could of, should of, would of

biko · 22-01-2009 10:06am #1

This is one of those errors typically made by a person more familiar with the spoken than the written form of English. A sentence like “I would have gone if anyone had given me free tickets” is normally spoken in a slurred way so that the two words “would have” are not distinctly separated, but blended together into what is properly rendered “would’ve.” Seeing that “V” tips you off right away that “would’ve” is a contraction of “would have.” But many people hear “would of” and that’s how they write it.

6,560 results from boards.ie for "would of"
3,240 results from boards.ie for "could of"
3,590 results from boards.ie for "should of"

Hagar · 22-01-2009 11:21pm

Scarey stats.
The real scarey thing is that if it becomes common enough it will be acceptable.

oscarBravo · 23-01-2009 12:22am

I'm seeing a number of such aural-to-written misinterpretations. The one that grates every time is the word "are" used in place of "our".

A.Partridge · 23-01-2009 12:30am

Hagar wrote: »

Scarey stats.
The real scarey thing is that if it becomes common enough it will be acceptable.

:D:D

scary... 1.causing fear or alarm; frightening. 2. easily roused to fear; timid.
Ref. Collins English Dictionary

oscarBravo · 23-01-2009 12:31am

Are we looking for a merger with Spell Czechs?

Hagar · 23-01-2009 12:36am

I was just trying to see if anyone was paying attention.
Scarey is an Americanism, God save us all from Americanisms.

tbh · 23-01-2009 10:17am

oscarBravo wrote: »

I'm seeing a number of such aural-to-written misinterpretations. The one that grates every time is the word "are" used in place of "our".

one that surprised me with how much it annoys me is the use of "mute point" instead of moot. And obviously, "seen" instead of "Seeing".

Hagar · 23-01-2009 10:36am

tbh wrote: »

And obviously, "seen" instead of "Seeing".

That really gets me, along with been instead of being.

Pherekydes · 28-01-2009 8:26pm

Hagar wrote: »

Scarey stats.
The real scarey thing is that if it becomes common enough it will be acceptable.

Or exceptable.

In other news, my daughter brought home a note from school, advising her to bring a pearer to her entrance exam.

Can anyone shed any light on what a pearer is? The wife said they meant parer, which begs the question, "Is it too late to switch?"

MathsManiac · 01-02-2009 9:32pm

Surely you're familiar with the small device that turns pencils into pears. They're handy at lunch-time.

(As opposed to a pencil pairer, which basically just breaks pencils in half.)

tolosenc · 03-03-2009 12:31am

MathsManiac wrote: »

Surely you're familiar with the small device that turns pencils into pears. They're handy at lunch-time.

(As opposed to a pencil pairer, which basically just breaks pencils in half.)

Logically, one usually looks for a "sharpener", right?

Did anyone else never use the word "parer"?

niallzer_uh_huh · 19-03-2009 9:28pm

Another thing coming is another one that stands out. I suppose it makes a bit of sense on its own, and not with "If you think xyz, you've got another think coming"

Dunder Mifflin · 15-04-2009 8:45am

The worst thing in the entire world is when people say then instead of than.

Worst ever.

jim o doom · 15-04-2009 8:50am

I'm sure this one has been dragged out previously - my pet hate is people saying "pacific" instead of "specific"..

one of the black belts in a martial arts class I attent said it recently, but I said nothing in the interest of preserving my own health and safety :pac:

conchubhar1 · 10-05-2009 9:08pm

languages change - people define the langauge

the word awful for example

gizmo555 · 25-06-2009 10:58am

Magnus wrote: »

This is one of those errors typically made by a person more familiar with the spoken than the written form of English.

They're too often made by people one would expect to be expert in written English.

Here's a beaut from today's (June 25) London Times:

Volcano researchers are pouring over an image taken from the International Space Station that shows a volcano in the earliest stage of eruption.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6574195.ece

Hagar · 25-06-2009 11:03am

If the Times is having trouble with the written word we're doomed, doomed I tell you.

Ron DMC · 25-06-2009 12:25pm

Hagar wrote: »

If the Times is having trouble with the written word we're doomed, doomed I tell you.

Goodbye to the English language as we know it.

Hello to phonetic spelling and abbreviated txt-spk.

Faith · 10-08-2009 11:04am

Hagar wrote: »

Scarey stats.
The real scarey thing is that if it becomes common enough it will be acceptable.

Like "clique". Very little annoys me as much as that word being pronounced, or increasingly commonly, spelt as "click".

tbh wrote: »

one that surprised me with how much it annoys me is the use of "mute point" instead of moot. And obviously, "seen" instead of "Seeing".

I seen that loads recently. There was a thread a few weeks back where one poster posting this Gathering Card as a pop at someone:

The poster completely missed the barb and replied with "Yeah, the point is mute". I lolled.

The funniest one I ever saw was "fair jews to you". How did they even think that made sense?!

Hagar · 10-08-2009 12:22pm

I've just read a few random pages on the Overheard in Dublin site. The general level of literacy of the posters is staggering.

Iggy Pop · 28-08-2009 10:26pm

Where did hang sangwitch or just sangwitch come from? (The Scouser 'sarny' is another one) It always amuses me when I hear it. When I was younger I thought it was from people with a speech impediment.
I have never heard it said by anyone but Irish people.

Faith · 04-09-2009 9:30am

Hang sangich is just a result of a culchie accent, I think. Or perhaps just a lack of basic elocution training.

Victor · 21-09-2009 7:37pm

/drags up thread.

gizmo555 wrote: »

They're too often made by people one would expect to be expert in written English.

Here's a beaut from today's (June 25) London Times:

Volcano researchers are pouring over an image taken from the International Space Station that shows a volcano in the earliest stage of eruption.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6574195.ece

Volcano researchers are poring over an image taken from the International Space Station that shows a volcano in the earliest stage of eruption.

GerardKeating · 21-09-2009 8:35pm

Iggy Pop wrote: »

Where did hang sangwitch or just sangwitch come from?

Never heard it before moved to Galway...

Ceilteach · 28-10-2009 12:41am

[quote=Faith;61534084

I seen that loads recently. There was a thread a few weeks back where one poster posting this Gathering Card as a pop at someone:

I have seen or i saw!

Faith · 28-10-2009 10:40am

Ceilteach wrote: »

[quote=Faith;61534084

I seen that loads recently. There was a thread a few weeks back where one poster posting this Gathering Card as a pop at someone:

I have seen or i saw!

Did you read the post at all? Context, dude. I was using it ironically because I was agreeing with tbh's post saying loads of people say "seen" incorrectly.

Ceilteach · 28-10-2009 1:42pm

I just seen that their now, should of known. Apologise

sogg · 03-11-2009 10:53pm

Here's another one that really bugs me - when people say "I'll try AND do something"....try TO people!!

JuliusCaesar · 08-02-2012 12:42am

bored of....It's bored with!

Was watching a programme set in 1950s London (OK it was "Call the Midwife" BBC on Sunday evenings) where a woman, not understanding and/or taken aback by what another person had said, responded with "Excuse me?". Dear god, she would have said "Pardon?' or "Pardon me?' This 'excuse me?' phrase is only recent and of American origin.

Fashions in phrases... there must be some academics out there making a living from recording them. I'd love a list!

could of, should of, would of

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