1. What is your language pet peeve. (example 'hot water heater', why would you heat hot water)
Most of my language pet peeves have to do with written language. Take, for example, blogging. If I land on a blog that uses text messaging as a language, I'll NEVER go back to visit. Run all of your paragraphs together? Not even close to using proper grammar and sentence structure? I'm not reading - sorry! Now I do make exceptions for literary style, but I better be able to tell that you are actually using a style. Maybe
Yes, I do realize that my own writing needs some work. I'm in no way a great writer, but most days I can put together a cohesive thought.
2. What is your favorite word? Both dirty and clean?
Hmmmm ... there is nothing like a good FUCK - literally and as a dirty word *giggle* It works just as well when saying, "Fuck you!" as it does when saying, "You stupid fuck!" It's quite versatile.
Clean words? Well, pomegranate, onomatopoeia and chortle come to mind. One of my favorite sections of Reader's Digest (yes, I read it - I'm old - it's authorized) is the "Word Power" feature. I find words to be quite fascinating.
3. What is the one word you cannot spell?
Definately ... or definitely if you want me to spell it correctly. I'll use certainly just so that I don't have to think about how to spell definitely! I am actually a TERRIBLE speller and anyone who IM's me will confirm that. Spell check has just made me even more lazy.
4. What is the one word you always pronounce wrong?
Substantive. I always want to say "substantiative" Husband always says "anather" (another) and preventative (preventive) and it drives me BONKERS!
5. If you could erase one popular catchphrase from the English language, what would it be?
EGADS! Seems there are so many ...
Moving forward, incentivising, value-added, outside-the-box, let's take this offline - yes, they are all corporate catchphrases and I could keep listing them if you'd like.
[Edit] I almost forgot "Dude." I am not your "dude." I have a name and if you've forgotten it I'll be happy to help you out!
Bonus (as in optional): The late, and very hot Michael Hutchence (INXS) once sang, "Words are weapons, sharper than knives" . What is the most hurtful thing you have ever said to anyone? Was it deliberate or accidental? What was the most hurtful thing ever said to you? Do you think it was deliberate or accidental?
I have no doubt that I have said some hurtful things to others, and sometimes (infrequently) I mean to do exactly that. More often, I say things that hurt others because I refuse to say things just to be nice (I will make an occasion exception). I've resisted the "If you can't say anything nice ..." thought process - I think it just makes us a bunch of passive-aggressive pansies.
I grew up in a house full of hurtful words. In fact, when my dad was drunk, and I knew abuse was coming, I always hoped he would just hit me and be done with it. Bruises and cuts healed - words never did. Unfortunately, that wasn't usually what happened. His favorite? "You'd be so pretty if you weren't so fat." It still plays in my head every day.
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40 comments:
That's really sad about your Dad.
I do love the word fuck though. I'd be fucking lost without it. I don't even know how I'd think...
Corky, what's sad about the issue with my dad is that I believed him, and still do. I'm a grown-up now. Time to change that little message in my head!
I love some of your favorite clean words. Those are great.
I never would have known you weren't a good speller and I've IM'd you quite a few times!
What your dad said is so mean. I'm sorry that still plays in your head. Erase that tape! I have no room to talk. I can still hear the tapes playing where my mother compared my thick thighs to my sister's long lean ones. Not a great memory.
However, I'm pretty darn sure I've seen both pretty fat women and ugly skinny women so you're dad was wrong! ;)
One peeve of mine is when it is said that one can get something "FOR free". People don't get things FOR Free, the get them "Free".
And the word "Fuck"? When not overused and timed well, it is a very funny and oft times the best word with which to add emphasis. Cheers Dana!!
Unthaw, and irregardless - both are wrong!
The sad part is that you still play those old tapes. They're old. Outdated. Untrue. Turn 'em off.
My favorite clean words, nouns to be precise...walrus and deciduous conifer.
Oh...my dad says "Itly" instead of Italy and it makes me so freaking crazy. Such a small thing and I might be able to murder over it. LOL.
