranean origin, but rather a compass consisting of a continuously driven gyroscope (a gyrocompass) or (and I swear I didn’t write this definition, although it sounds like Pearl-style, manic rambling):
“a wheel or disk mounted to spin rapidly about an axis and also free to rotate about one or both of two axes perpendicular to each other and to the axis of spin so that a rotation of one of the two mutually perpendicular axes results from application of torque to the other when the wheel is spinning and so that the entire apparatus offers considerable opposition depending on the angular momentum to any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin.” ~ Merriam-Webster
The definition above refers to the gyroscope itself. Back to the sandwich:
Merriam-Webster says both of these are correct:
\ˈyē-ˌrō, ˈzhir-ō\
The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink calls it a "JEER-o."
Finally, David P. Baxter in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois says that since the word begins with the Greek gamma, the word in its “authentic” form would be “yee-ros.” He has much more to say on the topic. The link is below, if you’re feeling studious. I tried to read the entire article, but he lost me at “velar fricative.”
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/6/6-1641.html
It turns out that we’re all right, EXCEPT for the dude who says, “jī-rō,” as he is referring NOT to a tasty, portable, composite-meat sandwich (hopefully consisting mostly of lamb) of somewhat-Mediterranean origin, but rather a compass consisting of a continuously driven gyroscope (a gyrocompass) or (and I swear I didn’t write this definition, although it sounds like Pearl-style, manic rambling):
“a wheel or disk mounted to spin rapidly about an axis and also free to rotate about one or both of two axes perpendicular to each other and to the axis of spin so that a rotation of one of the two mutually perpendicular axes results from application of torque to the other when the wheel is spinning and so that the entire apparatus offers considerable opposition depending on the angular momentum to any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin.” ~ Merriam-Webster
The definition above refers to the gyroscope itself. Back to the sandwich:
Merriam-Webster says both of these are correct:
\ˈyē-ˌrō, ˈzhir-ō\
The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink calls it a "JEER-o."
Finally, David P. Baxter in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois says that since the word begins with the Greek gamma, the word in its “authentic” form would be “yee-ros.” He has much more to say on the topic. The link is below, if you’re feeling studious. I tried to read the entire article, but he lost me at “velar fricative.”
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/6/6-1641.html
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Grammar-Free Wednesday
Sometimes when I feel a bit burdened, I like to take inventory and tell a big secret. Taking inventory helps me to focus on something rational and tangible. Telling a secret helps me to lighten my mental load a bit. This morning, I took inventory in the kitchen. Number of bottles of condiments, sauces and marinades: 31, including 5 bottles of vanilla extract. You never know how crazy you are until you count your condiments.
Big secret: I don't like needles. Why is it a big secret? It's a secret because I always say/do things which indicate the opposite. I never flinch when, at the yearly check-up, it's time to do blood-work. I laugh it out - make jokes; talk about the weather. Need an insulin injection? I'm your man. Talk about over-compensation: This goes far beyond facing my fears. This is fear on a bun with relish. I guess I think that expressing irrational fears is self-indulgence. Like, "If I say I'm scared, then they won't make me do it." I say nothing so that others can have their own immense dislikes of needles and have someone reminding them that it's really not a big deal. Besides this, my list of irrational fears is long. Needles simply didn't make the cut.
Big secret: I don't like needles. Why is it a big secret? It's a secret because I always say/do things which indicate the opposite. I never flinch when, at the yearly check-up, it's time to do blood-work. I laugh it out - make jokes; talk about the weather. Need an insulin injection? I'm your man. Talk about over-compensation: This goes far beyond facing my fears. This is fear on a bun with relish. I guess I think that expressing irrational fears is self-indulgence. Like, "If I say I'm scared, then they won't make me do it." I say nothing so that others can have their own immense dislikes of needles and have someone reminding them that it's really not a big deal. Besides this, my list of irrational fears is long. Needles simply didn't make the cut.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Me, Myself and I
Don’t even get me started. I could rant for an hour about this topic, but I’m going to keep it simple and clear. Clarity is desirable. Rather than boring you with a long discussion about the nominative, objective, possessive and reflexive cases, I will illustrate this lesson with a series of examples.
EXAMPLE 1
Correct: “This ice cream is for you.”
Correct: “This ice cream is for me.”
If we put the above together, then the resulting sentence should match the *correct* originals: “This ice cream is for you and me.”
Do NOT say, “This ice cream is for you and I.”
EXAMPLE 2
Correct: “You and I should go to the store.”
We can test the correctness of this sentence by separating it into two sentences:
“You should go to the store.”
