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How to put it...
In the neighborhood I've resided in for the past 15 years, unique pronunciations of place and street names is the norm. San Feleep, Guadaloop, Kirkendoll, Tailspin, San Jahsinto or San Jack, etc. I've received not a little bit of good natured ribbing from folks back home as we prepare for our move, because I'm automatically applying a Houstonian pronunciation to Spanish and French words. Long A, short A, no e at the end, ch instead of sh, i's are i's or maybe they're e's.
Lord help me, I may be too old to change and people are going to snicker at me for decades!

When quoting the Declaration of Independence, the use of "Inalienable" instead of "Unalienable". There are millions of text books out there that are incorrect in this particular.

puma guy wrote:

Dadtodabone wrote:

Wolverine wrote:While we're on this subject, I always wondered if one of them dies, is the other still a twin?

Yes, though referred to as "remaining" or "twinless".

Since my brother was born 15 minutes before me he always refers to me as the twin and himself as the original.

That is funny! I've never heard that before!

RogueUSMC wrote: Wow...you spent time on this...lol

5-10 minutes? I'm a frustrated History major with a captive audience and a very good memory.

Wolverine wrote:While we're on this subject, I always wondered if one of them dies, is the other still a twin?

Yes, though referred to as "remaining" or "twinless".

Oldgringo wrote:

WildBill wrote:

puma guy wrote:Being one myself I am always perplexed as to how many folk are referenced when some one says " a pair of twins". Is it two or four?

What about a pair of pants, scissors or pliers?

I've often wondered about that my own self.

Pants/Trousers evolved from fitted stockings, pantaloons/trews, that were made and donned individually. Long tunics would cover the join for warmth and modesty's sake.
Parenthetically it was the shortening of the tunic during the Medieval Warm Period, that led to the creation of the codpiece which joined the pairs.
A modern iteration of the codpiece can be found in the U.S. Navy enlisted mans trousers.
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/s ... 01_92.aspx

Instruments and tools which feature identical limbs which are joined have always been referred to in the plural. Calipers, tweezers, scissors, pliers. Scissors is a plural noun; thus "a scissors" would be wrong. To refer indefinitely to one unit, one should always use pair, as in "a pair of scissors". With the definite article the and the plural adjectives these and those, pair does not have to be used: those scissors are terrible, try these scissors, the scissors are bad, etc.

Oldgringo wrote:If "folk" is more than one, how many is "folks"?

Less than "folk", when "folk" is used as an adjective.
As an adjective, folk encompasses all the inhabitants of a race or land, their culture, tradition, or history.
As a noun "folk" and [always] "folks" is a subset of a larger group.

council- a body of persons brought together for advice, governing, etc.
counsel- advice, opinion given to another
consul- official appointed by one country to oversee its interest in another country
console- give comfort

Charlies.Contingency wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:

WildBill wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:"hate".... It seems, more and more, that if one disagrees with someone or their agenda, one is pronounced to be guilty of "hate". The words "hate" and "disagreement" are not automatically synonymous.

Right on target Oldgringo.

By the same/similar token, "racist" is another word frequently misused.

That's Racist Man! What are you trying to say? I just had to do it... Sorry.

I can't stand txt talking when people speak... Don't say lol, or roflol... either do it in real life, or stop thinking it... same with other txt tlk like what the heck, brb, etc...

Don't forget that all Racists are Bigots, but not all Bigots are Racists.

Count wrote:

WildBill wrote:"I don't disagree with anything you said."

Does this mean that you agree with everything that he said?

I don't know what it means to the person who said it to you and I'm sure some people use it as double-speak.

However, during my Big 4 years, I worked with a partner who used "I don't disagree" to indicate what was said was true, but might not be the whole truth. Sometimes the gap was incomplete data. Sometimes it was not seeing the forest for the trees. Sometimes he agreed with the facts but not the conclusion. The phrase seemed like his way of softening constructive criticism to staff.

Well put.
I have an uncle who was an Arthur Young and Co. partner back in the "Big 8" days. I don't believe he ever softened his criticism of anything....

G26ster wrote:

Abraham wrote:WildBill,

A plain old fashioned "Your Welcome" works for me.

