Phase 11: Cold Welcome; Part 1: Toronto Chainsaw Massacre

I like how it makes a point of costing zero Canadian dollars.

(03-26-2010 12:39 PM)Chaos Wrote:  I know that... And I also know that language evolves... Doesn't necessarily make it right, but... meh. It's not like I care or anything.

Once the dictionary defines something, it becomes right, regardless of previous definitions.
To put it other words, dictionaries have the power to ret-con language.

What if the dictionaries disagree with each other?

Then let the Dict-wars begin!

(03-29-2010 08:10 PM)Milo Wrote:  What if the dictionaries disagree with each other?

Then public opinion wins. If the majority of people agree that a technically "wrong" grammar or spelling usage is correct, it then stops being wrong. I will point you to the word "ain't", which for decades was considered "wrong", but has become such a part of the English subconscious that it's now defined in most dictionaries.

It is still, however, wrong.

No it ain't.

Yes, it ai.

Ain't. Ain't, ain't, ain't, ain't.
Besides, if everyone held fast to the "correct" way of speaking, most of the world would still be speaking Latin or the tribal language of their region.

Is that a bad thing?

I refuse to spell my words with a "u". Who cares if ain't ain't a word. If it's part of normal conversation, then that's all that matters.

But it isn't part of normal conversation. I only ever use it when I'm intentionally trying to imitate an uneducated dialect.

Maybe not normal for you, but it's also not normal to misspell half your words with random "u"s.

I'm sourry, did you say soumething?

(03-31-2010 11:45 PM)Milo Wrote:  But it isn't part of normal conversation. I only ever use it when I'm intentionally trying to imitate an uneducated dialect.

Aw, hell, I can speak all "educated" and crap when I need to also, but it's more fun to not to. Besides, it helps me seem less like an elite jackass to the unwashed masses if I "dumb-down" my language and seem relate-able to them.

Calling them the "unwashed masses" probably hurts your ruse.

Well I obviously don't call them that to their faces, that'd just be rude. I just subtly hint that they need to bathe more regularly ... wait, throwing bars of soap at them while wearing a sanitary face mask is subtle, right?