“I should go to the store.”
Do NOT say, “You and me should go to the store.”
EXAMPLE 3
A) “You are smarter than me.” FAIL.
B) “You are smarter than I.” [Ding-ding-ding!]
Sometimes we omit parts of sentences, and this is okay. The important thing is that we know *what* is missing so that we can correctly deal with what’s left. In the example sentence, there is a verb missing: “Am.” If we add it, then the second example is correct: “You are smarter than I am.”
Thinking about the sentence “You are smarter than me am” makes me want to swallow a fork.
Sometimes I get bored with a topic of conversation before the conversation is over. I was going to list examples dealing with use of “myself,” but I've lost interest. Now I'm thinking about muffins.
EXAMPLE 1
Correct: “This ice cream is for you.”
Correct: “This ice cream is for me.”
If we put the above together, then the resulting sentence should match the *correct* originals: “This ice cream is for you and me.”
Do NOT say, “This ice cream is for you and I.”
EXAMPLE 2
Correct: “You and I should go to the store.”
We can test the correctness of this sentence by separating it into two sentences:
“You should go to the store.”
“I should go to the store.”
Do NOT say, “You and me should go to the store.”
EXAMPLE 3
A) “You are smarter than me.” FAIL.
B) “You are smarter than I.” [Ding-ding-ding!]
Sometimes we omit parts of sentences, and this is okay. The important thing is that we know *what* is missing so that we can correctly deal with what’s left. In the example sentence, there is a verb missing: “Am.” If we add it, then the second example is correct: “You are smarter than I am.”
Thinking about the sentence “You are smarter than me am” makes me want to swallow a fork.
Sometimes I get bored with a topic of conversation before the conversation is over. I was going to list examples dealing with use of “myself,” but I've lost interest. Now I'm thinking about muffins.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
We Wear the Cap.
The dunce cap, that is. I, too, am guilty. “Fur” is defined by Merriam-Webster as:
1: a piece of the dressed pelt of an animal used to make, trim, or line wearing apparel
2: an article of clothing made of or with fur
3: the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick; also: such a coat with the skin
4: a coating resembling fur: as a: a coat of epithelial debris on the tongue b: the thick pile of a fabric (as chenille)
“For,” on the other hand, indicates purpose. That’s only part of the definition, but I have something to say and I’d like to get on with it.
In the words of the great Willy Wonka: “You should open your mouth a little wider when you speak.” “Fur” and “for” are different words. My suggestion is that we endeavor to pronounce them differently.
1: a piece of the dressed pelt of an animal used to make, trim, or line wearing apparel
2: an article of clothing made of or with fur
3: the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick; also: such a coat with the skin
4: a coating resembling fur: as a: a coat of epithelial debris on the tongue b: the thick pile of a fabric (as chenille)
“For,” on the other hand, indicates purpose. That’s only part of the definition, but I have something to say and I’d like to get on with it.
In the words of the great Willy Wonka: “You should open your mouth a little wider when you speak.” “Fur” and “for” are different words. My suggestion is that we endeavor to pronounce them differently.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Art of Conversation
When one communes verbally with another (I know that "commune," in this sense, is obsolete. I just like it), the event is properly referred to as “conversation.” There is a common mistake (which I shall discuss, perhaps at great length, unless I can practice restraint) that we make, probably due to the fact that many other nouns which end in “t-i-o-n” are broken down differently.
“Elevation” in its verb form is “[to] elevate.” The verb form of “irritation” is “[to] irritate.”
This is the reason why active learning is so important. Much to my ir•ri•ta•tion, many of us, when referring to the act of talking with another person, say “conversate” rather than “converse.”
This is the thing: One should not trust one’s own powers of deductive reasoning when it comes to grammar. If one hasn’t learned the rule, then one has the responsibility to look it up. Ask someone. Phone a friend.
The appropriate verb is "converse."
That is all. Converse amongst yourselves. (Just don't use the words "interpretate" or "cohabitate." They're wrong, too.)
“Elevation” in its verb form is “[to] elevate.” The verb form of “irritation” is “[to] irritate.”
This is the reason why active learning is so important. Much to my ir•ri•ta•tion, many of us, when referring to the act of talking with another person, say “conversate” rather than “converse.”
This is the thing: One should not trust one’s own powers of deductive reasoning when it comes to grammar. If one hasn’t learned the rule, then one has the responsibility to look it up. Ask someone. Phone a friend.
The appropriate verb is "converse."
That is all. Converse amongst yourselves. (Just don't use the words "interpretate" or "cohabitate." They're wrong, too.)
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