Me Fail English? That’s Unpossible!
All is not well in the land of Canada. We have many people who, though they insist that they speak the English language, do no such thing.
I don’t know how many times I have heard people making fun of people from other countries for not speaking english properly.
This may be true in some cases.
People from here are no better.
Certainly typos are excusable, as they are made frequently* by us all. But what do you call it when people don’t say things properly? What if they mess up whole expressions?
I’ll share a line I heard the other day. It’s right up there with noo-cue-ler, foilage and irregardless…
Oh, I don’t care. It’s all the same. Six and a half of one, a dozen of the other, you know what I mean?
Seriously**.
This makes me very unproud. 
Good Luck to Des
A friend of mine is grading for his black belt tomorrow. I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish him well.
He’s a decent fellow. He’s brutally blunt, but makes no apologies. He’s also a great person, who would go an extra hundred miles for a friend.
If you have any positive words of wisdom for him, please write them as comments.
Truthfully, I don’t think he needs luck. He’s got what it takes.
* – I am notorious for typos. In fact, this is the 58th edit right now! It’s probably still wrong!
** – The actual phrase is six of one, half a dozen of the other. Last time I checked 6.5 does not equal 12.
Filed under: Friends, General Dialogue, Spaces Archive |
Barking Space 
Ach, don’t be so hard on people. Getting your mouth and your brain to act together is a hard job. I have a pretty good idea that if Mrs. Jorge had said it, you would think it was cute. If Dave had said it, you’d think it hilarious and post a screen shot of the conversation to show us all how funny you guys are. Oh Jorge, I think maybe I come here too often, eh?
Good luck to your friend tommorrow 🙂 Bad speaking has always made me crazy. If I’m not sure of what I’m saying, I always ask, I’d rather put it out there that I might not be right than to say something wrong and have people think i’m a fruitcake.
I know what you mean about people and their terrible English. While marking papers for a first year English course, Dave (not Dave, the other Dave) has had students use the words “outkast” and “ludacris”… and these weren’t essay about popular music. The students just actually thought that that is how you spell those words. And I’ve had more than one student write about “calcium-induced orange juice” in the nutrition course that I teach! Yeesh!
And good luck to your friend!!
Beth – What, you’ve never derived orange juice from calcium? Bah! What kind of scientist are you?
Shellie – I AM a fruitcake. I ask no one anything, and prefer to teach by example what NOT to do.
Jay – You should be coming here twice as much, considering your husband painted you as some other-worldy goddess (which, while true, holds you accountable for much more than you may want to be responsible for)
You spelled “insist” with an “e” at the end.
Heh.
But I know what you mean… A drama teacher I had, many moons ago in high school used to lament what he called the “death of the English language”… he said that pretty soon we would be communicating in grunts. I am inclined to believe him, if the youth of today are any judge.
Good luck to your blunt force friend. 🙂
James: Thanks for the correction.
All: 59 Edits and counting. And Dave and Reay haven’t even commented yet. Woe is me.
Yew knead 2 no how 2 spell?
I saw a truck today advertising ‘Jim’s Old Fashion’ handywork. I wanted to go paint an ‘ed’ on the end.
Two weeks ago, the marquee at Braum’s was advertising ‘a bag of burgers’, but they spelled it ‘a bag of buggars’. Doesn’t that sound appetizing?
I’m with you on this, my friend. And these are people for whom English is a first language!!
As to your comments on my space, I can only say that I am lucky to have *netmet* you as well. (Look, I just made up a word!) You are an incredible person, and for you to spend time writing great comments to me, well, it humbles me.
You rock. (And I believe I’ve told you that before. I need to come up with a more original saying. Or maybe I can change it so I say to someone ‘you Jorge!’ Thereby making you the actual definition of rocking!)
ANYWAY – you’re awesome, and my blogosphere would be lonely without you in it.
To quote a friend:
“Mnnnmmmnnargh…………typo.”
What is foilage?
Actually, Miss Jay, Jorge does correct my mistakes and usually mocks me….and typically threatens to blog about it….but he doesn’t dare!
So I was wondering.
Dave is your Mrs. Jorge-with-a-goatee, and you’re his Mr. Salty Mountain, so can I be Mrs. If-we-were-into-threesomes-she’d-be-our-pick? I’m feeling kind of left out.
😉
Hey Jorge,
I am horrible at spelling and even worse at my pronounciation. I even question my spelling on that word! Luckily I installed the google.ca add-on for spelling or my blog entries would be horrible (in regards to misspellings that is!).
But at least you recognize and appreciate your “wrong spellings”. We all do it! I often pick them up in other’s blogs AND MINE TOO and never correct them. If these things were to be published in a paid writting thing, I think we may use spell-check more, but really WHO CARES!!
My Mother has international students living with her most of the time and they come here to learn, not to be patronized by those who are supposed to know the language. I think this may be why I am so biased regarding this subject! Are we a multicultural country or not?
I think I am going to have to start-up blogging again. I just wrote one on your Space!
Take care,
Adrienne
Adrienne: You rock. That’s for the post. Yeah, I don’t mind when people make mistakes, as I make so many. I do mind when one person will speak as if they are the god of language, and fail to acknowledge their own mistakes.
Courtney: You will have to ask our bosses.
Yeah funny!
I’m queen of typos too but most of the times because I try to type as fast as I think trying not to loose a thought … doesn’t work I assure you … hehehe
hehehe sim aqui em Portugal as pessoas tem que esperar nas bichas para ser atendidas no bancos e os veados são mesmo uns animais muito engraçados … só isso … os brasileiros é que têm umas mentes muito … coloridas hehehe 😉
hmmm se calhar não devia estar a escrever em português mas sinceramente não resisti
Liliana
it’s “funner” to make typos and speak the “rottonist” engliash …. ….6.5 doesn’t equal 12 ….what the f*ck? …..hope you had a good weekend …. ..TTfN
Hi Jorge,
Thank you for the “rock”! LOL! Speaking of unrelated, yet related, topics; I bought a piece of Amythest (I just looked at the little sheet I got with it, it’s Amethyst!) yesterday. That’s a rock too right? I know it’s technically a stone, but it’s found in a rock… Oh whatever!
As for your comment on my Space… Yes, paradox! Perhaps we will quit drinking someday (why?!?!) and become those brilliant geniuses! We can plot together to take over the World. I really would prefer to have a beer and discuss how brilliant we are, but if the drinking must end, then becoming a God will suffice.
Ok, I am crazy this fine Sunday morning. I think I should have some tea and calm down…
Take care!
Adrienne (A.K.A. Barney!)
Every time the US President makes a State of the Union address and says “new-cue-lur,” I die a little inside.