Grammar quirks

[Mental Magpie]

I've been thinking about how 'pants' became 'pant'. So far, I've only seen it used for women's garments and there may be a reason.

A certain ensemble used to be called a 'pants suit'.  Lately, the term 'pantsuit' seems to be used.  It's even shown up in crosswords. 

Could that be how 'pants' lost its 's'?

Oooo, possibly, though I haven't seen pantsuit myself *says Dark Magdalena as she dons her pants suit for her interview*.

Good luck on the interview... and remember, if a customer asks you for a ride, it's probably a bad idea!

Haha! Thanks! There are actually signs where I live (14 corrections facilities in one county!) that say something like "Prison nearby, DO NOT pick up hitchhikers!"

[baglady]

The present participle refers to ongoing action, but it isn't necessary to use it for *every* ongoing action. If you break it down, the participle (going) tends to be used for right now, temporary ongoing actions, while the plain verb (go) is more for permanent, regular, habitual actions. I'm going to Bob's house. I go to Bob's every Saturday.

I came across a press release recently promoting a "sneak peak" airing of a TV show. This was a professional publicist who should know better. I'm pretty sure there were no mountaintops in this show. 

[violinp]

A bed does not sleep. Someone may sleep on a bed, but it is impossible for an inanimate object to sleep. Therefore, catalogue, do not say that a bed "sleeps" two. Never mind the fact that you never say the two of what a bed sleeps - days? years? centuries?

[Elfmama]

The present participle refers to ongoing action, but it isn't necessary to use it for *every* ongoing action. If you break it down, the participle (going) tends to be used for right now, temporary ongoing actions, while the plain verb (go) is more for permanent, regular, habitual actions. I'm going to Bob's house. I go to Bob's every Saturday.

I came across a press release recently promoting a "sneak peak" airing of a TV show. This was a professional publicist who should know better. I'm pretty sure there were no mountaintops in this show. 

Well, day-um!  I was looking forward to a mountaintop that tiptoed on and off.  Am I showing my age when I say that it sounds like something that would happen on the Muppet Show?

[MamaMootz]

Another one that makes me gnash my teeth.

"Awe! How cute!" posted on Facebook.

AWE is something you feel when something amazing happens and you are rendered speechless.

AWW is the sound you make when something is cute.

She then followed that by the world famous "ALOT", which is what just made my brain explode.

[Lovemykids]

This one is coming up a lot lately because it's an election year in the U.S.: It's So-cial Se-cur-i-ty, people. Six syllables! But over and over again I hear politicians and commentators saying "Sosh-curty," or similar mushmouthed abominations. This isn't a regional pronunciation thing -- *everybody* does it. How hard is it to sound out a two-syllable word and a four-syllable word? And don't get me started on people who ask for your Social Security number with "What's your social?" or worse, "What's your sosh?"

The above reminds me as well of the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," which is so often called the "Macy Day Parade."  I even once heard a TV announcer call it that.  Whaa?

[violinp]

This one is coming up a lot lately because it's an election year in the U.S.: It's So-cial Se-cur-i-ty, people. Six syllables! But over and over again I hear politicians and commentators saying "Sosh-curty," or similar mushmouthed abominations. This isn't a regional pronunciation thing -- *everybody* does it. How hard is it to sound out a two-syllable word and a four-syllable word? And don't get me started on people who ask for your Social Security number with "What's your social?" or worse, "What's your sosh?"

The above reminds me as well of the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," which is so often called the "Macy Day Parade."  I even once heard a TV announcer call it that.  Whaa?

*facepalm*

[Slartibartfast]

I was behind a car today with a bumper sticker that read


I"M ONLY DRIVING THIS BECAUSE THE KID'S KEEP FALLING OFF THE BROOM


Doesn't punctuation MEAN anything anymore?  The worse part: the car's other bumper stickers made it clear the driver was a tattoo artist    Now I know which tattoo parlor to never go to!

[Editeer]

A bed does not sleep. Someone may sleep on a bed, but it is impossible for an inanimate object to sleep. Therefore, catalogue, do not say that a bed "sleeps" two. Never mind the fact that you never say the two of what a bed sleeps - days? years? centuries?

There's a brand of canned soup here (U.S.) that is advertised as being hearty and filling. The slogan is: "The soup that eats like a meal!" I can never hear/see the commercial without saying, "The soup that eats like a horse!" or "The soup that eats like a pig!"

Besides, why would you want to bring home soup that would eat *your* food?

[violinp]

A bed does not sleep. Someone may sleep on a bed, but it is impossible for an inanimate object to sleep. Therefore, catalogue, do not say that a bed "sleeps" two. Never mind the fact that you never say the two of what a bed sleeps - days? years? centuries?

There's a brand of canned soup here (U.S.) that is advertised as being hearty and filling. The slogan is: "The soup that eats like a meal!" I can never hear/see the commercial without saying, "The soup that eats like a horse!" or "The soup that eats like a pig!"

Besides, why would you want to bring home soup that would eat *your* food?

Yes! I hate that commercial!

[violinp]

Several years ago, there was a big fight somewhere locally. The newspaper reported that "someone was shot in the fracas." My dad said, "Well, that must've hurt. The fracas is a very sensitive part of the body."

[Giggity]

Here's one I see all the time: ok.

NO SIR. Wrong wrong WRONG.

The word is "okay." If you wish to shorten it, you capitalize it: OK. There is no such word as "ok."

[#borecore]

Here's one I see all the time: ok.

NO SIR. Wrong wrong WRONG.

The word is "okay." If you wish to shorten it, you capitalize it: OK. There is no such word as "ok."

Hilarious! I hate "okay"!
It's only OK to use "OK," according to the Associated Press Stylebook.

It's an acronym or abbreviation for "oll korrect" (which is no longer OK to use, IMO). See Straight Dope for details: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for

[Giggity]

Most of the word-origin stories like that, sadly, are untrue. "To insure promptness,"* why the port side is called port, all those - nope.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/a-spitzer-tale-is-not-oll-korrect/

*This one should have been easy to call BS on. If you want something to happen, you take steps to ENSURE its happening. You INSURE your belongings with Allstate or Geico or whoever.

[#borecore]

Regardless, in this case, it was OK before it was okay.
The T.I.P.S. myth cracks me up each time, though.