Accent Expert Breaks Down Language Pet Peeves | WIRED

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2020
  • For all intensive purposes, dialect coach Erik Singer is literally an expert when it comes to language. So, who better to curve our hunger for knowledge than him and his colleague, fellow dialect coach Eliza Simpson. Erik and Eliza break down some of the most common pet peeves we associate with language; some so common we often take them for granite.
    .
    Vocal cord imagery courtesy of Jan G. Svec
    Videokymographic images of the three voice registers taken from the study "Svec, J. G. (2004). Research journey: chest-falsetto discontinuity and videokymography. In H. K. Schutte, S. Poppema, & E. te Bos (Eds.), Physiology and Acoustics of Singing (PAS), 3-5 October, 2002, Groningen, the Netherlands (CD-ROM). Groningen, the Netherlands: Groningen Voice Research Lab (www.researchgate.net/publicat...)", courtesy of Jan G. Svec, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia.
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ความคิดเห็น • 25K

  • @byoung1520
    @byoung1520 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2158

    An old boss used to tell us "mock my words..." and we all did mock them when he wasn't around

    • @GatCat
      @GatCat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      Oh this made me laugh out loud.

    • @cintia5479
      @cintia5479 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      YO LMAOOO

    • @marleejohn3519
      @marleejohn3519 3 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      Sounds like your boss was Michael Scott... 😂

    • @Catmom2004
      @Catmom2004 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Thanks Bryan, I truly needed a laugh tonight. LLAP

    • @anonomyssymymy5115
      @anonomyssymymy5115 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Maybe it was his accent...please see his other video about dialects...

  • @jessicaashley8153
    @jessicaashley8153 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45844

    I saw someone in the comments of his other videos call him dialect daddy. I think about that often.

    • @mariahpokedawg7124
      @mariahpokedawg7124 3 ปีที่แล้ว +429

      😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

    • @yagermeister123
      @yagermeister123 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3200

      Father phonetics

    • @EdricHsu
      @EdricHsu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1058

      Grammar Grandma

    • @Malum09
      @Malum09 3 ปีที่แล้ว +387

      That's his official moniker now

    • @cassiopeiaartco
      @cassiopeiaartco 3 ปีที่แล้ว +506

      I mean...that person wasn’t wrong 👀

  • @EnderHeart5911
    @EnderHeart5911 ปีที่แล้ว +921

    I was always a bit annoyed when teachers would correct students who asked, “Can I go to the restroom?” If you look at Oxford Languages’ definitions, the word “can” also means “be permitted to”, so, “May I go to the restroom?” isn’t the only way to phrase that question.

    • @Nae_Ayy
      @Nae_Ayy ปีที่แล้ว +21

      ENGLISH MODAL PARTICLES USUALLY HAVE MANY DIFFERENT MOODS THEY CAN REPRESENT

    • @pcarrierorange
      @pcarrierorange ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I suspect that definition is a product of incorrectly using the original term, in the same way “literally” is now in some dictionaries defined as “metaphorically”. The teacher is, then, begging the question (per XKCD 2039)

    • @tlpineapple1
      @tlpineapple1 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      @@pcarrierorange The issue is, society as a whole uses "can" and "may" interchangeably. It has been in the vernacular of the people for at least 4 generations now, hence why it is in dictionaries.

    • @dorcasingasha8559
      @dorcasingasha8559 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      The difference is in the implied politeness no the meaning itself

    • @julesverneinoz
      @julesverneinoz ปีที่แล้ว +3

      What Dorcas said. While you might be annoyed, in a working environment where you want to set certain 'tones' in your communications, using the wrong implication can cause acceptance or anger. It might not matter as much if you're in the 'detail' level, but someone who can communicate and also do 'detail' gets more.

  • @userb8a
    @userb8a ปีที่แล้ว +50

    This is the most educated _"everybody just chill"_ I've ever seen.

  • @dar2996
    @dar2996 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5583

    Erik: "They're called eggcorns"
    Me: "Oh, you mean bon apple tea"

  • @stefanrhys44
    @stefanrhys44 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3555

    Eliza had the slickest “hii” I’ve ever heard in my life

    • @jiitkha
      @jiitkha 3 ปีที่แล้ว +180

      0:58
      You're welcome

    • @Angel_Billy4-30-23
      @Angel_Billy4-30-23 3 ปีที่แล้ว +77

      @@jiitkha Thanks. But yeah she did. Real smooth.

    • @AD-wg8ik
      @AD-wg8ik 3 ปีที่แล้ว +86

      She sounded like Siri

    • @dragonguy3725
      @dragonguy3725 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Fr Fr

    • @taytemusic7750
      @taytemusic7750 2 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      yeah had to watch that a couple times not gonna lie

  • @FrenchCruller03
    @FrenchCruller03 ปีที่แล้ว +263

    My pet peeve is when people say wreck havoc, instead of wreak. If you wreck havoc, you essentially create order, lol.

    • @cockeyedoptimista
      @cockeyedoptimista ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Cute! I think people are afraid to use proper language. Like it makes them look stuffy or not cool. It's like when people don't want to stand straight.

    • @boxman5381
      @boxman5381 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      No people just use words in different ways over time their is no true correct or wrong way of speaking the way we talk is constantly changing and that’s just how it works

    • @proudanachronist9314
      @proudanachronist9314 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@cockeyedoptimista All I can say to that is that their values must be very different than mine!

    • @cockeyedoptimista
      @cockeyedoptimista ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@boxman5381 That's true, but also people just don't want to bother learning the right use of a word so those of us who take the time become obsolete because of these inattentive folks and it's annoying.

    • @cockeyedoptimista
      @cockeyedoptimista ปีที่แล้ว

      @@proudanachronist9314 Thanks for the comment.

  • @karenwagner6880
    @karenwagner6880 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +24

    My husband came up with a wonderful word that doesn’t exist but should. He said he was “flustrated.” I think it’s a brilliant combination of being frustrated, heightened with the embarrassment of being flustered. I nominate this for the next Merriam-Webster go round!

    • @lizardas
      @lizardas 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Your husband didn't invent that word. It's a very common mispronunciation that has been around for decades.

  • @lindsiegrey
    @lindsiegrey 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1756

    My sisters ex boyfriend used to say “You never know what the future has installed for you”

    • @sheem.2450
      @sheem.2450 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      😂

    • @ANTSEMUT1
      @ANTSEMUT1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +95

      Pictures the future as some weird looking handyman.

    • @Bendigo1
      @Bendigo1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      Well he does have a good point.

    • @Bendigo1
      @Bendigo1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +83

      @@pupip55 the actual saying is : "you never know what the future has in store for you" in store not installed

    • @Bendigo1
      @Bendigo1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@pupip55 thats why its funny to some people and annoys others and some just don't even know the difference.

  • @Proseless
    @Proseless 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6209

    can’t help but feel like this guy looks like a roman emperor.

    • @TeamCat1128
      @TeamCat1128 3 ปีที่แล้ว +155

      Or the model for David

    • @SittingGC
      @SittingGC 3 ปีที่แล้ว +105

      I think you mean Dennis Reynolds

    • @peterhansen1670
      @peterhansen1670 3 ปีที่แล้ว +79

      I think he pulled off the vocal fry of the Gettysburg Address because he looks a bit like Lincoln.

