I Love It When...

I love it when...people say, "pneumonic device"!

What is this, an air-powered memory aid?

Why don't people have better mnemonic devices for remembering how to say "mnemonic device"?

Whenever I head somebody say "pneumonic device", I always think that their head must be full of air.

"Nuh-monic", not "noo-monic." It's not all that hard.

Wouldn't it be great if people this dumb really WERE "dumb"? It makes you realize that helping the "dumb" to talk really isn't such a miracle after all. Jesus!

Also...how did everyone get the idea that the word "nuptials", which basically means "wedding", is pronounced "nup-shoo-wuls"? If you look at the word, or know how it's spelled, it's clearly meant to be pronounced "nup-shulls". Is "karate" a "marshuall" art?

On the other hand, why isn't the process of "pronouncing" words called "pronounciation"?

And a long-time concern of mine is why isn't the process of "maintaining" something called "maintainance"?

It makes you despair that the English language is so often driven by pure laziness.

But then there's nothing lazier than French. Like half the sentences are two words with "eh" in between. You can spell it "e" or "est" or "et", but it's always pronunced "eh" or "ay". "Eaux" is pronounced "oh". I can understand why the French are so into wine, because people speaking the language always sound drunk! Itsoundslikeeverywordissmashedintothenext.

Once when I was in Paris a guy in a striped shirt and beret with a baguette in a small bag, said to me, "C'est la vie!" And so I said, "la vie!"

I don't think he got it.