(The) Megan's Blog

This website is dedicated to the random thoughts and pontifications of yours truly. Please feel free to join in on the free-for-all! No rules, just be sure to clean up after yourself - this isn't your mother's blog, after all!!!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Thursday's Random Thoughts

Ok, so I had this entire post put together, and the website kicks me off and erases everything as I'm trying to save it.... soooo... the abridged version...

Today's random thoughts involve mispronounced words... I myself am guilty of mispronouncing words from time to time... I blame this mostly on my Southern upbringing, and dialect... I put together a list of commonly mispronounced words... this is what I came up w/ so far:

  • supposably (supposedly)
  • exspecially (especially)
  • flustrated (frustrated, flustered)
  • nucular (nuclear)
  • libary (library)
  • irrigardless (regardless)
  • exspresso (espresso)
  • exscape (escape)
  • exceterra (et ceterra)

Also, ironically (oh the ironing!!) I learned of two phrases this week that I had been saying incorrectly all this time and didn't even know it... well, slap me on the tush and call me Sally!

  • card sharp (i always thought they referred to them as card sharks)
  • spit and image (i thought it was spitting image)

Anyway... I invite you to comment with your own list of commonly mispronounced words or phrases... or not... whatever!!

Hugs and Kisses and Dreams and Wishes!!!

posted by The Megan @ 9/22/2005 01:45:00 PM  

3 Comments:

  • At Friday, September 23, 2005 6:29:00 AM, Blogger James said…

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

     

  • At Friday, September 23, 2005 6:32:00 AM, Blogger James said…

    Actually, a little history here for you, "Card Sharp" originated in the 17th century as a term describing people who cheated at cards and conned people while playing cards by cheating or other means. They usually worked in groups and were usually quite dangerous. The Italian artist, Carravagio, painted a work entitled, "The Card Sharps," that is currently hanging as part of the Kimbell Museum's permanent collection. It depicts a gang of such criminals in action over a game of cards.

    So it is perfectly valid, albeit slightly antiquated term. So is the term "card shark." It is basically a modernized version of "card sharp" that replaces the the word "sharp" with the word "shark" for two reasons.

    First, the original contextual definition of "sharp" in the term "card sharp" is no longer widely known or used. Secondly, the similarly sounding "shark" replaces the obselete meaning of "sharp" with an even more threatening one by implicitly assigning the characteristics of the shark to a person whom one would call a "card shark"--seemingly indifferent, yet relentless, dangerous, and predatory.

    Sorry for the long-windedness of my comment. You know me and words.

    Here's another commonly mispronounced word: "ax" for "ask", and "axed" for "asked". First time I heard someone say that, I thought they were confessing a gruesome crime.

     

  • At Saturday, September 24, 2005 11:08:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hmm... dunno... I challenge your newfangled "card sharp" and "spit and image" - spit and image just makes no sense! I refuse to accept it!

    My team leader says "supposably" ALL THE TIME and it drives me BONKERS!!! She's the G/T teacher and she can't even talk good!!!
    But she's my mini-boss so I keep my trap shut.

     

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