    • @astrolillo
      @astrolillo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      A Hollywood version perhaps, Romans did not look Anglo despite of what your deficient education made you believe

    • @tonatiuhcortes9968
      @tonatiuhcortes9968 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Yeah he literally does

  • @droryben-menachem6223
    @droryben-menachem6223 ปีที่แล้ว +174

    Regarding the verb usage of the word "table" - I learned long ago that it means the opposite in the UK than in the US - "to table something" in the US generally means to set a topic or situation it aside for discussion later, but in the UK, it means to bring it to the group for immediate discussion.

    • @bedrock30_40
      @bedrock30_40 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Really shows the difference in American vs. British customs/ideals

    • @netgnostic1627
      @netgnostic1627 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      In Canada, some people use the British way, some the American way. Very confusing!

    • @RickMyBalls
      @RickMyBalls ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@netgnostic1627 I thought Canada's English was more similar to British than US.

  • @ndschau
    @ndschau ปีที่แล้ว +112

    I will “literally” die on the hill defending my peeve when people type “would of,” rather than “would’ve.”

    • @baileyrob
      @baileyrob ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Because it is LITERALLY grammatically incorrect.

    • @reshirman
      @reshirman ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@baileyrob I would of agree with you before, but after watching this video, I don't think so

    • @baileyrob
      @baileyrob ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@reshirman no, the meaning of 'of' in the place of 'have' is not correct no matter your dialect. They are too commonly used to be just considered 'basically the same word'.

    • @reshirman
      @reshirman ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@baileyrob that would of been correct before, but not anymore

    • @baileyrob
      @baileyrob ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@reshirman I ofn't got a clue what you're talking about. Of you had your pills today?

  • @paigemeredith2329
    @paigemeredith2329 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4243

    When people say “I could care less” but should be saying “I couldn’t care less”

    • @9thgalaxy778
      @9thgalaxy778 2 ปีที่แล้ว +114

      YES!!!!

    • @alicia_grace
      @alicia_grace 2 ปีที่แล้ว +197

      that bothers me so much lol

    • @randomperson2559
      @randomperson2559 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Fr

    • @Warkipine
      @Warkipine 2 ปีที่แล้ว +184

      I like to think of it as a threat. "You know how much it looks like I don't care right now? Well, I could care (even) less."

    • @alicia_grace
      @alicia_grace 2 ปีที่แล้ว +103

      @@Warkipine that could be reasonable, but usually it’s used in the sense that someone is trying to demonstrate how nonchalant they are about something

  • @lusandantintili8668
    @lusandantintili8668 3 ปีที่แล้ว +796

    "Hi Eliza"
    Eliza: "Hi"
    Me: OMG SO SMOOTH, SO HEAVENLY, THE MOST ICONIC HI I'VE EVER HEARD

    • @Molly-ml1wn
      @Molly-ml1wn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      I'm glad I'm not the only the person who had this intensely specific reaction!

    • @ruthronnieofficial
      @ruthronnieofficial 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I FELT SO GOOOOOD 🤣🤣🤣 I thought I was the only one

    • @kelseyburkum3527
      @kelseyburkum3527 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      My first thought was, does she narrate audiobooks?

    • @dancingdoungnut
      @dancingdoungnut 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      that’s how you know you’re socially awkward, when normal conversation stands out 😂😂💀

    • @RebornLegacy
      @RebornLegacy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@dancingdoungnut
      LMAO! TooMeIrl
      This happens to me all the time.

  • @vintagetechno
    @vintagetechno ปีที่แล้ว +221

    This guy just summarized my four year linguistics degree in 15 minutes!

    • @pkpwnerful
      @pkpwnerful ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Get wrecked lmao

    • @konroh2
      @konroh2 23 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      First, I highly doubt it. Second, nice use of exaggeration. Third, if you're serious you didn't study. Fourth, college was a waste of time for you.

  • @roxanne8662
    @roxanne8662 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    Australians with thick accents use uptalk ALL THE TIME. I am an Aussie and you get used to distinguishing between a real question and aussie uptalk. i remember reading an article about how UK employers found people who uptalked a lot were less desirable and seen as insecure, but not if they were australian. I think it’s because we learn to uptalk while saying what we mean with confidence (because uptalk is used so commonly when not posing a question).

  • @jimib3
    @jimib3 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1854

    My sister thought it was “hammy-down” her whole life, as opposed to “hand-me-down.”

    • @maiaallman4635
      @maiaallman4635 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Very funny!

    • @cathkails
      @cathkails 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      'cause the clothes were always too big and it made her feel hammy in them? 😂

    • @morganjohnson9945
      @morganjohnson9945 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I was just coming to the comments to say the same thing! 🤣

    • @-yo5hc
      @-yo5hc 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      ME TOO

    • @Feroste
      @Feroste 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I thought this for a while as a kid.

  • @quintas66
    @quintas66 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2967

    "Don't take things for granite."
    "My sediments exactly."
    ~Johnny Hart (BC, The Wizard of Id)

    • @rheinhartsilvento2576
      @rheinhartsilvento2576 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Brillant 🤣😅😆

    • @katniptime4me
      @katniptime4me 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Rules that are written in stone. 😎

    • @rafaeterna1081
      @rafaeterna1081 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@katniptime4me ba dum tssss

    • @joneszzy6189
      @joneszzy6189 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😆😆

    • @MegaMagicGoat
      @MegaMagicGoat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Oh my God I've never seen anyone reference the Wizard of Id, I read so much of it when I was younger

  • @PtylerBeats
    @PtylerBeats ปีที่แล้ว +29

    The eggcorns remind me of when I was in high school and I learned that “if it’s any constellation” was actually “consolation.” I always assumed that “if it’s any constellation” referred to a bad situation that may paint a bigger picture. Like a single star is just one moment. But if you put all of the stars together, you get a constellation. So if there is a bad or sad moment, I would say, “If it’s any constellation,” followed by a silver lining or the final end result. Like yeah, you may have messed up in your band performance, but if it’s any constellation, I didn’t hear it and I thought he performance was quite good. That’s how I used it growing up, and I was so confused when someone corrected me

    • @easternhills1329
      @easternhills1329 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Lol. Reminds me of the "Knowledge is power, France is bacon" meme. xD

    • @marciabraham
      @marciabraham ปีที่แล้ว

      Ah yes....this is a perfect example of not reading enough (which I commented about somewhere up there ^^^). If you never see the words in print, you just rely on what you hear and make up the meaning to go along with it. I'm glad you learned the correct word! And you're here today still learning about language. My favorite mistake was "make due". I was in my 40s (and had studied languages for years and read a LOT of books) when I realized it was actually "make do". I literally died. 🙃

    • @MinecraftTestSquad
      @MinecraftTestSquad ปีที่แล้ว

      late comment I know but I think this eggcorn is lovely in its own way xD I love how you assigned that meaning to it and I like your reasoning so much

  • @elle6952
    @elle6952 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    The oe person who could correct almost anyones speech and he tells us to take it easy. Amazing.
    Love his energy.

  • @Hainero2001
    @Hainero2001 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1947

    My pet peeve is when people hear "should've" and write it as "should of" not realizing that they are hearing a contraction of "should have".

