Silence Is A Virtue
I have a pet peeve. It's not my own, but one that was handed down to me from my high school English professor. There is a word that people mispronounce on a daily basis. Even the most educated people say it incorrectly. In fact, it is pronounced incorrectly so much so, that most dictionaries nowadays have included the INCORRECT pronunciation.
It's getting to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not a stickler for grammar. My own entries would probably land me in jail with the grammar police for so many sentence fragments. But this one word just jars me everytime I hear it. It's getting to me. I can't not say anything anymore.
The word is "often". OFF EN. Not of-ten. OFFEN. That's how it's pronounced. You wouldn't say sof-ten. You say soffen, when you want to use the word "soften." It's the same with the word "often". The T is silent. IT'S SILENT!!!!!! Stop saying it incorrectly! Stop, people! Stop the madness! You're killing me!
Now, I've got to go. Chris just asked for filet mignons and he totally pronounced the G!!!! What is wrong with people?!
It's getting to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not a stickler for grammar. My own entries would probably land me in jail with the grammar police for so many sentence fragments. But this one word just jars me everytime I hear it. It's getting to me. I can't not say anything anymore.
The word is "often". OFF EN. Not of-ten. OFFEN. That's how it's pronounced. You wouldn't say sof-ten. You say soffen, when you want to use the word "soften." It's the same with the word "often". The T is silent. IT'S SILENT!!!!!! Stop saying it incorrectly! Stop, people! Stop the madness! You're killing me!
Now, I've got to go. Chris just asked for filet mignons and he totally pronounced the G!!!! What is wrong with people?!
posted by Ari at 7:20 PM
7 Comments:
AMEN, sister girl, AMEN!
Here are some that often (OFFEN) grate on my own nerves:
unthaw - this would actually mean "freeze." If you are going to leave something out so that it can gradually warm from a frozen state, then you are going to THAW it, not unthaw it.
miscellaneous - SEVERAL people here pronounce the C, which is supposed to be silent.
interesting - even more people pronounce this with four syllables, when it only has three. They say "IN-arresting" and it's supposed to be "IN-trest-ing." You wouldn't say "IN-arrest" for interest.
salmon - lots of people here pronounce the "L," which is supposed to be silent. It's "SAM-un," and not "SAL-mun"
It's often been said that the French don't care what they say, as long as they pronounce it correctly. I believe that it's unfortunate that we in America, the leading country in the free world, no longer care what we say, or how we say it. How else can you explain Bushisms? Pass the nucular (how he pronounces "nuclear") warheads, please!
I hope you didn't need to ask for the alumininininininium foil!
Pronunciation is my pet peeve, when people say you have poor pronounciation, that just screams 'idiot!'
MAAAAAAAAAAAN! LOL
If I ever meet Ari in person, I have to remember not to use the word "often". I thought that is how it is pronounced. Just about everyone in The Roc says it that way.
That reminds me of Patrick's post about K-Mart, I mean Kmart.
You don't want to come to Raachester then. We say "AA" alot.
Tomato, Tamato I guess. LOL
well at least he didnt pronounce the "t"
I notice things as this as well...My grandmother would add an "r" to the end of names, Like Linda would be Linder...Use to drive me nuts!
Glad I am not alone!
I'm right there with you. Hate "ofTen". Hate it! :)
Gah!! You've totally hit on one of my pet peeves too.
The other one - the one that drives me completely BONKERS - is "irregardless". Not regardless? Wha? That doesn't make any damn sense!
You wouldn't believe how many educated people I've heard use that bit of nonsense in a professional setting or presentation. It takes every ounce of my will power not to stand up and point out that they are an idiot.
I have an ideal... LOL ... So many people have certains words that instantly grate on their every nerve. Mine is ideaL. Yup, I know a WHOLE family that have good ideaLs not ideas mind you. To this day, when they speak I correct them and say GET IT RIGHT OR ELSE. Perhaps this is why they say I'm a bitch. ::shrugs:: 14 years of hearing their good ideaLS have just pushed me over the edge.
LOL Thanks Ari!!!!
:o)
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