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Discussion Groups / British English / March 2005Accept/except
More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce both words exactly the same, and are thereby led into confusion, but the mistake really puzzles me, because surely "accept" is easier to spell than "except" - I would have expected them to use "accept" when they meant "except"!  SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce both > words exactly the same, and are thereby led into confusion, but the > mistake really puzzles me, because surely "accept" is easier to spell > than "except" - I would have expected them to use "accept" when they > meant "except"! We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words correctly except under certain circumstances, such as the one you described. Don't ax me why, though. At 10:41:31 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, John Mazor <mazorj@erols.com> wrote in <ismdnewL3cBaH9jfRVn-gw@rcn.net>: >We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words correctly >except under certain circumstances, such as the one you described. Don't >ax me why, though. I think Parlament should do something about it, otherwise I shall probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first Wedensday in Febury. SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) > At 10:41:31 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, John Mazor <mazorj@erols.com> wrote in > <ismdnewL3cBaH9jfRVn-gw@rcn.net>: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first Wedensday > in Febury. Good! We'll meet then in the town liberry to look up the words and put an axsterick next to the ones that are prolly problematic. > > I think Parlament should do something about it, otherwise I shall > > probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first > > Wedensday in Febury. > Good! We'll meet then in the town liberry to look up the words and > put an axsterick next to the ones that are prolly problematic. Would that be on the sikth? Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/quiz/ Tricky Teasers - Freakish Facts At 17:36:29 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, David <david@dacha.freeuk.com> wrote in <4d51cafb67david@dacha.freeuk.com>: >> > I think Parlament should do something about it, otherwise I shall >> > probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Would that be on the sikth? I think it's more likely to be on the twelth. SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) > At 17:36:29 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, David <david@dacha.freeuk.com> wrote in > <4d51cafb67david@dacha.freeuk.com>: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > I think it's more likely to be on the twelth. I was thinking that it would be on the thirty-first. > > At 17:36:29 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, David <david@dacha.freeuk.com> > > wrote in <4d51cafb67david@dacha.freeuk.com>: [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > > > I think it's more likely to be on the twelth. The _first_ Wensday? > I was thinking that it would be on the thirty-first. If you think that, you've got another thing coming! Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/pedant/ Pedant's Parsnips: a guide to butter use of the language At 09:51:29 on Sun, 27 Mar 2005, David <david@dacha.freeuk.com> wrote in <4d521ec0c1david@dacha.freeuk.com>: >> > At 17:36:29 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, David <david@dacha.freeuk.com> >> > wrote in <4d51cafb67david@dacha.freeuk.com>: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >The _first_ Wensday? You're ri, I should have looked it up in my diry. SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) >> At 10:41:31 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, John Mazor <mazorj@erols.com> wrote >> in <ismdnewL3cBaH9jfRVn-gw@rcn.net>: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Good! We'll meet then in the town liberry to look up the words and > put an axsterick next to the ones that are prolly problematic. You'll need a cestificate. > At 10:41:31 on Sat, 26 Mar 2005, John Mazor <mazorj@erols.com> wrote > in <ismdnewL3cBaH9jfRVn-gw@rcn.net>: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first Wedensday > in Febury. I can't find either of those words in my dictionary. I tell you what, you borrow me yours and, if you like, you can lend my lawnmower in exchange. > I think Parlament should do something about it, otherwise I shall > probably go nucular. A good day to do it would be the first Wedensday > in Febury. Shirley you mean Febry. -- Mike Stevens narrowboat Felis Catus II Web site www.mike-stevens.co.uk No man is an island. So is Man. > A good day to do it would be the first Wedensday > in Febury. When did the accepted pronunciation change from "wensday" to "wednersday"? Paul Burke > > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce > > both words exactly the same, and are thereby led into confusion, > > but the mistake really puzzles me, because surely "accept" is > > easier to spell than "except" - I would have expected them to use > > "accept" when they meant "except"! And similarly, "access" for "excess" (for those inaccessible insurance claims). > We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words > correctly except under certain circumstances, such as the one you > described. Don't ax me why, though. I assume your use of a generally outmoded form was intended as cutting wit. My father (GRHS) invariable used "ax" which annoyed me intensely until I developed a little interest in language. Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/colour/6y-0.htm Yellow Magic Right Eye of Shamash Heart in the Pit of Destruction >> > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean >> > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >wit. My father (GRHS) invariable used "ax" which annoyed me intensely >until I developed a little interest in language. Outmoded be buggered - 'ax' (but my mind has always spelled it as 'aks') is standard pronunciation in inner city Birmingham schools.... along with 'crips' and 'filum' (work them out!) SignatureDanny Collman > >> > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > >> > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > is standard pronunciation in inner city Birmingham schools.... along > with 'crips' and 'filum' (work them out!) I wish I could dig up one of those lists of Southern U.S. pronunciations that go around, but off the top of my head: Fize-yoo -- As in "Fize-yoo, I wouldn't ax your Daddy if you could use the car tonight." Fiedollahs -- A denomination of U.S. currency with Abraham Lincoln's picture on it. Flaw -- What people walk on while indoors. Somebody even collected a bunch of them in a slim paperback book years ago. Many of them might be considered acceptable regionalisms in their milieu, but I wouldn't call them "standard" pronunciations. On Saturday, in article <Y9adnXkuWYrMldvfRVn-rg@rcn.net> > I wish I could dig up one of those lists of Southern U.S. pronunciations > that go around, but off the top of my head: Any connection with druthers? SignatureBrian {Hamilton Kelly} bhk@dsl.co.uk "Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte." Blaise Pascal, /Lettres Provinciales/, 1657 > On Saturday, in article <Y9adnXkuWYrMldvfRVn-rg@rcn.net> > > > I wish I could dig up one of those lists of Southern U.S. pronunciations > > that go around, but off the top of my head: > > Any connection with druthers? You betcha! On Saturday, in article <gitXz8A3veRCFw9d@hwthwood.demon.co.uk> > Outmoded be buggered - 'ax' (but my mind has always spelled it as 'aks') > is standard pronunciation in inner city Birmingham schools.... along > with 'crips' and 'filum' (work them out!) There are two ells in fillum, Shirley? (One local pub at which we enjoy a fortnightly quiz has a Belfast-born landlady who is always asking questions about fillums.) SignatureBrian {Hamilton Kelly} bhk@dsl.co.uk "Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte." Blaise Pascal, /Lettres Provinciales/, 1657 > > > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > > > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > And similarly, "access" for "excess" (for those inaccessible insurance claims). > > We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words > > correctly except under certain circumstances, such as the one you > > described. Don't ax me why, though. > > I assume your use of a generally outmoded form was intended as cutting wit. I had to read that twice to figure out that it doesn't necessarily have be construed as an insult. ;-) > My father (GRHS) invariable used "ax" which annoyed me intensely > until I developed a little interest in language. > > > We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words > > > correctly except under certain circumstances, such as the one you > > > described. Don't ax me why, though. > > > > I assume your use of a generally outmoded form was intended as > > cutting wit. > I had to read that twice to figure out that it doesn't necessarily > have be construed as an insult. ;-) Twice? You're not sharp enough, John! Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/aureole/ Aureole: Dacha's Golden Treasury - A Pot Pourri Of Verse And Images > > > > We must accept the fact that most people pronounce most words > > > > correctly except under certain circumstances, such as the one you [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Twice? You're not sharp enough, John! I was just relieved to realize that it was an incisively deployed double entendre and not a back-stabbing hatchet job on me. However you slice it, it's axiomatic that I'll have to put my nose to the grindstone and get to work chop-chop on honing my skills anent the evil of axes wit. > > Twice? You're not sharp enough, John! > I was just relieved to realize that it was an incisively deployed > double entendre and not a back-stabbing hatchet job on me. However > you slice it, it's axiomatic that I'll have to put my nose to the > grindstone and get to work chop-chop on honing my skills anent the > evil of axes wit. Yeah, I was just egging you on.... Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/mavic/0m05-0.htm Quintessence Of Poppy > > > Twice? You're not sharp enough, John! > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Yeah, I was just egging you on.... As you can see, it doesn't take much of an excuse for me to crank up the Wordplay Machine. > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce both > words exactly the same, and are thereby led into confusion, but the > mistake really puzzles me, because surely "accept" is easier to spell > than "except" - I would have expected them to use "accept" when they > meant "except"! Yes but if you except that they aren't acceptional, it isn't acceptional that people except them ;-) Yes I know what you mean. I want to shoot the radio and TV sometimes. Or rather the owner of the voice that has just come out from tit with some terrible misuse of his own language. > > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce both [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > rather the owner of the voice that has just come out from tit with > some terrible misuse of his own language. Hee, hee... he said "tit." "Do you have any blue tits?" "No, we have central heating." -One of those "Carry on" movies. >> Yes I know what you mean. I want to shoot the radio and TV >> sometimes. Or rather the owner of the voice that has just come out >> from tit with some terrible misuse of his own language. > > Hee, hee... he said "tit." Goodness, where's that soap and water that I wash my mouth out immediately. > "Do you have any blue tits?" > "No, we have central heating." > -One of those "Carry on" movies. Oh yes, that is them all over. > More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean > "accept". I can understand that these people probably pronounce both > words exactly the same, and are thereby led into confusion, but the > mistake really puzzles me, because surely "accept" is easier to spell > than "except" - I would have expected them to use "accept" when they > meant "except"! You shunt of wrote that. Paul Burke >More and more often, I see people write "except" when they mean >"accept". Almost as common as mixing up "affect" with "effect". I cannot count the number of degreed professionals who use them improperly. In most cases, folks dispense with "affect" altogether and just use "effect" in all circumstances. - TR - this effects me deeply. :0) |
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