"Your Welcome" is a simple exercise of social deportment that doesn't impute "Pleasure", but satisfies an exchange of niceties.

Doing some form of work for others is just that: Work, not pleasure. The person one does the work/service for doesn't for one moment think the worker found his effort a pleasure, unless maybe he's a masochist...

However, if I do some form of work for myself, such as mowing my yard, once back in the house, I look in the mirror and loudly proclaim: "My Pleasure" with a simultaneous, energetic shake of the head up and down and then I jump into the shower!

I think it's "You're welcome"

In any case, as you say, it's just a nicety and a very vague one at that. What am I welcome to do? Come back, visit your home, marry your daughter? No real definition here. Just a nicety with nothing specific implied. Same with "My pleasure." Just a nicety with no specific meaning. My pleasure to serve you, inform you, assist you, get my palm greased by you? Doesn't matter as it's nothing specific, just a "nicety" with the same vagueness as "You're welcome." MHO

From the same source, with the same meaning: "polite response to thanks."

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... re-welcome" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... y-pleasure" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was taught that in informal situations the correct response to "Thank You" was a polite smile and a short nod of the head, or if wearing one, a tip of the hat from the front of the brim. Informal situation, but with thanks presented from a senior or an older person, would include the former with the addition of "Ma'am" or "Sir" which ever the case maybe.
Formal situations are fraught with peril for those who haven't read Emily Post or been tutored by my mothers hand. As illustrated by the previous posts, guessing wrong can create ill will in a moment.
"You're Welcome", while banal, is the appropriate response to thanks in a formal situation to someone higher in the perceived pecking order, as in server to customer.
"My Pleasure" is for formal use between social equals when a service of some magnitude has been rendered, such as hosting a cocktail hour for a political candidate, a bridal/baby shower or some other large event.
"Don't Mention It" "Think Nothing Of It" are used formally only and from a senior to a junior, and only when a major service has been rendered: a recommendation which led to a substantial change in position/employment, a grant of land or funds. The intent of the terms was to alleviate the sense of obligation from the act(the polar opposite of what a Don Corleone would mean using the terms), a remnant of noblesse oblige. Although today such usage could be viewed as condescending by the untutored.
"No Problem" "Anytime" are never appropriate in a formal situation. Their use by friends or social equals in informal situations may be acceptable, I suppose. Though one term denigrates the act that incited the thanks and the other establishes a continuing obligation of service. I, personally, would never use either term.

p.s.
Noblesse Oblige. This term has developed a negative connotation in the last 20 years or so as more folks become unaware of its meaning: The inferred responsibility of privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged.

WildBill wrote:Irregardless of what you think, "conversate" is a word.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainmen ... word/6549/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Using the OED editor's usage decides criterion, "teh", as in mistyping "the", as seen on boards around the world will soon have the same currency as the correct spelling.

How do students of English as a second language cope with "The Chaos"?
Wikipedia sample.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chaos
T.E.S.S. History and complete text of "The Chaos". http://www.spellingsociety.org/journals/j17/caos.php Not for the faint of heart!

edit to add:
Is Jeff Foxworthy as well educated as an 8th grader from a century ago? Am I? Are You?
http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bch ... 12ans.html
For those of you who have seen it before, this link provides the test and the answers.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

Dadtodabone wrote:

WildBill wrote:Many of these have already been posted, but ...I couldn't think of any on my own.

[ Image ]

Google(yes, it's a verb now) lack toast and tolerant.

I did exactly that. Jesus wept.

For your entertainment: http://grammargeddon.com/?p=364

Sadly, the article linked used the cheese quesadilla/casadia misspelling as an example.
Quesadilla (Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwich) is the conjoining and contraction of Queso (Spanish for Cheese)and Tortilla. Only with added ingredients is a modifier required; Chicken, Beef, Bean, etcetera.

The confusion in regards chile, chili and Chile continues to amaze me. "I recently enjoyed a bowl of green chile chili while on vacation in Chile."

WildBill wrote:Many of these have already been posted, but ...I couldn't think of any on my own.

[ Image ]

Google(yes, it's a verb now) lack toast and tolerant.