FF, I was so grateful when I discovered Mozilla as a web browser because it spell checks comments! I used to write my comments in word so that I could spell check them and then copy and paste them onto the comment form.
Matt-Man, I'm not an over-user of "fuck" which I think makes it quite effective. If I actually say, "Fuck you" it's a pretty good indicator that I am really irritated.
Buff, ooohhhh ... I've fallen prey to irregardless. What's worse? It's used so frequently it's actually in the dictionary as a "non-standard" form of regardless!
RLL, sad and self-defeating! One of these days I'll figure out what it is that I'm hiding behind that keeps me from letting it go. "Deciduous" in and of itself is a FABULOUS word!
Karen, that's kind of like I-(long "I")-talian - drives me crazy.
I like "dly' words like doggedly....
surprising you still have the 8 track that plays those tapes...LOL (sorry gratuitous age comment)
Fuck....now I'll have to pay attention to my sentence structuring and my lack of grammar on my posts...
This sucks...
brb..
ok, bk...
Where was I?
Nothing is as powerful as the dirty word you mentioned. It's very powerful when used in moderation but some folks severely overuse it.
There's nothing wrong with being a blog snob. Good language should be celebrated.
Great answers!
I can't spell definitely either. No matter what I do it never comes out right. What the hell?
When people write in text lingo via blog, IM, or text I get annoyed. I refuse to learn what it means. Then they wonder why I don't respond.
It drives me nuts when people say "I seen it." What does that mean? The redundancy of ATM Machine gets to me.
Thanks for sharing Dude. Er, I mean, Dana.
DB, ha! Funny guy ... 8-track tapes. You know, it was originally an album!
Slick, I was giving you style credit!
Sornie, it just so happens husband overuses the word and now I don't know if he's just agitated or really pissed.
Paul, I just think that with text messaging and cell phones, younger people have less of an appreciation for the written word.
Knight, I have to know most of the text lingo. As the parent of a 12-year old, I need to understand the language to keep tabs on my kid. And although I like puzzles, I hate deciphering blog posts.
I agree about the blogs. One great big long paragraph is annoying. As is text messaging type abbreviations and long run-on sentences.
What bugs me most though are the 5,000 word blog posts that people write and won't break up into 3 separate posts. I've got a lot of blogs in my reader and don't have time for posts that long.
I always go back to them when I'm caught up, but it really takes forever to read them. If you notice, starting at around 1,000 words, the longer the blog post, the fewer the comments.
Mozilla adding spell check to all their browsers has been a life saver. I'm the worst speller EVER!
Stroke.......... what a great idea.
I must be getting old. I have trouble understanding IM language about 20% of the time.
Words should be true kind or necessary (if not a combination)
I forgot to address the part about your father's horrible comment.My grandmother that I am very close to said the same exact thing to my mother and neither of us will ever forgive her for that. My mom isn't going to ever heal from that comment.
Here is my ultra-geeky spell helper for your difficult word to spell. Definitely was once the worst for me. I now use my math geekiness to remember that finite is specific to a certain set versus the infinte set. So you are certainly or definitely, 'finite'. In my weird brain that makes sense...dude.
That tape you hear is definitely wrong, you are beautiful and your dad was crazy or obviously blind to see you any other way.
What's wrong with preventative? It's a word, too! I don't understand...
His favorite? "You'd be so pretty if you weren't so fat." It still plays in my head every day. That just pisses me off, saying something like that. OOH I could just...
I cannot spell definitley either.
I'm with you on *fuck*.
I hate IM & text lingo. Unfortunatley my job requires that I learn it. However, I suck and get confused very easily. Why can't everyone just dial and TALK!?
Jay, so you are a blog snob too? Whew!
Prof Fate, Words should be true kind or necessary (if not a combination) Wow! If that doesn't give one something to ponder a bit.
Knight, I wish I had heard it only once, but it was used far too many times and as early as I can remember.
Ambergail, I actually use a similar approach when I spell definitely, saying to myself, "DE-FINITE-LY," but I can't get through the word without a pause in my typing!