    • @titocristobal5573
      @titocristobal5573 3 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      If that becomes an eggcorn, I would just assume people are getting dumber each year.
      Calm down, guys. Its just a typo.

    • @Hainero2001
      @Hainero2001 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@titocristobal5573, it wouldn't be an illogical assumption.

    • @titocristobal5573
      @titocristobal5573 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@elsiesrifle Oh my god. I haven't encountered that yet, but if I did, I think I would have a visceral reaction.

    • @BigEyesSmallMouth
      @BigEyesSmallMouth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Gaaahhh, I love you. Thanks for pointing this out.

    • @Rai_S82
      @Rai_S82 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I literally HATE that. It's way more than a peeve for me 😂

  • @ShainaEstevez
    @ShainaEstevez 3 ปีที่แล้ว +732

    My Spanish teacher once said that language behaves like a living organism; it spreads, evolves and also dies.

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Lol, then why can't we kill upspeak and vocal fry!?!?🤣

    • @adamgillespie3393
      @adamgillespie3393 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@LindaC616 you can't really kill it but it dies off if people stop using it

    • @owengil5695
      @owengil5695 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      its true i was the teacher

    • @sirshrooma
      @sirshrooma 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@LindaC616 Because people have such intense feelings for it. The best way to kill an idea is to be indifferent, and forget.

    • @idkwuzgoinon
      @idkwuzgoinon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Best way to put it

  • @suz5191
    @suz5191 ปีที่แล้ว +52

    I love this video so much. I was such a stickler for "grammar rules" when I was a kid but I've since taken a genuine interest in languages and linguistics and discovered the concept of descriptive linguistics and came to favour that way more than the prescriptive variety. These two just inspire me to pursue further studies in linguistics :)

  • @LK-3000
    @LK-3000 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Thank you for this video! I just now found this while looking for vocal fry info. This has been one of the most enjoyable presentations about language that I've seen/heard in a long time.

  • @SubhalakshmiKumar
    @SubhalakshmiKumar 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2365

    Him: Here are these language facts
    My brain: His eyes match the wall behind him

    • @Natalie-ox7xm
      @Natalie-ox7xm 3 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      I totally lost some of the information being presented because of that!

    • @amorerobinson4140
      @amorerobinson4140 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Now I can’t unsee it 😂

    • @cjjuszczak
      @cjjuszczak 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      he has blue eyes, and a green wall though o.O

    • @hiimjohnquinones2971
      @hiimjohnquinones2971 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Now it's bugging me that it's not a perfect match lol

    • @emdivine
      @emdivine 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I like the way your mind works..

  • @nerdmylord
    @nerdmylord 3 ปีที่แล้ว +747

    I wish I could just absorb his cerebral juices. His intelligence is so savoury.

    • @LillibitOfHere
      @LillibitOfHere 3 ปีที่แล้ว +109

      I am both inspired by and grossed out by the creativity of your language.

    • @nerdmylord
      @nerdmylord 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@LillibitOfHere LOOOL XD

    • @user-th6rh8zp3t
      @user-th6rh8zp3t 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      wow so creepy

    • @iansalinas412
      @iansalinas412 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ya he sounds really smart. I think it's the way he talks

    • @cassandrasmith9004
      @cassandrasmith9004 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Dude, prion diseases aren’t cool.

  • @simonpryor877
    @simonpryor877 ปีที่แล้ว +359

    This guy is literally the smartest guy I’ve ever heard of. Really nice that he’s able to quickly diagnose all these pet peeves. Watching this video gave me a new leash on life, so now I want to have a burger with him. Hopefully the waiter doesn’t take too long to quickly table us because nice food is something I’d literally hate to have to agonisingly wait around for. Woodchuck.

    • @SpiceWeazel
      @SpiceWeazel ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I recognize your effort, and for that I respect you.

    • @edumazieri
      @edumazieri ปีที่แล้ว +25

      More people should finish their arguments with Woodchuck. Woodchuck.

    • @cherylkalberer1045
      @cherylkalberer1045 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Actually, this comment literally made it worth watching this video.

    • @Freakazoid12345
      @Freakazoid12345 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@cherylkalberer1045 not figuratively?

    • @Freakazoid12345
      @Freakazoid12345 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is the same guy who's said that he doesn't understand language or the point of words having a meaning to them.
      This guy might be smart, but he definitely doesn't sound that way based on what I've heard him say.
      He's actually argued for words to be misused.

  • @stewiegriffin12341
    @stewiegriffin12341 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    The eggcorn that gets me is “I should of.”

  • @gracejuice
    @gracejuice 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1619

    seeing “should of” instead of “should’ve” makes me wanna cry

    • @NiMissNi
      @NiMissNi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +75

      Also "now and days"

    • @Rohishimoto
      @Rohishimoto 3 ปีที่แล้ว +90

      you shouldn't of told me your weakness

    • @amwhik
      @amwhik 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Agreed

    • @sophiewells9755
      @sophiewells9755 3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      also when ppl online write about how they find smth rlly upsetting by going "i literally balled" or "i was balling so hard" like pls i'm begging u to learn how to spell bawling

    • @amwhik
      @amwhik 3 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      @@sophiewells9755 I was bowling so hard I had a strike

  • @CantRemember69
    @CantRemember69 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19924

    Can we get him to talk about curse words? Origins and how people became offended by them? This would be interesting to see.

    • @mortalterminus
      @mortalterminus 3 ปีที่แล้ว +240

      Vsauce did a video on that a while back th-cam.com/video/Dd7dQh8u4Hc/w-d-xo.html

    • @sarahelizabeth2769
      @sarahelizabeth2769 3 ปีที่แล้ว +90

      Yas! Sorry, yes!

    • @brookem4835
      @brookem4835 3 ปีที่แล้ว +523

      I wrote my masters thesis on this topic! It was fascinating.

    • @katybechnikova2821
      @katybechnikova2821 3 ปีที่แล้ว +65

      Yeah, they can't they would get demonetised. :D

    • @Nicol3sChann3l
      @Nicol3sChann3l 3 ปีที่แล้ว +73

      @@brookem4835 I wrote my Bachelors thesis on the same topic :D

  • @buzbuz33-99
    @buzbuz33-99 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Very entertaining and informative.
    For eggcorns, how about "Duck tape" (a tape created with duck fabric) evolving into "Duct tape" (even though the tape is not good at taping ducts, especially heating ducts).

  • @DJTrek83
    @DJTrek83 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    When people say, "mute point", instead of, "moot point". Also, "On accident", instead of "by accident"

  • @erinannelies
    @erinannelies 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3415

    “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less” irritates me like no other.

    • @juliannah5721
      @juliannah5721 3 ปีที่แล้ว +230

      Omg, me too!!! "I could care less"... So, you care, then.

    • @sonokoluvr9546
      @sonokoluvr9546 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      fr

    • @Socialien
      @Socialien 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Same!!

    • @joellaverdiere
      @joellaverdiere 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      13:25

    • @ivansantillanes680
      @ivansantillanes680 3 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      ᯽JuliannaH 5782᯽ When I hear someone say it, I usually think or say, "Really? How much less?"

  • @claireb.6713
    @claireb.6713 3 ปีที่แล้ว +687

    The paint matches his eye color... they really did that.

