OT: Pet Peeve

Jay Gladwell wrote on 2/21/2006, 6:28 AM

Okay, here's one for the books...

As I read various threads I am shocked and dismayed at how many of us do not know the difference between the words then and than.

Then is, primarily, an adverb used to indicate "at that time: soon after that: next in order of time <walked to the door, then turned>".

Than is, primarily, a conjunction "used as a function word to indicate the second member or the member taken as the point of departure in a comparison expressive of inequality; used with comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs <older than I am>".

Yes, this may seem silly to many of you, but I just hate seeing the continuing decline of a perfectly good language, especially when that decline is furthered by so many knowledgeable and intelligent people.

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bw wrote on 2/22/2006, 2:38 PM

Here in Aus I find airplane totally irritating (aeroplane) but would never think of saying airoship. When I was a lad living in a farming community no one ever pronounced paddock as anything other than paddick, to use the correct form would be considered quite sissy. Now the correct use is universal.
Brian
Course, checks???? surely you meant cheques????

Chienworks wrote on 2/22/2006, 3:12 PM

"the humbug of the annually-retentive."

We can only retain humbugs for a year? What if i want to keep mine longer?

PeterWright wrote on 2/22/2006, 4:32 PM

I would have thought Americans would shudder every time George Dubbya says "nukular".
It undermines his "authority".

Surely one of his henchmen/women could take him aside and say
"George, say NEW" ...... "NEW"
"Now George, say "CLEAR" ........... "CLEAR"
"Now say nuclear"

Mission accomplished.

wolfbass wrote on 2/22/2006, 5:09 PM

Here's one of mine -

People who pronounce the letter 'H' (aitch) as 'Haitch'.

Maybe that's an Aussie thing? Or does it happen elsewhere?

Andy

Spot|DSE wrote on 2/22/2006, 5:45 PM

I've offun contemplated that m'self.

Serena wrote on 2/22/2006, 6:11 PM

Haitch is an ignorant thing, but I don't know if it's limited to Australia. It is a common belief that this is taught in a group of schools that used to be staffed largely by Irish religious professionals, but it seems to have caught on (hear it sometimes on National Radio -- shudder). Used to be a test of background to ask someone to recite the alphabet!

Coursedesign wrote on 2/22/2006, 6:34 PM

Everybody seems to think that Gee Whiz is a) stupid, and b) that he doesn't read the newspapers.

On a), I'd like to guess that it is a Southern thing, and would thus not indicate an intelligence deficiency (no pun intended).

On b), we now know for a fact that this is not true. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said today in a news conference that President Bush had found out about the White House decision to approve letting an Arab company run six of the largest ports in the U.S., "from reading a newspaper."

So it is clear that he actually does read newspapers, and understands the content.

Let's give the guy credit where credit is due.

He may have been the only President to lose all of South America to world communism, and the Middle East to fundamentalists and Hamas, and presided over four years of major war crimes and "crimes against humanity" (which are classified separately for some reason), but he does read newspapers, and I would bet he is pissed off that he wasn't even consulted.

B.Verlik wrote on 2/22/2006, 7:18 PM

<I would have thought Americans would shudder every time George Dubbya.....>

did just about anything

Ecquillii wrote on 2/22/2006, 8:05 PM

< We can only retain humbugs for a year? What if I want to keep mine longer? >

If you keep a humbug longer THAN a year, THEN it becomes affectionately known as a humdinger.

Tim

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