I just heard from.....

[Sensible Shoes]

somebody named "personal name removed" (aka wooda) on linkedin.com

Stay tuned - it could be our long lost friend

[SunisinuS]

Baits breath.

[twonabomber]

um...okay?

[SunisinuS]

It is just an English Major's thing: But still I am waiting for what happens next.

In linguistics, an eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker's dialect.

This is as opposed to a malapropism, where the substitution creates a nonsensical phrase. Classical malapropisms generally derive their comic effect from the fault of the user, while eggcorns are errors that exhibit creativity or logic.[1] Eggcorns often involve replacing an unfamiliar, archaic, or obscure word with a more common or modern word ("baited breath" for "bated breath").[2]

often see ‘bated breath’ written as ‘baited breath’. I can see how that happens: you hear the term, and the only word you know that sounds like ‘bated’ is ‘baited’. It makes a certain amount of sense, too, imagining a person waiting with bait in his or her mouth for some form of prey to come by and wander in.

Of course, it’s not ‘baited’ breath, but ‘bated’ breath, as in ‘abated’. Merriam-Webster assures me that the word comes from Middle English. The term ‘bated breath’ means ‘with restrained breath’, a perfect description of the state in which you sit holding your breath listening intently for any sound.

It’s also a good description of the state I’m in as I wait to see if another of the Guest Bloggers (we are a motley crue) breaks the ice and posts something. Anything… come on… Darren’s only here for another day…

I guess I’ll have to jump in. By way of introduction, my name is Dean Cochrane. I am currently a software developer, but am an aspiring (and as yet unpublished) writer. I, like probably ten percent of the people you meet, have a novel in the works. I am a semi-veteran blogger, and a genuine net veteran. I can remember using a beta version of Mosaic and thinking “Hey, this could really catch on!”.

Oh, one other thing: my pet peeves, English-language-wise, are possessive its and the i before e rule.




Comments: 26 Responses so far Ellewiz
April 29th, 2004
9:00 am
THANK you. I’m a huge “its/it’s” peever!!! It seems like no one gives a damn about this rule at all anymore! There is a guy in my company who sends out messages WORLDWIDE with incorrect “its” and “it’s” all the time. I’ve tried to correct him before, but clearly I’m falling on deaf ears. Sheesh.

[Reply]

Sue
April 29th, 2004
9:22 am
I often read newspaper articles with bated breath to see if politicians or executives will be handing over the “reigns” of power to anyone. I wonder, when did they get divine right? Shouldn’t they in fact be passing the “reins” of power?

I don’t know who’s responsible for copy editing at newspapers and magazines anymore, but the entire profession needs a collective slap upside the head.

[Reply]

Karen Reply:
September 11th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

Well, when you add into the mix the amazingly high number of vetted journalists and writers who actually make up their “true” works, it gets even scarier. I’ve been noticing a higher incidence of proofing errors in the books I’ve been purchasing. Did the publishing houses cut down on their proofreaders because of the bad economy?

[Reply]

Meghan
April 29th, 2004
10:27 am
Welcome, Dean. You sparked a comment over on my blog (old man), though you must be prepared for bad punctuation (and perhaps spelling) if you venture over.

Have fun while the cat is away.

[Reply]

alan
April 29th, 2004
11:58 am
I also see a lot of people spelling Weird as “Wierd” which would be an exception to the i before e rule. Another peeve - people who use “blackmail” and “bribe” interchangeably. As if!

[Reply]

col
April 29th, 2004
12:12 pm
ahhh language pet peeves…you’re/your drives me nuts!

[Reply]

alison
April 29th, 2004
12:34 pm
your you’re
there their they’re
too to (i see this one far too often, thankfully we rarely see a missed used two)
a lot (two words people, two words)

but i have to admit i am fall pray to the i/e rule. there are so many exceptions, i almost never get it right. especially when spelling weird.

