June 09, 2004

The English Language

Where have I been?

I thought that I was up on all the latest stuff going on in the world, but I guess not. I get the New York Times by e-mail every morning; so, I kind of like try to stay on top of current events and stuff, e.g., the Yankees winning 2-to-1 and using TiVo to download video and audio off the Internet.

So, I'm looking at this article about John Ashcroft explaining why what the government is doing is different than what the Nazis were doing in the early 1930's, and not doing a very good job of it, by the way; and I'm noticing the word "memorandums" jumping off the computer screen at me.

And I think to myself what a wonderful world what the fuck? "Memoran ... DUMS?" What the hell happened to "memoran ... da?" I mean, what was I doing when the announcement was made that the plural of memorandum is now "memorandums?"

How could they do this? Next thing you know, the plural of "subpoena" will be "subpoenas" and not "subpoenae."

Oh, fiendish world! The plural is "subpoenas!" Spring these changes in the language with some fanfare, with some panache, especially , changes in the language of my profession! Do not crush the life out of me by making a fool of me in front of my peers.

Embarrassed and disconcerted, I beg that I may take my leave.

[Exeunt]

Posted by Bill at June 9, 2004 12:19 PM
Comments

I have pet peeves like this also. There's a commercial running on TV where they say "snuck," and it grates on my nerves every time I hear it. It's "sneaked"! "Snuck" is not a word. Although, it may be in the dictionary now because everyone uses the incorrect conjugation.

Posted by: pink lotus at June 9, 2004 02:04 PM

My worst one is youse - being the plural of you. I absolutely HATE it when people use youse in a sentence and I want to SCREAM that there is no such word in the OXFORD dictionary.

Posted by: Michelle at June 9, 2004 03:04 PM

But is there anything worse than "gots"? Although youse is pretty darned terrible.

Posted by: Keri at June 9, 2004 09:48 PM

Oh my Gots Keri - you mean people actually use a word like that? Maybe we should all be forced to take English tests every 10 years or so *lol*.

Posted by: Michelle at June 11, 2004 03:58 PM

Is the plural "octopusses"? Or am I just being to picky?

Posted by: Philip at June 12, 2004 04:19 PM