Words That Used To Be Wrong
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: WORDS THAT USED TO BE WRONG
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Many of the words or phrases we use today without a second thought were once considered wrong—and those who used them were thought to be ill informed, uncouth, or even barbaric. Did you know, for example, that in 1961 many people still disapproved of the phrase “due to” meaning “because” They’d balk at someone saying, “The economy collapsed due to inflation.”
Or did you know that “different than” was considered wrong? The proper phrase was “different from.” And “contact” used as a verb, as in “I’ll contact you next week,” drove some people to distraction? “Contact,” they thought, was only properly used as a noun, as in “He’s an important contact.” Do you think anyone in 2016 would challenge the use of “contact” as a verb?
Merriam-Webster Online describes a few more instances of these words or phrases that were once considered wrong--like “finalize.” In the 1920s Australians were saying they’d “finalize plans,” but Americans frowned on this creative usage. There may still be a few people who feel “finalize” is too bureaucratic, but they’re in a distinct minority these days. In the 1930s, “lunch” as a noun was considered wrong because it was a short form of the more proper “luncheon.” One could lunch, but one could not eat a lunch. In the 1940s the word “upcoming” was viewed as an upstart. And many language pundits felt that “out loud” should be out-lawed, in favor of the supposedly more refined “aloud” — which I guess means that LOL for Laughing Out Loud should really be LA for laughing aloud.
If you’d like to explore more of these changes in our language, check out Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation by Ammon Shea. Shea thinks policing the words others use is ultimately a waste of energy. After all, language change is inevitable.
If you use “contact” as a verb, just remember, you’d have been considered outrageous by some in the 1930s, when a Western Union official declared that the "loathsome" person who invented this "hideous vulgarism" should have been "destroyed in early childhood."
So next time you’re tempted to tell someone they’re using words in the wrong way, ask yourself if you’re willing to give up all those words that were considered improper 50 or 100 years ago. But don’t contact me about it. I’ll be enjoying lunch.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: WORDS THAT USED TO BE WRONG
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Many of the words or phrases we use today without a second thought were once considered wrong—and those who used them were thought to be ill informed, uncouth, or even barbaric. Did you know, for example, that in 1961 many people still disapproved of the phrase “due to” meaning “because” They’d balk at someone saying, “The economy collapsed due to inflation.”
Or did you know that “different than” was considered wrong? The proper phrase was “different from.” And “contact” used as a verb, as in “I’ll contact you next week,” drove some people to distraction? “Contact,” they thought, was only properly used as a noun, as in “He’s an important contact.” Do you think anyone in 2016 would challenge the use of “contact” as a verb?
Merriam-Webster Online describes a few more instances of these words or phrases that were once considered wrong--like “finalize.” In the 1920s Australians were saying they’d “finalize plans,” but Americans frowned on this creative usage. There may still be a few people who feel “finalize” is too bureaucratic, but they’re in a distinct minority these days. In the 1930s, “lunch” as a noun was considered wrong because it was a short form of the more proper “luncheon.” One could lunch, but one could not eat a lunch. In the 1940s the word “upcoming” was viewed as an upstart. And many language pundits felt that “out loud” should be out-lawed, in favor of the supposedly more refined “aloud” — which I guess means that LOL for Laughing Out Loud should really be LA for laughing aloud.
If you’d like to explore more of these changes in our language, check out Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation by Ammon Shea. Shea thinks policing the words others use is ultimately a waste of energy. After all, language change is inevitable.
If you use “contact” as a verb, just remember, you’d have been considered outrageous by some in the 1930s, when a Western Union official declared that the "loathsome" person who invented this "hideous vulgarism" should have been "destroyed in early childhood."
So next time you’re tempted to tell someone they’re using words in the wrong way, ask yourself if you’re willing to give up all those words that were considered improper 50 or 100 years ago. But don’t contact me about it. I’ll be enjoying lunch.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]