    • @hungry.nezuko3742
      @hungry.nezuko3742 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Must be his house though 😂

    • @anhart5100
      @anhart5100 3 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      No it’s just a hole in his eye

    • @mishtaromaniello8295
      @mishtaromaniello8295 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      anhart Lmfao

    • @FCastle23
      @FCastle23 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      anhart He’s an eye hold?

    • @Octodactylpus
      @Octodactylpus 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Fun fact! Blue eyes are caused by a lack of the melanin pigment (or collagen deposits), and light bouncing off the Iris, "scattering" the light, and reflecting back blue tones (the same reason the sky reflects blue).
      So when you put someone with blue eyes in front of a blue-ish screen, often their eyes appear to match more closely because it's reflecting back the light- also why blue eyes seem to "change colours" more often depending on how much light is refllecting!

  • @annamariaiannacito5291
    @annamariaiannacito5291 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    It is a pleasure to find this and subscribe. I began hearing 'vocal fry' years ago, before hearing that term. It was maddening!!! I would stop listening to the speaker, feeling quite annoyed. I overreacted. I still do. I LITERALLY hate the sound! I love words and languages and hearing accents and when I am gifted with a new word, I write it in my journal and smile. Thank you for being here.

    • @alyssam.5939
      @alyssam.5939 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I had a manager who had quite noticeable vocal fry, and it drove me crazy. That was all I could hear in our staff meetings.

  • @kevin.skorupa
    @kevin.skorupa 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I'm surprised he didn't comment on saying "I couldn't care less" instead of "I could care less". That's my biggest pet peeve.

  • @turtlenecksok
    @turtlenecksok 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8106

    i didn’t understand how differently vocal fry was perceived in a feminine vs. masculine voice until this demonstration. that is so interesting!

    • @mattb1568
      @mattb1568 3 ปีที่แล้ว +539

      Same! I was cracking up, the bias has never even occurred to me.

    • @SalamanderMagic
      @SalamanderMagic 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1184

      It was pretty shocking. Somehow on a female voice it sounds more bored or annoyed, while on a male voice it’s just... kinda gravelly. Weird

    • @graceperkins5641
      @graceperkins5641 3 ปีที่แล้ว +547

      Salamander I wonder if it has something to do with pitch? Men and women who speak with the fray and have deeper voices it doesn’t sound annoying I believe. But to me men and women who have higher voices and they fray it’s sounds annoying to me. When the guest voice coach was doing it it didn’t sound annoying at all.

    • @MusicLoverInTheSky
      @MusicLoverInTheSky 3 ปีที่แล้ว +883

      Same! When I heard Erik doing it, I was reminded of male actors giving speeches in movies or something like that. He sounded profound, serious, respectable... a bit attractive, even.
      But the woman? She sounded so bored and like she'd rather do anything else than what she was currently doing. So uninterested.
      The bias surprised me greatly.

    • @DocKrazy
      @DocKrazy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +194

      I honestly didn't notice a difference...

  • @cstrouts
    @cstrouts 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7809

    Most hated eggcorn: "I could of" instead of "I could've"

    • @JonH611
      @JonH611 3 ปีที่แล้ว +304

      Could of, would of, should of.. made it a contraction with have! 🤬

    • @TheDenisedrake
      @TheDenisedrake 3 ปีที่แล้ว +368

      Yea! Why is everyone afraid of the word "have"?

    • @frigginjerk
      @frigginjerk 3 ปีที่แล้ว +200

      @@JonH611 How about "shouldn't've"? The impressive double contraction. Which makes me wonder-- are there any triples? ..."Shouldn't'ven't"? Is that a word? Like, expressing regret for failing to do something? "I shouldn't have not done that," turns into "I shouldn't'ven't done that."

    • @Johnny-wv9cn
      @Johnny-wv9cn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Should be "I could of" instead of "I could have". People understand could've but sometimes people think it means "could of"instead of "could have".

    • @kitty2894
      @kitty2894 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      YES

  • @Olga_Efremov
    @Olga_Efremov ปีที่แล้ว +2

    These are such enriching topics to talk about! I really enjoy them. Not to mention, that they also broaden the perspective on things in life. 😊

  • @user-if8sj1pq6j
    @user-if8sj1pq6j 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    My son would say, "I misunderheard " when he misunderstood something. I still say it. I love it.

  • @damondominique
    @damondominique 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19767

    this is the linguistics class i never knew i needed

    • @errorsan9
      @errorsan9 3 ปีที่แล้ว +73

      lmao i saw you earlier in a ''what not to wear in russia'' video

    • @neon6847
      @neon6847 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      omg yoooooo

    • @pretzellina
      @pretzellina 3 ปีที่แล้ว +84

      Fancy seeing you here Damon!

    • @japanda1995
      @japanda1995 3 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      oh hey there damon dominique

    • @jellyfish2556
      @jellyfish2556 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Omg hi Damon! Love your videos!

  • @danispainas
    @danispainas 3 ปีที่แล้ว +486

    When people say “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less” it drives me mad because if you could care less you care a little then 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

    • @katmahasti
      @katmahasti 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Dana Materi Yes!!! That is up there in my top five pet peeves.

    • @candy2325
      @candy2325 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Dana Materi oh that’s a good one! That phrase has been used wrong for sooo long!

    • @wmichaelbooth
      @wmichaelbooth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      On the other hand "I couldn't care less" is wrong unless it's actually the thing you care least about.

    • @tomherman2144
      @tomherman2144 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I take it as sarcasm, meaning "as if I could really care less", so in fact: "I couldn't care less." But I may just be being charitable.

    • @gloriawang5608
      @gloriawang5608 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I've only ever heard people say it wrong so I didn't know that was the right way to say it LOL

  • @zacharydavis4398
    @zacharydavis4398 ปีที่แล้ว

    ❤️ Thanks for spending the time to create and share this content 🤙🏾

  • @GehamArakelyan
    @GehamArakelyan 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The thing that got me was when he said "coexist together" at the end

  • @RB-H
    @RB-H 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1906

    “Could care less” is mine. Basically saying you still have some care available.

    • @saberwing753
      @saberwing753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      But late on the reply, but I’d like to mention I’ve won an argument because the opposing party used that and I told them their opinion was moot due to the fact that they can’t even speak English properly despite it being their first language.

    • @RB-H
      @RB-H 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@saberwing753 Haha! I see “could care less” quite often.

    • @Platanov
      @Platanov 3 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      I've always seen that phrase as ironic, something like "I could, technically, care less, but only a little", rather than as an eggcorn of "I couldn't care less". Like it has that 90's "talk to the hand" flavor of sarcasm. Maybe that's just my brain rationalizing it though :p

    • @isaknilsson71
      @isaknilsson71 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      @@Platanov Agreed, I tend to interpret it as "I could care less, but only if I really tried" in order to feel less peeved :D

    • @Urfcannon
      @Urfcannon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      you mean you do care? lmao

  • @bethwalker8072
    @bethwalker8072 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2244

    Two Erik videos in a week? Even WIRED know he’s carrying the whole channel.

    • @bethwalker8072
      @bethwalker8072 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      LagiNaLangAko23 Oh yeah I rate her too

    • @acgm046
      @acgm046 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      I miss the doctor who reviewed medical scenes in movies and series. Hopefully she's doing fine these days working in her field...
      [edit] There's a recent update of what she's been up to! Just as I expected, it's been beyond hectic for her dealing with both trauma patients and Covid. Dr Onishi is a warrior!

