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Sunday, February 17, 2008

Making Up Words

I was watching the NBA Slam-Dunk contest this weekend and Daryl Dawkins made a comment about Dwight Howard’s dunk saying “he's got power and imagistration..." What the hell is IMAGISTRATION??????? Wow! I finally get to say it, I’m a tad disturbed by people making up words! I’ve been in meetings with “big time money making executives” who use IRREGARDLESS. I cringe every time I hear this word. I want to raise my hand in the meeting and say “excuse me the word is regardless.” Of course, I’m such a smart a$# I always make it my business to use the right word in a sentence. I know this isn’t right but, I just can’t help it, I just can’t stand made-up words.

I just had a conversation the other day about AGGREANCE. Webster’s says this is not a word. It has also been called a bastardization of the word agreement. I like that! Uhhh…it may be a word in Australia but, in America we haven’t used it since the 1700s so, no, it isn’t a word. The word is agreement.

Now, my biggest made-up word peeve…CONVERSATE!!!!!!! I have been known to meet a man who was attractive and seemingly had it going on but, in a conversation he said CONVERSATE…nextttttttt!!!!!!!

What is it with these made up words? Are people trying to sound smarter than they are? What about the dictionary? I remember growing up when I didn’t know what a word meant or how to spell a word my mother would say “go look it up.” I thought that was so stupid. How could I go look up a word I didn’t know how to spell? If I didn’t know what a word meant or if I used it wrong my mother made me look it up. Man she made me mad! But, I was good friends with the dictionary. Poor Baby I, she has nothing coming when she says Mommy, how do I spell xxxx or Mommy, what does xxx mean??? Look It Up! This is one of those things that I swore I would never do but, now I know I will! Too bad my mother didn’t have a better remedy for my math skills. I guess I did okay (maybe it’s age more than anything because I did take calculus in high school) but somehow I never have enough fingers in the grocery store to calculate my bill.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

how about being at a TEACHERS's QUALITY REVIEW meeting where one teacher repeatedly says "pacifically" as in "I pacifically told him not do to that"!?! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

Handlyrics said...

Funny you wrote this post. A friend of mine posted something similar about :valenTIMES day. Hilarious. I have to agree with you CONVERSATE is my ULTIMATE peeve. I know people that say supposABLY. Drives me nuts.

Single PAP said...

ok, i have never heard pacifically (thankfully!!)... what the hell does that mean anyway?? but conversate rubs me the wrong way so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what is up with that??????????? and when the hell are we doing sushi to catch up, tami????????????

QB said...

I eXpecially hate it when people say eXpresso. And supposably. But last night, my sister who is famous for making up and misusing words, told a story where somebody did something great and the whole room burst into "clapter" (like laughter, but clapping instead). I liked that one.

Rebecca said...

Suppose I told you that my husband uses the word "irregardlessLY"! He doesn't just stop with the irregardless, but ends it with -ly!

Tami said...

Katy I love clapter! I may have to use that one! Clapter is hilarious! Tell you sister to continue using it!

Tracey said...

I tried to post a comment earlier, but I got a weird message. So, I'll just stick to my absolute biggest word pet peeve - nucular. I say, if you can't properly pronounce the word nuclear, you should not be allowed to have your finger on the button!

VALARIE said...

I heard one yesterday that I have to add. The word used was "estimization". I think estimate would have done fine.

Valarie

Jennifer said...

I TOTALLY agree. Making up AND mispronouncing words drives me crazy. Butchering of english in general is like a knife in my heart. I am the annoying person who corrects grammar....I am not afraid to admit it!

Anna said...

I have to admit I use the word "bestest" as in , my bestest friend. Wait, did I spell that right?

Anonymous said...

I fell upon your site while trying to prove to a co-worker that although she insists on using the word "agreeance", it is not a word. She almost challenged me to a Webster Duel!! BTW/love the "pacifically" and "irregardless"! Do people have a clue how uneducated they sound? Wait, is uneducated a word?? YIKES!

Tami said...

That's funy. I forgot all about this post. Now, my peeve is...what I do all the time...is where the heck do I put the comma,? LOL Dang, you forget that stuff the older you get...I find myself really thinking about little stuff like that and saying hmm am I doing this right still? LOL Ummm, no!

Ms Pamela Murphy said...

I'm with you on all of those, however, aggreance, is indeed as word. Just because it's archaic, doesn't mean it's invalid. (it's also listed in oxford). yay for old words! haha :)

Baggas said...

About most of those words I'm in agreeance with you, with one notable exception. Agreeance is a real word.

What I've found annoying lately is an increasing number of words spelled without a double l - eg. cancelled becomes 'canceled' or traveller becomes 'traveler' These type of spellings seem to be creeping in more and more.