Between you and I, "ain't" ain't so bad!

» jerrib - Fun article

but I sure hate to see popular usage of a word change proper usage of a word so it becomes accepted in a new dictionary printing. Ain't may be a word, but it "ain't" in MY personal dictionary!

Enjoyed this, Kara.

-- posted by jerrib

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» BuckyRea - Re: Fun article

Thanks for your article, Kara. I'm a big fan of descriptive linguistics over the illogical and seemingly random approach of prescriptive linguistics. I'd reckon that the same applies to the prescriptive versus descriptive spelling of English words.

Personally I can't say the word "aren't" under any circumstances, and I believe I amn't alone in that. Your readers might like to check out this article at HistoryHouse.com. They are of the opinion that (and I quote) "speling is dum." The editors' series on Noah Webster and the Dictionary Wars he launched is also worth a rainy afternoon's perusal.

-- posted by BuckyRea

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