    • @joshfedder5997
      @joshfedder5997 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Whaaaa where is the other one???

    • @maggie9961
      @maggie9961 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The lawyer was also very fun!

    • @ryanbrooks2434
      @ryanbrooks2434 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Him and almost impossible but idk if they r doing that anymore :(

  • @Linusrox123
    @Linusrox123 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Something I have heard at least 7 times are younger people saying "I'm weary of..." when they mean either wary of or leery of.

  • @mindyschaper
    @mindyschaper ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for this video. One of my undergrads is in English and I worked as an editor, so as you can imagine, I used to be a big grammar snob. Now I've been learning more about language and I regret my haughty ways!

  • @MsCunningLinguistic
    @MsCunningLinguistic 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1533

    Everyone else: [comments about the linguistics in the video]
    Me, a Norwegian: omg he has so many books about Scandinavian cooking

    • @ameliaberk
      @ameliaberk 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      i'm not norwegian but i noticed that too! love it

    • @andiemorgan961
      @andiemorgan961 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I was drawn to the bookshelf too.😄

    • @ktb183
      @ktb183 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Swedish christmas cooking, which made me curious as well :), maybe saw that because I am Swedish.

    • @meganinnes2098
      @meganinnes2098 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I saw the comfort food and was like “hey I have that book! “ seeing that was a total unexpected happy surprise

    • @helenvolden3696
      @helenvolden3696 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      BRUNOST

  • @Krispyboy55
    @Krispyboy55 3 ปีที่แล้ว +330

    My god. I have never heard anyone saying “Hi” smoother than Eliza Simpson.

    • @tontonseba
      @tontonseba 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Thank you. i was thinking the same and was looking through the comments to see if anybody else got soft knees when she said „hi“...

    • @chris86simon
      @chris86simon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      James May.

    • @tkmiller_author
      @tkmiller_author 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Robert or James Welsh 😊

  • @elizabethfortino8867
    @elizabethfortino8867 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I appreciated this talk emensly! I enjoy etymology and this taught me not to take myself too seriously. The evolution of language is fluid, and we should remember this and remain as such.

  • @katysleta4285
    @katysleta4285 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you so much for emphasizing that the language is not static and that new or "incorrect" uses of words are a part of the language's evolution. So don't hate, embrace. (unless it's should of/should've :D)

  • @austinmoon6974
    @austinmoon6974 3 ปีที่แล้ว +729

    Another folk etymology example:
    “Goodbye” used to be a contraction of “God be with ye”. Eventually people started saying “Bye” as a shorthand for “Goodbye”, turning the definition of “Goodbye” to something more similar to “Good parting”.

    • @Crosshill
      @Crosshill 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      when i realized that the danish farvel for goodbye just literally meant fare-well and that farewell is the same deal, iunno you feel pretty blind

    • @knower1514
      @knower1514 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I would’ve never known this

    • @airotkiv
      @airotkiv 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      it's crazy because in German the equivalent to Goodbye is Auf Wiedersehen (as in a phrase for more formal settings), which literally means "May we meet/see each other again", so it'd actually be more similar to saying "see you". But in my head "Good-bye" and "Auf Wiedersehen" mean the exact same thing, because they're used in the same context. But then you have the German phrase "mach's gut", which would translate to something way closer to the literal meaning of farewell/goodbye and is way less formal, so it would be used in the same context as "see you" in english. So the literal meaning is actually completely opposite to the context the phrases are used in in each language. Does that make sense?

    • @dudedude3926
      @dudedude3926 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      “God be with you” is how you greet people in Gaelic, too!

    • @laurac86
      @laurac86 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Wow that’s really interesting, I never knew that! Thanks for sharing 😊

  • @Anthony-yu6ib
    @Anthony-yu6ib 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1726

    My pet peeve is when people say “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less.”

    • @cjscarff6453
      @cjscarff6453 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Yes me too

    • @lulumanona3761
      @lulumanona3761 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Drives me nuts

    • @reservoirfrog1
      @reservoirfrog1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      Is that an American thing? I hear a lot of Americans say “I/he/she/they could care less” when someone doesn’t care. Not in the UK. We always say “COUNDN’T care less”

    • @theeggtimertictic1136
      @theeggtimertictic1136 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I hate when they do that and when did the saying 'my bad' enter the English language?

    • @sublimesense7761
      @sublimesense7761 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same

  • @rachelf5466
    @rachelf5466 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    This guy just voiced all my thoughts (as a hobby linguist) on language in a single video. I love how he talks about saying things "wrong" is just how language changes. My parents get caught up on the slang of "kids these days." "You guys give a bad meaning to everything"-- which is really the pot calling the kettle black because their generation had plenty of their own slang. The way I see it, often the purpose behind slang is to fill a need in a language that wasn't being met before, and a lot of our "accepted" words now were once considered slang. Slang is fascinating to me for that reason-- it's like watching language change right before your eyes.
    And also, who gets to dictate right and wrong when it comes to language? It really boils down to what the natives say. I learned Spanish in the US, so I learned lots of different kinds of Spanish all at once. I resisted saying "parquear" for "to park" for the longest time because I saw it as "wrong." However, I eventually came to realize that I had never once heard someone say the "correct" word, which was "estacionar." I realized that if the native speakers have no problem with parquear, then who was I to tell them that it was the "wrong" word? There really isn't a right or wrong.

  • @done.6191
    @done.6191 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    "For all intensive purposes, dialect coach Erik Singer is literally an expert when it comes to language. " This sentence nearly broke me.

  • @maggie19104
    @maggie19104 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1810

    Idk who needs to hear this, but “definitely” and “defiantly” are two completely different words.

    • @dallaswood4117
      @dallaswood4117 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      ha i posted the same thing. i only ever see it typed that way though so people must be spelling definitely wrong and then auto correct kicks in?

    • @thistvrighthere
      @thistvrighthere 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      autocorrect needs to hear it

    • @sierramelody3886
      @sierramelody3886 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      The typo is usually definately tho

    • @jtoatm5923
      @jtoatm5923 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Dallas Wood that’s defiantly true

    • @eatsmylifeYT
      @eatsmylifeYT 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      How about "could of" and "could have"?

  • @henryst5
    @henryst5 3 ปีที่แล้ว +818

    I know multiple people who think the phrase is “play it by year”, when it is most definitely “play it by ear”.

    • @TheDenisedrake
      @TheDenisedrake 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Haha! I wonder if they also "fly by the seat of their aunts"?

    • @juliadandy6019
      @juliadandy6019 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ugh, I have a hatred of “play by ear” that to this day I don’t know why hahahahaha never heard people saying “by year” though, that’s curious

    • @jamestierney1072
      @jamestierney1072 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I like to say it both ways. “Play it by year” still works if you take the meaning of “year” to be “time”. As it we will determine what we’re doing in due time and “play it by ear” if we’re waiting on word about the plans we’re talking about.

    • @salaltschul3604
      @salaltschul3604 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I've always wondered if the people who say those things have ever broken it down to realise what they're saying makes no sense....

    • @linesandcircles7465
      @linesandcircles7465 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Up until I read this comment, I was completely unaware that this eggcorn existed! I play music, so "Play by ear" is the only thing that makes sense!

