Posted on 02/25/2005 11:29:26 AM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
There are some things I just do not understand, and I am at a point where I have given up on figuring out many of these puzzlers.
But there are still some conundrums I am determined to solve.
For the life of me I cannot understand how it is that we have reached this level in our academic careers and we still cannot speak proper English.
We have all taken at least seven years of secondary English classes prior to coming to Penn State, and once we are here, we must take a minimum of two more classes. These courses, in addition to the primary schooling we receive and the out-of-class interaction we have with other people, should provide ample opportunity to learn, if not master, this language of ours.
I have to admit, I do find it humorous when people try to speak correctly and fail miserably. I had a friend who would say phrases such as, "If you have problems, come see Heather or I."
At the time, I never had the guts to correct her, but now in a public forum I will.
My friend should tell people to see "Heather and me," because if we were to remove Heather, my friend would not say "come see I," she would say "come see me."
I also hear people say, "Heather and me went to the movies."
Once again, without Heather, I doubt "me went to the movies." While you may think I am just an anal grammar prick, I am just tired of hearing Penn Staters sound like morons.
Critics will say students here are highly intelligent.
Yet on a daily basis I am inundated with examples proving otherwise.
For example, take the word "ignorant."
Now those who have actually picked up a dictionary know the word means lacking education or knowledge.
Chances are, if you have made it to college you have picked up a dictionary at least once, which is why I cannot understand for the life of me why people insist on using this word to mean "rude."
I hear phrases such as, "Gosh, he is so ignorant.
How could he even say that to you" all the time, but now that everyone is clear on the true meaning of the word ignorant, the next time I hear this statement, the "he" in question better be showing a lack of knowledge.
As much as I do not like misuse of the word ignorant, there are several things that irk me more. One of them includes our good friend, Mr. Supposedly. This guy just tries to live a normal life like any other word and then we come along and try to hook him up with Ms. Supposebly.
Now this would be great if "supposebly" were actually in the English lexicon. In fact, it is not, and it is a sorry excuse for the pronunciation of Mr. Supposedly.
And there is no convincing me that I am wrong or that this mistake is not that big of a deal; Chandler broke up with a girl for doing the same thing.
The common problems I hear do not always have to do with people making up words or mispronouncing ones that actually exist.
One thing to which I have really taken a notice lately is the overuse of the word "like."
It is one thing to "like" a boy or live "like" royalty, but it is quite another to, "Like, oh my gosh, did you like, hear like, what like he said to her?"
Now let's examine this for a second. Would anyone ever actually write that out on paper? No. So if you wouldn't write it out on paper, why would you say it aloud?
Amy Heckerling's 1995 hit Clueless introduced our generation to this horrible word, and ever since we have not been able to let go of it.
While it may have been trendy to use "like" in between each word back then, now it just makes the speaker look like a fool.
Imagine this: You graduate from Penn State and go out into the real world to a job interview.
The interviewer begins by asking you a few questions about your background and previous experience.
Now, do you honestly think the interviewer will hire a perceivably ditzy chica who used the words "like" and "you know" as often as it rains in State College?
Or will he or she choose a perceivably intelligent young lass who is well-spoken and articulate.
I think the answer is clear.
While this hypothetical situation may be several years off for many students here, it really is never too early to start looking to the future. Old habits have the tendency to die hard, and it will take a while to shake those old ways.
The future will look brighter though, and I am sure your professors and anal retentive English geek friends will appreciate the effort, too.
I R So Smrart, SMRT
Same with calculators. I cannot believe some of the conversations I hear in the mall. "Well, it originally cost $100.00 and then it was 40% off and then they say it's an additional 20% off-How much does it cost?"
Now, there is a real problem! I can come up with the answer, $48., in about three seconds without using my fingers, toes, a pencil or anything else and I only went through a public high school in South Carolina. I have known people who have university degrees but cannot come up with the answer on a calculator in less than three minutes.
... and motor oil is made from?
In all my years of being aroung the printing trade, I used to wonder what "gum arabic" was made from.
So, does one attend an orientation to be orientated?
Among my pet peeves (mostly involving incorrect pronunciation):
ek-specially (especially)
deth (deaf)
nethermind (never mind)
stoled (stole)
ax (ask)
probaly (probably)
renember (remember)
"When did commentors become commentators?"
At least fifty years ago, I remember that in grade school we used to joke that a local TV and radio personality was just a "common tator".
I'm just being an agiTATOR.
"But with all the degree-anal employers around, without the sheepskin one is scrooed."
Like, ain't that the truth, Dude? Jobs which forty years ago required a high school diploma or even less now routinely require a minimum of a four year college degree. I am now considered totally unqualified for the same type of work that I used to do with ease when I had forty years less experience.
"My mother, who grew up in New Jersey and has no discernible accent,"
Now wait just a minit, they ain't no such thang as sumbody frum New Jersey what ain't got no accent. Ever last one I ever heered had a accent and I knowed several uvum.
"That said, there are way too many people whose use of grammar is so bad that it's difficult to tell exactly what they're trying to say."
I hope this doesn't sound too racist but I have to deal with some blacks every day who seem unable to pronounce words in a way that can be comprehended. Couple this with ebonics grammar and I often have to pause while my mind processes all this back into actual english and sometimes I am unable to do so. In the worst cases I simply have to smile and walk away wondering what it is they are trying to say. Amazingly they seem able to understand each other with little effort. Some of them obviously have two modes of speech and they are easily understood when speaking directly to a white person but totally incomprehensible when speaking to another black person. I refuse to use the term " African-American".
ROFL!
You owe me a keyboard!
I was sarcastic ;)
-PJ
-PJ
Right. I forgot about the beatniks. I was thinking of the "she was like" and "he was like" locution for "she said" and "he said."
Or "He went like . . ." (my personal NOTfave)
Can't get hired by the degree-anal to do the job I MANAGED thirty years ago!
A not-so subtle form of age discrimination, to be kept out of something in which you already have experience, because they now require a non-sensical degree!
Like, totally before my time, dude. ;-)
Is the misspelling of "John" the only error?"
I don't think so.
I was taught that the word "quote" is a verb, and the word "quotation" is a noun.
Thus, "His comments included several quotations from John Kennedy's speeches."
I have a family member that is 82 years old, always went around correcting others grammer, never had a friend in her life.
It goes back to the fifties just as it is now used. I know; I was there.
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