Jenni, preventative is the non-standard form of preventive. Although it's a word, it means the same thing and takes up too many syllables.
Lu, in his defense (I can't believe I'm typing that) he was - in his own odd way - trying to encourage me to lose weight. I guess he figured if I just realized that all that kept me from being pretty was my weight I'd do something about it. Problem is, I still realize that - emotionally anyway.
Great answers! And I completely understand the bonus one. But I was hit and told mean hurtful things.
On a positive note, I think your writing is outstanding!
Hey Dana,
I believe Carlin also had a routine on the varied and wonderful uses of the word 'Fuck'.
Hey - How are you able to format/color your text. When I get in our blog I no longer have those options available - am I missing something (other than my sanity)
Thanks Dude :-)
Kahuna
Hey Dudette, I mean Dana. Your Dad was 100% off target and you prove that everyday!
Yes, your #1! I must be a blog snob as well, hehe.
Fuck is an incredible versatile word. =D
Pomegranate is a yummy word. I read my mom's issues of Reader's Digest, haha. When I'm at her house, I always go through her issues that I've yet to read. I love those things.
I love your bonus.
I think my comment is long enough now. Happy TMI!
Apple, my sanity as a parent "requires" that I learn that text lingo!
Bina, thank you for the compliment! Unfortunately, I read a LOT of blogs written by amazing writers and find myself comparing what they do and what I do.
Kahuna, I'm not sure what the issue is with formatting your text. I'm on Blogger as well and have a formatting tool bar at the top of the "compose" text box. Did you anger the Blogger Gods??
Kannon7, I know ... I know ... Dude ... Dana ... both start with "D" ... both have 4 letters. It's no wonder I've become "dude!"
Amorous, I can't believe you read Reader's Digest! It's actually quite an informative periodical.
You don't have to be old to enjoy RD! I've been a dedicated addict since I was about 12. I still have a bad reaction to hearing the words, "You have such a pretty face." Just what in hell is that supposed to mean? Leftovers, leftovers. We've all got 'em, but no one ever cleans out the fridge.
I'm with you on your favorite dirty words. ; )
That's awful about your bonus answer. Sorry to hear that. Words can absolutely crush, sting and destroy. The hurtful words said to me can make almost make me wanna cry the second I think of them. ; (
I wouldve never guessed you to be a terrible speller though. ; ) Happy TMI Dana ; )
I totally forgot about definitely! I ALWAYS mess that up. For the longest time, I was convinced that spell check was wrong. That's how sure I was of MY spelling of the word. I have now accepted that my version doesn't exist, but I still think it's better.
OMG! j/k.
Seriously, I won't even respond to a text message unless they can type the real word.
Leverage and solution: I would rather have my co-workers rip out one of my finger nails each time they wanted to use one of those words.
Hey, there's *nothing* wrong with being a blog snob. If it's not easy to read, then what's the purpose--being a literary medium (loosely, anyway) and all?
Happy TMI!
Loved your answers. I forgot about 'definitely'. I have trouble with that one, too. And all those corporate catchphrases. Argh!! I despise them, and they eventually become everyday language although most people don't have a clue what they mean.
Boo, don't tell anyone, but I asked for a subscription to Reader's Digest for my 10th birthday!
I Smile, what is aamazing is that my son (12) is an AMAZING speller. Not sure where he got that but it wasn't from me!
Biscuit, definitely is an evil, evil word!
Jen, LMAO! The solution is to leverage your out of the box thinking!
Ms. I, I see it as similar to the difference between reading an organic chemistry text book and reading "THE ALCHEMIST" - they are both books, but one is sure much easier to read than the other.
Adam, I think the commonality of the corporate catch phrases is the most disturbing thing. I'm not a huge fan of slang anyway!
I'm more and more in for reading this type of posts. When I found these HNT blogs I was only in it for the pictures but I like reading so much... Language is both fun and intresting! It may seems odd, but word that I most often fail to spell (in Swedish), but only when I use pencil and paper is mjölk (milk). I exclude the l from it much to often...
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