Why do people use a word they hear (in a song,on TV) without finding out if it is proper? i.e 'CONVERSATE'

Question

I am so tired of hearing people say "conversate" (not a real word - it is 'converse' or 'conversation') which was in a rap song, or weather casters saying "remAnant" of of hurricane (it is remnant), or people saying 'nucUler' (it is 'nucLEar', thanks to Bush for that foul-up), or say something is 'more stupider' - it can be 'more stupid' or 'stupider', but not 'more stupidier' - saying things like this only makes the speaker come across as 'most stupid'. UGH! Am I the only one noticing this trend?

Answer 1

English teachers are more interested in pontificating about literature than they are in teaching our language. So they evade responsibility with the lie that we should just listen to how people speak and we will passively acquire competency.

Another lazy lie is that language changes according to what the ignorant majority re-define as standard. Only those who know the previously correct form and have a good reason to change it have the right to innovate.

Answer 2

Pronunciation is a tough one. I'm guilty of saying "nucUler" and can't prevent myself from saying it. It's just a hang-up in my brain that I can't seem to conquer. There are countless words that most Americans (including you) pronounce incorrectly but it's been done for so long that it's sort of become the correct pronunciation.

As for made up words (i.e. conversate) don't they become real when a vast number of people accept it as a real word? I've never use the word conversate and don't plan on starting now, but when a word has an agreed upon meaning by a number of people, it becomes a real word.Of course these words would be considered slang but even slang is part of our language whether it's proper or not. Language is constantly evolving, which is something that I think should be looked upon with interest rather than disgust.

Language evolves with society. It's never constant. If we always followed the rules what would our language look like now? It certainly wouldn't resemble the language of today.

Answer 3

No, you are not. A lot of people have not graduated college, or if they have, not studied the proper use of English, and commonly used expressions become an acceptable part of language, even if they are not grammatically correct. I am not fond of this trend, either, especially when I say something, and someone replies, "Do what?" I guess I am supposed to repeat the question, or they don't understand the question, or didn't hear the question, perhaps it is my laziness not to call them on it. But etiquette demands that adults do not question other adults form of speech, at least not publicly. I suppose that is why copywriters and editors have jobs. That is what I transpire to be, as I see such errors in language use; most get by with spellcheckers now, however, they don't read what they write. What they write contains words that don't make sense. Rap contains such garbage, as does television, I don't listen or watch to either. Don't tell me rap is a part of someone's heritage. I don't believe any tribe in any country was rapping about murder, rape, or incest.

That's my opinion on that subject. Hope it meets your standards. :)

Answer 4

you're not the only one who notices. I'm from the NW and it's common here to waRsh the car (I live in WaRshington btw lol)

The nucUler thing isn't only Bush, but has been kicking around for a long, long time (I always wondered about that in HS).

Also, a not so common one that is an eternal battle between my kids and the grandparents: chimney OR chimIny (phonetically, it COULD be chiminy). LMAO the oral quirks never end where I live.

Answer 5

I agree that people would do well to break out a dictionary before using words they've either never heard before, and often don't know how to pronounce. There was a lady near where I grew up who used "conversate" constantly. Another of her favorites was participate for precipitate. She was a riot to listen to. Then recently, my daughter used a word (I don't recall what it was now) that was completely out of place, and I asked her if she'd ever looked it up. She said no, but said she didn't care because her friends new what she was talking about so it didn't matter. I thought it was a sad commentary on today's youth.

Answer 6

Yes, I have noticed it. There are many, but the one that bugs me is "same difference".
It is never used to indicate two things that have the same difference (like both of them are missing eye-brows...Wow, they have the same difference (from the rest of us) on their face!
Instead people use it where they should just say, "yeah, that is exactly what I meant".
I have heard this in commercials! AAh!

Answer 7

People don't care what they say
They learn to say any kinds of words from the tv

Answer 8

Because most people are 'more stupider' than us. :)

I know its really annoying. The conversate thing really gets on my nerves.