Maddenation
Common Mispronunciation
Common Mispronunciation is full of idiotspeak that we Maddens frown on down on. Some is just nitpicking, but hey.
My favorites?
athelete For all intensive purposesDan • Words • 03/31/04 • 4 comments
heighth (my boss says this. I do not know why.)
irregardless
nucular
orientate (reminds me of “conversate,” which can be heard in rap lyrics)
pronounciation
snuck (as in, “sneaked.” Dictionary.com does list this as a word)
spitting image (I used to say “Soap Bopper” as a kid, this is probably the same thing)
supposably
Comments
David • 04/02/04 • 2:12 PM:So what’s the story behind “champ at the bit”? I just did some research (read: I typed it into google) and didn’t find anything at all. What’s up with that? It makes sense to be “chomp” because a horse would be ‘chomping’ on its bit, of course. I don’t feel like investigating further, so I ask you - family of all-stars.
David • 04/02/04 • 2:16 PM:I would agrue that ‘spitting image’ has replaced ‘spit and image’. I, for one, didn’t know otherwise, and I think this is a case where cultural and the vernacular have squashed the original version. Everybody says spitting image, and therefore it must be better. No?
Am I the only one who didn’t know about that phrase?
Dad • 04/02/04 • 5:08 PM:I thought “spitting image” was alright as is, but I guess I must stand corrected. As for “champ at the bit” I think it should to be “chomp at the bit” but this site says both are right. However, This site lists the chomp version as one of the 100 most often mispronounced “words.” But this site says you get more Google hits for chomping. Anyway, you can make your own comment on the last site.
Oh. I just figured out that Dan’s original starting point was the 100 most mispronounced words. I’ve done too much formatting to give up now.
Patrick • 04/05/04 • 11:57 AM:Some of those are actual mispronunciations; some are true, acceptable pronunciations (like “canidate,” “Febyuary,” “lambast,” “erb” for “herb,” “mannaise,” “parlament”); some are dialectical variations (“aks,” “close” for “clothes”); some are things nobody ever really says except in jest (“Old-timers’ disease,” “Heineken remover”); and then there are a few good miswordations. I wish I didn’t have to wade through all that other stuff to find them. I am curious about “spit and image,” which I’ve always said (like everyone else) as “spitting image” and “chomp/champ at the bit,” which they don’t explain at all. Another one like that is “cardsharp,” which, of course, everyone says “card shark.”
So someone go figure out what “champ” and “spit and image” mean. And let me hear everyone exaggerate that ending T in “duct tape”! Make sure you pause: ducT … tape!
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