  • @minners19
    @minners19 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I find it FACINATING that in some languages, the tone of how you say something completely changes a word.

    • @melonie_peppers
      @melonie_peppers ปีที่แล้ว +3

      This is very common in African languages especially Bantu languages. We sometimes just have 1 word used 7 times just depending on how you pronounce it will change meaning

    • @einundsiebenziger5488
      @einundsiebenziger5488 ปีที่แล้ว

      ... fascinating* ...

  • @candybabyeagle
    @candybabyeagle 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I'm really enjoying your videos, especially when you remind us that language changes over time and to be more comfortable with the changes. I moved to Oklahoma a few years ago and constantly cringe when people use the wrong tense of verbs when talking. "I seen him yesterday ". It just seems to be a thing here.

  • @echolotaliabrokenflight7279
    @echolotaliabrokenflight7279 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1394

    not me staring for 14 minutes at erik singer's bookshelf and wondering exactly what system he uses that puts GOTHAM next to Scandinavian Comfort Foods, The Swedish Christmas Table, and William Shakespeare

    • @maggienbob1304
      @maggienbob1304 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      😂😂😂 I "literally" got about halfway through your first sentence before bursting out laughing!! I was thinking the same thing!
      ..Almost darn near peed m' pants.

    • @cr8865
      @cr8865 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I was doing the exact same! ;)

    • @sundalongpatpat
      @sundalongpatpat 2 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Oh he uses the Putin-Dair Classification Sytem

    • @linda-ricci
      @linda-ricci 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      someone with many varied interests

    • @mjgerges
      @mjgerges 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I had the same thoughts ... an array of books with no particular order or grouping .. lol ;)

  • @cheungnth
    @cheungnth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +754

    “I’m literally dying.”
    “Aren’t we all?”

    • @jordinhocharles
      @jordinhocharles 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I’m a demigod I cNt die

    • @trude8073
      @trude8073 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Always a little by little 🙈

    • @1980rlquinn
      @1980rlquinn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Well, it's 2020, so, ... yeah.

    • @cabrinius
      @cabrinius 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "Literally dying" means you are actually dying, so when you say that it means you are physically dying and are about to leave this planet forever. So only say that when you are, in fact, dying.

    • @Brindlebrother
      @Brindlebrother 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You guys are silly...i mean nice.

  • @choochd
    @choochd ปีที่แล้ว +2

    When I was young I used to get annoyed that people would respond to the question "Do you mind doing...x,y,z ?" with "Sure" "yes" "definitely"...etc. And then as I grew up and more people asked me favors I found out that people are so accustomed to this incorrect exchange that when I replied with the appropriate negative, they'd think I was rejecting their request. Unfortunately, I have assimilated and now will respond with the positive, just so people don't mistake my intent.

  • @denniskirschbaum9109
    @denniskirschbaum9109 ปีที่แล้ว

    Sick! I'm chomping at the bit for your next one! Literally!

  • @ashleybellofsydney
    @ashleybellofsydney 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1546

    EGGCORN: My deaf stepmother says "Old Timers' Disease" when she really means "Alzheimer's Disease".

    • @AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor
      @AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      So funny! It reminds me of my young sonwho used to say rubber balls instead of vegetables.

    • @tmcleodjr
      @tmcleodjr 3 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      Perhaps she's making a pun?

    • @TalentGumbi
      @TalentGumbi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      This is funny 🤣

    • @sandraeckelhofer
      @sandraeckelhofer 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ahahaha great one!!!

    • @cielledoux3805
      @cielledoux3805 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      But is she wrong tho

  • @MarisaMunoz0507
    @MarisaMunoz0507 3 ปีที่แล้ว +891

    I can’t stand when people say “I could care less” when they mean they don’t care. It’s “I couldn’t care less” !!!

    • @brianamariiee6481
      @brianamariiee6481 3 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      Exactly! Lol I've been trying to say this but people get so mad when you correct them. It makes no sense and changes the meaning. You're trying to say you dont care and yet you are saying "well I could care less" like...what??

    • @owenkey3239
      @owenkey3239 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I had to look for this because so hate it so much as well.

    • @haskellbob
      @haskellbob 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      YES! That drives me crazy too. If they COULD care less, then they care at least a bit. But if they couldn't care less, they don't care at all. Jeez, some people just don't think!

    • @seanfogerty6075
      @seanfogerty6075 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      the way i handle it is just to convince myself they’re being sarcastic. i know it’s not true but the lie helps ease the pain a little bit....

    • @RedCanyonWolf
      @RedCanyonWolf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I came to the comments to say exactly this

  • @SPRPhilly
    @SPRPhilly ปีที่แล้ว +3

    About the ending a sentence with a preposition part - the was a scene in Cheers, many years ago, in which Rebecca Howe shouts, "there are some things up with which I will not put!" That always cracked me up.

    • @charlo90952
      @charlo90952 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Churchill said that.

  • @jomoser83
    @jomoser83 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    My biggest pet peeve is people, at least in my area, writing "should of" or "would of" when they mean should've and would've

  • @otheirony618
    @otheirony618 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2035

    “I could care less”
    I get irrationally angry over this one.

    • @mariocastro6895
      @mariocastro6895 3 ปีที่แล้ว +221

      I could care less

    • @joefelice5062
      @joefelice5062 3 ปีที่แล้ว +133

      Pronouncing exspresso, exspecially, and should of... all make me justifiably angry.

    • @wordsculpt
      @wordsculpt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      Well, sometimes I actually could manage to care a little bit less. Not usually, but occasionally!

    • @isitstupidtoaskquestions
      @isitstupidtoaskquestions 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I could care less

    • @sylviacarlson3561
      @sylviacarlson3561 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mariocastro6895 why?

  • @Rentgrrrl92
    @Rentgrrrl92 3 ปีที่แล้ว +820

    I like how when he demonstrated vocal fry, he instantly turned into Matthew McConaughey

    • @wearecreatorz5688
      @wearecreatorz5688 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I found the comment I was looking for lmao I wanted someone else to notice

    • @ClaudioYanes84
      @ClaudioYanes84 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Alright alright alright

    • @kylefrans9529
      @kylefrans9529 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      All I'm saying is when he did the comparison between the two, he did the vocal fry once and she did it twice

    • @Egilhelmson
      @Egilhelmson 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @ThiagoPlaying That’s just tubular!

    • @Tinymoezzy
      @Tinymoezzy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I heard Brad Pitt, oddly enough I don't care for his voice

  • @lukas7008
    @lukas7008 ปีที่แล้ว

    Loved this video! Very informative, and interesting.

  • @Nano0k
    @Nano0k 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    My secret pet peeve is knowing to say something as “long/short-lived” with a long “i” sound, to indicate possession of a long or short life, but never actually say it to save time. I always congratulate other, braver souls than myself who do so. Has happened a couple of times in three decades.

  • @WeDontWantYourWar
    @WeDontWantYourWar 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2426

    First time I was in the US, I was blown away by always being asked if I wanted a SUPER SALAD with my dinner.. It was only 7 years later I was told it was a Soup OR Salad.

    • @dang2443
      @dang2443 2 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      "blown away"? By a salad. Mkay....

