Happy National Grammar Day! (But…it’s important EVERY DAY.)
This one doesn’t drive me as crazy as other things do. I like to think of it as Ironic when I hear it misused. And I don’t hear it nearly as often as I do other death-spiral inducing faux pas.
My latest–and longest-lasting–one is really causing me terrible and considerable consternation. It’s not even a Grammar Thing. It’s the people who constantly insist on pronouncing the S sound preceding a TR blend as an SH. So, I have to hear things like SHtrict, inSHtruction, diSHtrict, SHtrange, diSHtribution. It’s horrific.
Nance, do you hate Holly Hunter then? Doesn’t she do that? Maybe if you thought of them like the old guy from the Pepperidge Farm commercials, it wouldn’t bother you so much. (I just found one on YouTube, and sadly, he doesn’t do that. Rats.)
I don’t know why, but the literally thing just gets my goat. Other things, I can let go.
Maya’s supervisor at work says ‘I seen’ instead of ‘I saw’. She is a 40-something year old with a degree from one of the best public Universities in our country. It drives Maya nuts, like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Holly Hunter just has a sloppy S sound in general. This odd proclivity for the SHtr blend is primarily occurring in Black speakers; therefore, since we get Cleveland local market news, there are lots of Black anchors and reporters who have this habit. It has now bled into the general population, so I am never safe. Even former FLOTUS Michelle Obama does it. It’s horrible.
Another speech quirk that’s taken hold and is killing me is this odd habit people have of eliding the T sound in the middle of words. They simply stop saying it. You can hear it in an Olay product commercial. The young woman says, “Olay remains UNBE. EN.” instead of “unbeaten.” NO T SOUND. What the hell IS that? Why stop speaking in the middle of a word instead of saying the letter? There is no Silent T! It’s also in a pharmeceutical commercial: the girl sings, “Things are ge. In’ clearer.” instead of “gettin’ clearer”. GRRRRR!
Oh dear, yes, I have noticed the missing T thing as well! On NPR no less, and NOT by the guests. Where did that come from? The one that jumps out at me the most is button, pronounced bu.en. What?
5 Comments
nance
Happy National Grammar Day! (But…it’s important EVERY DAY.)
This one doesn’t drive me as crazy as other things do. I like to think of it as Ironic when I hear it misused. And I don’t hear it nearly as often as I do other death-spiral inducing faux pas.
My latest–and longest-lasting–one is really causing me terrible and considerable consternation. It’s not even a Grammar Thing. It’s the people who constantly insist on pronouncing the S sound preceding a TR blend as an SH. So, I have to hear things like SHtrict, inSHtruction, diSHtrict, SHtrange, diSHtribution. It’s horrific.
J
Nance, do you hate Holly Hunter then? Doesn’t she do that? Maybe if you thought of them like the old guy from the Pepperidge Farm commercials, it wouldn’t bother you so much. (I just found one on YouTube, and sadly, he doesn’t do that. Rats.)
I don’t know why, but the literally thing just gets my goat. Other things, I can let go.
J
Maya’s supervisor at work says ‘I seen’ instead of ‘I saw’. She is a 40-something year old with a degree from one of the best public Universities in our country. It drives Maya nuts, like fingernails on a chalkboard.
nance
Holly Hunter just has a sloppy S sound in general. This odd proclivity for the SHtr blend is primarily occurring in Black speakers; therefore, since we get Cleveland local market news, there are lots of Black anchors and reporters who have this habit. It has now bled into the general population, so I am never safe. Even former FLOTUS Michelle Obama does it. It’s horrible.
Another speech quirk that’s taken hold and is killing me is this odd habit people have of eliding the T sound in the middle of words. They simply stop saying it. You can hear it in an Olay product commercial. The young woman says, “Olay remains UNBE. EN.” instead of “unbeaten.” NO T SOUND. What the hell IS that? Why stop speaking in the middle of a word instead of saying the letter? There is no Silent T! It’s also in a pharmeceutical commercial: the girl sings, “Things are ge. In’ clearer.” instead of “gettin’ clearer”. GRRRRR!
J
Oh dear, yes, I have noticed the missing T thing as well! On NPR no less, and NOT by the guests. Where did that come from? The one that jumps out at me the most is button, pronounced bu.en. What?