misuse of "decimated"

**Holcombe Thomas** · 5th January 16, 12:25 PM

In South Carolina, as well, "y'all" is plural. It can, however, be rendered more emphatic by saying "all o' y'all" or "all y'all," as in, "All y'all gonna be in a world of hurt if you don't quiet down right now!"

Definitely two peoples divided by a common language.

Holcombe

**Carlo** · 5th January 16, 12:26 PM

Total decimation is when you're down to 9 survivors

What I wonder is, why people misuse "fatal". Newspaper headlines are full with "fatal accidents with some injured people".

**James Hood** · 6th January 16, 07:35 AM

OUCH! PICKED SCAB WARNING!

Ah, yes; misuse of the adjective, "awesome" is by FAR the most common grammatical sin / faux pas / gross ignorance perpetrated (usually in ignorance) on these wincing ears.

As a parent (3 grown sprogs), 8th grade religious education teacher (15th year) and writer, "awesome" as SO widely misused is not only aurally painful, it is STUPID-sounding, when so continually used so blatantly out of context. (sorry about the adverbs)

Retort to this "affront" has become formulaic on this part. "Wait, stop, let us clarify. Photosynthesis is awesome. Pregnancy and childbirth is awesome. Galactic clusters are awesome.

"One's favourite sports team's interpreted performance in a recent game, a new hue of nail varnish or parti-colored athletic shoes are NOT awesome."

**Pleater** · 6th January 16, 02:18 PM

I think I might be on the endangered list as I will be calling next month Feb-ru-ary rather than Feb-you-ary.

Anne the Pleater:ootd:

**ForresterModern** · 6th January 16, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by slothead

Do y'all spell 'plural' differently too?

Sorry, as a doctor I am always using the medical spelling of synonyms like plural (more than one) and pleural (the thin lining tissue surrounding the lungs) as my brain spends 90% of the day on mental medical "call".

**ForresterModern** · 6th January 16, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Wareyin

Interesting, as I have lived in more than one southern state and never heard y'all used as a singular.

ETA: Actually, I have heard y'all used in singular form, but only in television or film format, by someone emulating a southern accent. Never in real, life, however.

We have dear friends from a couple hours south of us (native Tennesseans) who use the y'all and all y'all singular/plural as I described and swear by it, even getting confused when a "part time" hillbilly like me uses y'all incorrectly (in their minds) as plural but politely waiting for the clarification rather than correcting me.

**ForresterModern** · 6th January 16, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Pleater

I think I might be on the endangered list as I will be calling next month Feb-ru-ary rather than Feb-you-ary.

Anne the Pleater:ootd:

I am with you Anne. I have been pronouncing the first r after the b in February since I was a kid, being raised by educated west virginians who vowed to not be seen (or have their children seen) by northerners (where we had moved) as poor hicks with bad language skills. They both gently taught us 4 kids the "king's english" in every way shape and form they could. Plus, being born in February I was expected to get that right every time from early on. At one point there was even a little movement to pronounce the d before the n in Wednesday, but that dies a quick death when a peak into any dictionary showed that pronunciation to be improper just about anywhere, north, south or east of the big water.

It is funny how some people actually look at you funny when you pronounce February correctly, them thinking that you do not know how to say it like the "rest of the world" with only the second r pronounced.

**Bruce Scott** · 6th January 16, 10:33 PM

I come from a country that many of the inhabitants call straya -

**Kiltedjohn** · 7th January 16, 03:21 AM

Do you pronounce the "d" in "Wednesday"? Many people say "Wensday". In primary school, it was drummed into us that the "d" must be pronounced. I think, though, that this was to make us avoid the local pronunciation [West side of central Scotland], which was "Wensday" with a hideously long "e"!

**neloon** · 7th January 16, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by ForresterModern

Sorry, as a doctor I am always using the medical spelling of synonyms like plural (more than one) and pleural (the thin lining tissue surrounding the lungs) as my brain spends 90% of the day on mental medical "call".

Just to be pedantic, they are homonyms - not synonyms

Alan