    • @persephonebh4592
      @persephonebh4592 2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      🤣🤣🤣

    • @strangeaslife
      @strangeaslife 2 ปีที่แล้ว +219

      @@dang2443 clearly they aren't a native English speaker so chill. I wonder how many languages you speak, much less perfectly. Pft

    • @jypsych3556
      @jypsych3556 2 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      My first language was technically Spanish BUT I’m more fluent in English and let me tell you, that happens to me still😭😭 every time I’m like how does this always happen😭😭

    • @cassieee42069
      @cassieee42069 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      I've been laughing at this comment for 20 minutes. Thanks for posting it

  • @adriannelson4214
    @adriannelson4214 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1235

    So if "silly" used to mean "blessed", then slapping someone silly would mean approximately the same as beating the devil out of them.

    • @killbill450
      @killbill450 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Underrated comment

    • @justinlang8881
      @justinlang8881 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      RIP devil

    • @Meatwad0
      @Meatwad0 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Oh my god😂😂😂

    • @dianacherry1411
      @dianacherry1411 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I like the way you think lol

    • @katmatally
      @katmatally 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I relate it to The Fool in the Tarot -- the Fool is blessed

  • @strawberrybunny16
    @strawberrybunny16 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I totally agree with this outlook- but I do wish there was a synonym for “literally” that could be solely used for its original meaning. Because it’s not *always* clearly understood, and I’ll take an exaggeration in the literal sense. And I guess that can happen with any exaggeration, but using a word that can *also* confirm something as literal and true, (“literally” could be used to prove that they are specifically NOT trying to exaggerate), really does create some miscommunications 😂

    • @TheKeck
      @TheKeck 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      A year later, just adding that I agree. 😆 The whole point of the word literally (in the sense we want to use it) is to get rid of an ambiguity that you expect the hearer to not understand.

  • @AppleFamilyDental
    @AppleFamilyDental ปีที่แล้ว

    This presentation is so insightful. Thank you.

  • @RealMexFoodShouldntGiveUDrrhea
    @RealMexFoodShouldntGiveUDrrhea 3 ปีที่แล้ว +176

    My mom (a native Spanish speaker) works with a lot of young people who always say, “I’m like....” She thought they were saying, “I’m Mike.” She thought it was an American phrase. 🤣

  • @liduinaliduina11
    @liduinaliduina11 3 ปีที่แล้ว +866

    Okay but what about the people that say “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”

    • @acharich
      @acharich 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Ironically I once saw someone write a rant about the second statement on FB.. 💀

    • @micheal2458
      @micheal2458 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@acharich about the correct one? what was their issue with it?

    • @jaxxiet5851
      @jaxxiet5851 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@acharich lolll

    • @marcusnichols5595
      @marcusnichols5595 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Hi Emma, David Mitchel has something to say about that; th-cam.com/video/om7O0MFkmpw/w-d-xo.html

    • @crewe99
      @crewe99 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I was looking for this comment! Infuriating 🤬

  • @The_best_days_are_yesterdays
    @The_best_days_are_yesterdays 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    My biggest language pet peeve is when people say "conversate." It's like the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard when I hear it.
    The correct word is "converse."

  • @loyaltysentry3660
    @loyaltysentry3660 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    i agree w the vocal fry one SM!!
    its criticized when women do it but seen as "soothing" or "assertive" when a man does it

  • @zackreed6010
    @zackreed6010 3 ปีที่แล้ว +467

    "Sinister" originally meant "left-handed" and I just love this ridiculous, fluid language of ours.

    • @thejagman22
      @thejagman22 3 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      Because being left-handed was correctly seen as being a sign of evil.

    • @akizeta
      @akizeta 3 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      @@thejagman22 "Correctly"?

    • @CharalamposKoundourakis
      @CharalamposKoundourakis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      @@akizeta That's correct.

    • @jordanalmond3458
      @jordanalmond3458 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      FASCINATING!!

    • @gisellepaz9069
      @gisellepaz9069 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      The word for right handed being "Dexter" as in dexterous.

  • @norawin
    @norawin 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2514

    I took a linguistic anthropology course in college and that was when I finally realized: the more you learn about language, the more you realize that breaking the "rules" is a key component of communication. It's how languages evolve.

    • @blackeyedsusan727
      @blackeyedsusan727 2 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Agreed. But the stupid errors so many people make cannot be regarded as "evolution"

    • @ismellpedo
      @ismellpedo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +122

      @@blackeyedsusan727 The languages does evolve though. Regardless of whether it's a "stupid error", if enough people do/say it then the language will change, it will grow and evolve into something different then what it was prior to that "stupid error".

    • @amandawalker1196
      @amandawalker1196 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      This should be a top comment

    • @Sofiaode18
      @Sofiaode18 2 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Which is why petty people who are hung up on dictionary definitions and proper grammar are uptight fuckwads.

    • @gee_emm
      @gee_emm 2 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Slang is the poetry of everyday speech. It’s breaking the rules, for the fun of it. 🤷🏾‍♀️

  • @stavokg
    @stavokg ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A pet peeve of mine is when someone says or writes “weary” when the meaning is “wary”.

  • @EmilyJaneMusic3
    @EmilyJaneMusic3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    An example of a word with multiple uses/meanings is ‘peak’. It can mean ‘the top of’, but in MLE something being ‘peak’ is unfortunate or bad

  • @moumita_sen
    @moumita_sen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +423

    "I'm literally dying.."
    Yes, yes you are, all of us are, literally dying at all times until we're literally dead.

    • @oliviah.4741
      @oliviah.4741 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Exactly

    • @zbdmo4914
      @zbdmo4914 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Except that 'literally' has been used as an intensifier for, *literally*, centuries.
      It's ok to use literally when you actually mean figuratively.
      www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/misuse-of-literally

    • @NootNoooooot
      @NootNoooooot 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@zbdmo4914 except when people who use it don't actually know how to use it because they *literally* don't understand the word they're saying.

    • @crunchie83
      @crunchie83 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is a favorite phrase of reality show contestants.

    • @jtoatm5923
      @jtoatm5923 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      SilentNeutral they don’t understand that it’s used as an intensifier?

  • @OmegaSoypreme
    @OmegaSoypreme ปีที่แล้ว +2873

    What I love about Erik is that he's an expert on language and uses that expertise to tell us to not get so hung up on the rules of language.

    • @danidejaneiro8378
      @danidejaneiro8378 ปีที่แล้ว +69

      It’s true. People that most get their knickers in a twist about language use rarely know much about the reality of language use.

    • @adb4159
      @adb4159 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Right, because part of what he wants his audience to be aware of is that language, like anything else that makes up society and culture, is continually, albeit slowly, changing and adapting in time.

    • @utsavmaheshwari859
      @utsavmaheshwari859 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      No real linguist is a prescriptivist.

    • @deithlan
      @deithlan ปีที่แล้ว +42

      Everyone who actually starts studying language will quickly come to realize that language prescriptivism (saying this and that is wrong and you should use such and such instead), for everyday use at least, is pretty stupid 😁

    • @margaretmaynard7
      @margaretmaynard7 ปีที่แล้ว

  • @maxryder9321
    @maxryder9321 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I saw a TikTok saying this and I agree, literally doesn’t have a “new” meaning, e.g. “Im literally going to kill you” when someone is being annoying is just hyperbole, not a new meaning, just as you could equally say “I’m going to kill you” without changing the meaning of the word kill. Now I see that the first sentence is somewhat breaking the 4th wall by using the word “literally” without precisely meaning it, but it’s still the same phenomenon overall.