[Reply]

Rog
April 30th, 2004
12:44 am
and of course my pet peeve is people who start sentences with and, incorrect CAPS usage, poor grammar, punctuation and spelling, not to forget run-on sentences.

No, actually I’m lying. I don’t have any pet peeves about spelling, grammar, caps usage.

I do bristle a bit however when writers get all superior and post it/it’s your/you’re pet peeves while making plenty of ‘errors’ themselves for the sake of trendiness (~ahem~ I count two posters in all lowercase).

Writers aren’t supposed to have those pet peeves. We’re supposed to be aware of the English language as a fluid device, a tool for our own use, amusement and communication. That’s all it is folks, a tool. Follow the set of rules that you feel are best, but please stop acting all high and mighty towards others.

The only ones who should be so anal about the rules are the editors and grade 2 english teachers.

In other words: lighten up.

[Reply]

Darren James Harkness
April 30th, 2004
11:28 am
On the second page of Neal Stephenson’s _Snow Crash_, I actually read the words “roll model”.

Bad proofreader!

[Reply]

Jeff
March 22nd, 2007
3:43 pm
“Supposebly” vs. “supposedly” grates my ears. I’ve yet to read it in print, but I hear it quite often.

“Supposebly” is in fact a word, and its meaning is more than tangentially similar to “supposedly.” But, unless I read the dictionary wrong, “supposebly” means that something is ‘able to be supposed,’ while “supposedly” means that something is alleged to have transpired.

Both ‘meanings’ are my paraphrases. Am I close to plucking out the heart of the distinction? Any thoughts?

[Reply]

Karen Reply:
September 11th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

I thank you for the correction and origination. As a teacher, and human being, I’ve been concerned w/my students “conversating” instead of “conversing” with each other. After railing against this for more than a decade, I’m now rooting for it to be included in the annual dictionary update. English is fantastic because it IS such a plastic, living language.

[Reply]

Janey
May 31st, 2008
9:14 am
Nice. I’ve been playing Frozen Throne and I thiink it’s so hot when the Naga siren’s say “I’m waiting with baited breath” or “Hey, sailor”

Hehehe. It’s a cute take on the phrase, indeed.

[Reply]

David
September 24th, 2008
9:49 am
Oh finally, someone to clear up and explain the “bated breath” line. Thank you!

[Reply]

Sean Reply:
December 10th, 2008 at 1:05 pm

did you know it’s “toe the line”, not “tow the line”?

[Reply]

Brian
February 13th, 2009
7:25 am
I googled everywhere for baited breath…I was quickly revised to the spelling of bated breath…but the only person who seemed to clarify it immediatley was your blog…so I wanted to ease your breathing…with that long awaited blog entry (my first ever).

Your cite, its simply amazing i cant beleive it…their is humor in that some wear rite? keep it up…and I will improve…believe it or not ;-)

[Reply]

Ken Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 10:21 am

‘their is humor’ should be ‘THERE is humor’

[Reply]

Ken Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 10:23 am

Upon further review, maybe all your grammatical errors were intentiional. Sorry, I should have been more alert. No one could make that many errors in so few words.

[Reply]

Jon Beaupre
August 4th, 2009
6:49 pm
Darren, great discussion on linguistics and syntax, but I have to tweak you just a little: in your posting you write “I, like probably ten percent of the people you meet,…” - if you miss the commas - easy to do here - your sentence means you probably admire only a tenth of my friends. Of course, I like ALL of my friends, and you should too!

There are so many of this missed idioms. As a college professor, I get a million of them. How about the script that described a character as having ‘a blank stair on her face…’, or the lovely description of wearing ‘Pat-and-leather shoes…’

Jon Proud-to-be-a-good-ROLL-model Beaupre

[Reply]

Rory's Solar Power Hosting
October 6th, 2009
1:03 am
Lol @ Jon … that’s correct and a very funny observation. There’s so much bad spelling, grammar, punctuation etc these days. The kids grow up not knowing the basics. They know the txt speak though!

