The same word, different meaning conversation....

There are two sorts of grammarians: prescriptivists and descriptivists. The former believe that there is a "right" way to speak and write English, and the latter would say that the job of the language scholar is to record the way people actually use the language. Furthermore, there is the concept of "register". That is, you have levels of formality and standardisation all the way from the kind of language used by a BBC newsreader or an academic writing a paper right down to the street argot used by Ali G. Also there is the question of regional dialects and variant forms. It is very short-sighted and more than a little arrogant to say that all except Standard English is 'wrong'.

My husband uses both terms. 

I've always said daddy long legs. Can't recall hearing anyone call them crane flies.

Widespread doesn't equal correct. And by saying "sort of not correct," I was being nice. It's plain wrong. You could claim it's informal and conversational, but then so is "ain't" and I'll never admit that that's correct usage.

It probably is grammatically incorrect but that doesn't stop me saying it in casual, everyday conversation.

It is very short-sighted and more than a little arrogant to say that all except Standard English is 'wrong'.

Is that really necessary? Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Is that really necessary? Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Well, maybe I could have put it a bit better, but it is something I feel very strongly about.

Well, maybe I could have put it a bit better, but it is something I feel very strongly about.

You ought to allow for other people to feel as strongly about their views without hurling insults! I feel very strongly that we should agree to disagree on this one!

You ought to allow for other people to feel as strongly about their views without hurling insults! I feel very strongly that we should agree to disagree on this one!

I very strongly agree with chary.

[MOD NOTE]

Let's have a conversation without getting personal, please.

Move on, people or I'm locking it.

I think we could agree if the word "wrong" were replaced by "non-standard" or "dialect".

Eek! Crikey. Didn't realise it was all that serious. I was just having a bit of fun with it all. I guess all of the observations that I made were just towards the way that DH and the in-laws speak, and yeah, I reckon it is just part of the Cheshire dialect, plus, the in-laws lived their entire lives in the country-side, so I guess they're bound to say lots of different words and phrases and stuff. Sorry it went all wonky!

Eek! Crikey. Didn't realise it was all that serious. I was just having a bit of fun with it all. I guess all of the observations that I made were just towards the way that DH and the in-laws speak, and yeah, I reckon it is just part of the Cheshire dialect, plus, the in-laws lived their entire lives in the country-side, so I guess they're bound to say lots of different words and phrases and stuff. Sorry it went all wonky!

Don't worry! That happens often here! 

I must be having a senior moment because DH and I were just talking about something yesterday that would have fit this thread ... but of course I can't remember what it was.

So, uh... I just realised that I needed an eraser. So then I realised that I was going to have to call my 60 year old work colleague to ask if she had any rubbers, and that felt really weird to me. I thought I would suck it up and just say rubber. So I rang her, but then lost my nerve at the last minute and asked for an eraser instead. Of course, she shouts across her office "Ho! Have we got any rubbers?" And I had to stifle a giggle! Then for some reason, someone else in the office giggled (maybe thinking about what rubber means in the US?) and it sort of caught on, and then my colleague giggled, and then I just lost it and completely died laughing on the phone to her, and then she died laughing, and so did everyone else in her office upstairs. It was a very strange and hilarious moment! But, I guess I will have to get used to saying rubber sometime! Though, I don't think I will ever be able to call a condom a "blob" without laughing my head off! 

So, uh... I just realised that I needed an eraser. So then I realised that I was going to have to call my 60 year old work colleague to ask if she had any rubbers, and that felt really weird to me. I thought I would suck it up and just say rubber. So I rang her, but then lost my nerve at the last minute and asked for an eraser instead. Of course, she shouts across her office "Ho! Have we got any rubbers?" And I had to stifle a giggle! Then for some reason, someone else in the office giggled (maybe thinking about what rubber means in the US?) and it sort of caught on, and then my colleague giggled, and then I just lost it and completely died laughing on the phone to her, and then she died laughing, and so did everyone else in her office upstairs. It was a very strange and hilarious moment! But, I guess I will have to get used to saying rubber sometime! Though, I don't think I will ever be able to call a condom a "blob" without laughing my head off! 

This is funny!     I don't think I'll ever call an eraser a rubber, though.  And I still say bathroom instead of toilet at work.  But I've never heard a condom called a "blob"!  It's kind of gross....

This is funny!     I don't think I'll ever call an eraser a rubber, though.  And I still say bathroom instead of toilet at work.  But I've never heard a condom called a "blob"!  It's kind of gross....

That is gross, I've never heard it called that! When I was at school people used that word to refer to ahem menstruation, as in "Are you on your blob?" It would always make me cringe!

So, uh... I just realised that I needed an eraser. So then I realised that I was going to have to call my 60 year old work colleague to ask if she had any rubbers, and that felt really weird to me. I thought I would suck it up and just say rubber. So I rang her, but then lost my nerve at the last minute and asked for an eraser instead. Of course, she shouts across her office "Ho! Have we got any rubbers?"

Reminds me of the first time DH's new American colleague was in studio and one of the students asked him if he had a rubber!  He didn't know what to think.

Reminds me of the first time DH's new American colleague was in studio and one of the students asked him if he had a rubber!  He didn't know what to think.

<sorry to hijack> RFLMAO!!!! I'm seriously immature, but, that's just made me laugh for ages now!!!!

<back to the regular post>

Some of the ones mentioned I've heard in the US  too, like wing on a car... it's usually attached to the top of the trunk in the states maybe that's just where I grew up with all these guys making their cars look like airplanes lol seriously some of them look like spacecraft! haha...some people call it a spoiler...and draft I'd say I feel a draft...one I don't really use where I lived was kitty referring to left over money after everyone chipped in their amount for the tab... On a night out, one of our coworkers kept asking, "Where's the kitty?" and I had no idea what he was talking about. LoL I know that must make me sound silly but hey how was I to know if I'd never heard it before? hehehe Maybe this also depends on where in the states you are from?