  • @INFJ-Alien
    @INFJ-Alien ปีที่แล้ว +5

    What a fascinating video. I have recently discovered a love for language after attending a few English classes at university. I have made many eggcorn mistakes myself, and it is fun to look back on those mistakes and laugh. One of the most common word usage mistakes I see on TH-cam comments are the words Your and You are (You're). I think that is fine. The rest of the sentence can provide me with proper context. A friend of mine used to mispronounce the word orchid as orchard-along with other words he would mispronounce. At first it was very confusing, but I learned "his vocabulary" quickly, and it no longer got in the way of us communicating. If I can understand the meaning of what you are trying to express, then mission accomplished. I literally do not care if people make mistakes.

    • @tlpineapple1
      @tlpineapple1 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ive found anyone who spends some time studying linguistics begins to adopt this attitude.
      Language is explicitly a tool to exchange ideas and emotions. As long as i understand what people are trying to say, these little mistakes just dont matter. I used ti get really annoyed by "there, their, and they're" as well as "your and you're", but ive come to realize in getting worked up over something id have to be purposely attempting not to understand.

  • @Sam_Perman
    @Sam_Perman 3 ปีที่แล้ว +334

    A good family friend of mine though it was “Gorilla Cheese” for 35 years until she saw it written on a menu and didn’t know what a “grilled cheese” was.

    • @ancali
      @ancali 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      😂🤣😂

    • @Sam_Perman
      @Sam_Perman 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Katie W. Still not as bad as THIRTY FIVE YEARS

    • @bganonimouse2754
      @bganonimouse2754 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Holy smokes my toes even curled while hearing this, just ugh.

    • @StarryNightt.
      @StarryNightt. 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@katiew. Lmfaoo me too! Till I was like 8

    • @elena2125
      @elena2125 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      People are just funny.😂

  • @katiaeconomou5812
    @katiaeconomou5812 3 ปีที่แล้ว +583

    I'm convinced this man isn't actually American. He's just doing an accent

    • @alaneekonomou
      @alaneekonomou 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Haha omg our last names!! How weird!!

    • @camerontaylor7471
      @camerontaylor7471 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I’m convinced Alexa is AI...

    • @akinae3567
      @akinae3567 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      If he is, it’s impressive. I accidentally picked up an American/European accent when I was younger and now many people think I’m an immigrant...until they hear the rest of my family. Lol

    • @acharich
      @acharich 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@alaneekonomou whoa, the irony.. 😅

    • @LABoyce
      @LABoyce 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pretty sure he’s an American trying to sound posh. It’s a Transatlantic accent that was popular in early American films

  • @richdobbs6595
    @richdobbs6595 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    "I'm going to the store. Do you want to come with?" Seems perfectly normal to me, and I didn't even get the point on why some people thought it wrong until I studied French and of course you would come "avec moi", and never just leave a sentence hanging with "avec"

  • @theplantchick1762
    @theplantchick1762 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Someone give this guy his own show

    • @tinalindholm4163
      @tinalindholm4163 ปีที่แล้ว

      He is the only reason I subscribed to this channel!

  • @divinecommerce3912
    @divinecommerce3912 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2390

    As a math nerd, I always bite my tongue when people say they did a "360" when they mean 180... A full circle (360 degrees) gets you back to where you started, whereas 180 degrees is moving in the opposite direction. I don't love correcting people so I don't say anything, but I hope this helps someone LOL

    • @scottjimenez653
      @scottjimenez653 2 ปีที่แล้ว +108

      @@iiwi758 I see what you did there...;)

    • @109eashisingh5
      @109eashisingh5 2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      @@iiwi758 🤣🤣🤣

    • @rikkatheconure2395
      @rikkatheconure2395 2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      Thank you for not correcting them. Grammar policing is the second cringest thing you can do when talking to someone XD second only to making things out to be Sexist or racist when they aren’t

    • @109eashisingh5
      @109eashisingh5 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@NeevTHM it's math

    • @109eashisingh5
      @109eashisingh5 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @@NeevTHM nope still math 🤣🤣🤣 maybe you are right but i never thought mathematics to be plural i mean its just one subject named mathematics and math is short for mathematics 😂😂 idk math sounds right somehow

  • @giodc8599
    @giodc8599 3 ปีที่แล้ว +247

    Erik needs a whole show for himself. It's as simple as that.

    • @___LC___
      @___LC___ 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I love Erik.

  • @ElTestok
    @ElTestok 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    "For all intensive purposes"
    Yes, that one makes me crack up a little bit lol.

  • @alimaleki217
    @alimaleki217 ปีที่แล้ว

    I could watch hours of Erik and Eliza going back and forth!

  • @essentialrenee
    @essentialrenee 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1348

    i wasn't prepared for eliza's sultry "hi".

    • @jdavi6241
      @jdavi6241 3 ปีที่แล้ว +134

      @@koolmaaan the linguistic tonal style of that "hi" would be recognized as sounding sultry by most folks with an understanding of tonality. However, I don't think it was intentional on her part.
      You don't need to be attracted to someone to recognize and identify cultural associations of "sultriness" in the inflections of someone's voice.

    • @dressyrbrunte100
      @dressyrbrunte100 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      i reacted to it too omg

    • @essentialrenee
      @essentialrenee 3 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      @@koolmaaan i wasn't looking at the video. just listening. her "hi" made me look. good job reaching though...

    • @essentialrenee
      @essentialrenee 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@jdavi6241 thank you

    • @QuantEdgeHub
      @QuantEdgeHub 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      huuh omg right

  • @x.adrimarie.x
    @x.adrimarie.x 3 ปีที่แล้ว +389

    People really are out here typing “collage” instead of “college” 😬

    • @FuzzyElf
      @FuzzyElf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      These people are often attending "collage," too.

    • @sparklingsequin2536
      @sparklingsequin2536 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      FuzzyElf everyone has different, areas of strength...

    • @kv8938
      @kv8938 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      sparkling sequin spelling "college" is a very hard skill to learn, yes

    • @fificore
      @fificore 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I used to do that! 😭

    • @legendsword7
      @legendsword7 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Do you mean "literally" out here?

  • @nicholasricardo8443
    @nicholasricardo8443 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    On the latin origin of not ending sentences with prepositions, the reason why this is is because in latin there exist endings for nouns used for prepositional phrases (the ablative and accusative) these nouns in those cases must follow the preposition, otherwise it would not make sense. English doesn't have cases so it isn't grammatically necessary. Here's a Latin Example: Quintus stat prope ianuam iratus. Quintus stands near the door, angry. Ianua (door) uses the accusative first declension singular form (-am). The sentence can be rearranged in various ways such as: Quintus iratus prope ianuam stat, Quintus stat iratus prope ianuam, they all mean the same thing, but the preposition must be before the object of the prepositional phrase in Latin

  • @AndrewSteelsmith
    @AndrewSteelsmith ปีที่แล้ว

    The second half of this video was fantastic and had me glued to it. I’m not sure why, but I’m glad I resisted the impulse to bounce.