The Tirade of a Language Snob!

Ever hear something like this: "He had boughten some mannaise and supposably likded the samwich better."  ARGH!!!

I admit that the bastardization of the English language really offends my sensibilities!  It's an occupational hazard being both an English major and English teacher.  On a daily basis, I hear the English language mangled beyond recognition and it equally saddens, frustrates, and angers me. I understand that in my classes, I deal with English language learners and I am very patient with my students, but I do try to educate them on the proper pronunciation of words. Of course, when I'm not in my classroom and hear these words on the streets or on television, it makes me want to punch a baby!  :-)

Here is just a small sampling of some of the regularly mispronounced words I hear:

Don't say: bidness │ do say: business 

Last time I checked there was an "s" in the first part of this word with no "d". 

Don't say: birfday  │ do say: birthday

There is a "th" in birthday.  Please use them.  There is no "f". 

Don't say: boughten  │ do say: bought

Now, don't get me wrong - boughten is a word, but it's an archaic word and most people use it incorrectly.  Boughten should only be used as an adjective:  "I like boughten bread, but prefer home baked."  Otherwise, the word is bought.  "I bought some bread."

Don't say: drowndid  │ do say: drown/drowned

My skin crawls every time I hear the word drowndid.  There is no word drowndid!  Use either drown or drowned depending on which tense you are speaking.

Don't say: expresso  │ do say: espresso
The Italian in me really hates when people say "ex"-presso.  Esssss - like a snake!

Don't say: irregardless  │ do say: regardless or irrespective

I can only assume that people are mixing together "regardless" and "irrespective" to come up with "irregardless" but it's an incorrect word.  "-less" already denotes "without" so there is no need to use the "ir-" which means "not".

Don't say: libary │ do say: library

You will note that the word actually has two "r"-s and has three syllables.  'Lie-brer-ee'.

Don't say: likeded │ do say: liked

I cannot decided out of all the words on this list which is the worse, but this might be it.  This mispronunciation makes my ears bleed every time I hear it!  "I likeded him."  No, no, no, liked - one syllable.

Don't say: mannaise │ do say: mayonnaise

Ever wonder why the short form of a word pronounced "mannaise" is "mayo"? Well, it is because the original should be pronounced "mayo-nnaise." Just remember: what would mayonnaise be without "mayo"?

Don't say: nucular │ do say: nuclear

I know that people heard the mispronunciation of "nuclear" for 8 years by former Pinhead Bush, but seriously "nucular" is wrong!  'New-klee-er'

Don't say: old-timer's disease │ do say: Alzheimer's Disease
Pure laziness with this mispronunciation.  I think people just have a hard time saying the word "Alzheimer's" so they say "old-timer's" instead, but it's really not that difficult.  'Alts-high-merz'  See? Easy!

Don't say: samwich│ do say: sandwich
Yeah, I don't get this one at all.  It would seem to me that you have to go out of your way in order to get this one wrong.  'Sand - witch'  

Don't say: snuck │ do say: sneaked

Okay, I know that "snuck" is used on a constant basis, but it really isn't a proper word.  "Sneaked" would be the correct past time of sneak.  "We sneaked into the movie theater."

Don't say: supposably │ do say: supposedly

When I hear someone say "supposably", it reminds me of an episode of Friends. "Supposably" is NOT a word!  Please stop using it.

As I mentioned, this list is just a brief one of a much, much longer and more offensive list, but it highlights the worse mispronunciations.  I found this cartoon and laughed really hard when I read it.