[Reply]

Money is like Manure
June 17th, 2010
8:19 am
[...] as I want to see a Fallout Online game I am not going to hold my breath, even if I do wait with bated breath . Yes, I do love the post apocolyptic genre, and the news coming out of E3 about Fallout New Vegas [...]

Ken
June 24th, 2010
10:26 am
Is anyone as amazed as I am by listening to British people use plural verbs for singular subjects? Example: “the nation are so proud of hosting the world cup;” “the team are feeling the pressure;” “Italy are looking at elimination”

They all do it. Maybe English grammar has changed and America needs to catch up.

[Reply]

Ron Reply:
July 15th, 2010 at 12:46 pm

My pet peeve, for many years now, are people who graduate high school, college, etc. My eighth grade English teacher was quite explicit. You do not graduate a high school; you graduate FROM a high school. He (Dr. Mersand) often depicted a man on a ladder with a brush and a bucket of paint, graduating the high school.

[Reply]

mbt shoes
July 17th, 2010
2:05 pm
thanks

[Reply]

barkod sistemi
July 17th, 2010
2:51 pm
My pet peeve, for many years now, are people who graduate high school, college, etc. My eighth grade English teacher was quite explicit. You do not graduate a high school; you graduate FROM a high school. He (Dr. Mersand) often depicted a man on a ladder with a brush and a bucket of paint, graduating the high school.

[Reply]

Mac Mini Purchase + Neighbours + Mower Woes - Palmer’s World
July 22nd, 2010
5:03 am
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[Reply]

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[Sensible Shoes]

Non Sequitar

English major, eh?

[twonabomber]

It is just an English Major's thing: But still I am waiting for what happens next...

you and Blaze are either related, or both off the same meds.

[Little Texan]

you and Blaze are either related, or both off the same meds.

Yeah, I thought Sinusitis was a Blaze alias at first.

[Blaze]

That's some serious stalking there, Nose Job!

[ThrillsNSpills]

Non Sequitar

English major, eh?

did he say Hello, or how ya doin ?
or even please post my real name

[SunisinuS]

Education is Frightening. Run away!

[ThrillsNSpills]

Education is Frightening. Run away!

it's spelled non sequitur.

I billeve that was settergurl's pernt.

[SunisinuS]

narn way....treally?

[SunisinuS]

non sequitur

A non sequitur (English: It does not follow; pronounced /ˌnɒnˈsɛkwɨtər/) is a Latin term for a conversational and literary device, often used for comedic purposes.

[Anonymous]

WARNING:

A dictionary is a book, but is not to be read as one reads a novel.

Doing so may cause unwanted side effects, some of which you can see in a few of the above posts.

Remember, kids: you consult a dictionary, you read a novel.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Anonymous]

somebody named "personal name removed" (aka wooda) on linkedin.com

Stay tuned - it could be our long lost friend

By the way, just what are you on about now, you crazy woman?

Cheers! :bottle:

[SunisinuS]

Sure thing Guido.

[fifth element]

Yeah, I thought Sinusitis was a Blaze alias at first.

and that one comment is all it takes.....

[Seshmeister]

Stay tuned - it could be our long lost friend

Possibly the most fucking stupid thread I've ever seen.

WTF are you doing???

Get this post edited.

[Cato]

eh, shoes started a worthless thread and posted wooda's real name?

wow.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Personal name removed......

[ZahZoo]

Such is the saga of wooda's life... once recognized as an icon of glorious debatchary only to be minimized in life and reduced to "Personal name removed...... "...

Shoes, if it is our old friend... please extend our regards to that sorry old fuck!!

[ThrillsNSpills]

Such is the saga of wooda's life... once recognized as an icon of glorious debatchary only to be minimized in life and reduced to "Personal name removed...... "...

Shoes, if it is our old friend... please extend our regards to that sorry old fuck!!

and to his brother Morning

[fifth element]

this has become a very odd thread....
(just an observation)

[Oolith]

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