topic Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing? in Community Chat

When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

Group 5 minus 1 — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:34:33 GMT

Change it up,etc. Shouldn't it just be "change it"?

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

millieshops — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:39:53 GMT

@Group 5 minus 1 No idea when it started, but I can go back to my high school English teachers (1950's) trying to teach us to eliminate superfluous words. Too bad I can't remember the common examples.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

ALRATIBA — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:41:26 GMT

Agree. Sounds odd. May be a regional / colloquial expression.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

amyb — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:43:19 GMT

When did "nother" become a noun?

That's the one that bugs me..."A whole 'nother"...instead of "another" or "a whole other!"

No one says the 2nd two anymore...everyone says "a whole 'nother"...which sounds ridiculous to me.

Someone here, for sure, is going to tell us we have way too much time on our hands and "there are more important things" to think about. Ha. But I love language and words, so yes, I do notice these things.

"Change it up" doesn't bug me, but I get your point.

Phrases That Irk, Annoy and Generally Irritate

Johnnyeager — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:20:11 GMT

At work we frequently hear "Suit Up tomorrow!"

It now means to wear suits or formal business attire for an important meeting or seeing clients, rather than the usual casual business wear.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

faeriemoon — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:52:08 GMT

I think it's just an expression. Often expressions don't make a lot of sense, nor are they grammatically correct.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

Yahooey — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:56:50 GMT

I always said "anyway" - now I hear "anyways"

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

rms1954 — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:09:10 GMT

Or "go head" instead of "go ahead."

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

frenchie — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:11:11 GMT

These ones. Can't stand it. Also shortened words of today like foodie, hoodie, cardi, vacay. Can't take the time to say the whole word? Sounds childish to me.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

CelticCrafter — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:15:39 GMT

The one that annoys me is when someone will ask a question and finish it with "and go".

Who makes the best pizza and go.

I think it's just stupid.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

on the bay — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:18:18 GMT

@amyb,

Fellow word nerd here and not apologizing for it!😁

My mother had a huge Random House dictionary prominently displayed on it's own pedestal table in the living room for as long as I can remember.

As far as nother, apparently it is a word according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary and has been used since the 1400's! I've always used it-like-"that's a nother situation," etc. It was only until the 20th century that people started thinking of it as shortening another and thought it wrong.

And "change it up" we've always said like in "you might want to change it up!"

It seems it was originally a baseball term-"changeup,"and in the UK it refers to changing the gears in the car or something like that.

How can we possibly get through a week without these terms that really just say it like it is?

And I have time to discuss😄

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

millieshops — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:27:20 GMT

@frenchie I don't often have any little kids in my current life. I can imagine them using hoodie if they wear one, but do they really use the others? Seems to me if they do, they have to be hearing them from people other than shopping channel hosts. Maybe I need to watch more kids' TV shows?

I should also say I do use hoodie myself - and that's because I wear them.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

amyb — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:29:12 GMT

@on the bay Interesting~and thanks for that. I always meant to look up if "nother" was actually acceptable now as it's own word, but the 1400's?! Yowza, really?

As for your "that's a nother situation"...see, that's where I always thought it was just the one word, as in "that's another situation" or like I said "a whole other situation."

But I'm willing to be "schooled" today. 😉

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

on the bay — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:33:11 GMT

Now I'm wondering if these are generational things.

I never heard my mother say "change it up," or "that's a whole nother situation," (ahem @amyb -not a whole another situation 😁).

But like I said, I say them all the time.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

gidgetgh — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:36:07 GMT

I hear you on the adding of "up". I don't understand it,

Another one I just don't use, that is used widely by probably everyone but me, is adding the word "down" when referring to cleaning something.

"I wiped the counter down". "I wiped the car seats down".

I don't understand why the word "down" needs to be included. I wiped the counters. I wiped the car seats. I don't understand what "down" adds.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

Yahooey — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:44:38 GMT

I say foodie and hoodie

there is no word that describes foodie

it is not a chef or cook specifically

it is someone that enjoys, shares their knowledge or cooks food

hoodie - what would you call it

zippered or non zippered pullover with hood?

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

deeva — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:57:18 GMT

Something else I hear all the time is "reduce it down". You can't reduce up.

Just say reduce.

Or unexpected surprise. All surprises are unexpected.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

qualitygal — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:07:03 GMT

I hear people say, "if you want to zzuz it up" or to zzuz it up. How is it spelled and what does it replace on the word list? style? pretty? Ah,,,jazz it up.

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

faeriemoon — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:25:38 GMT

"Repeat that again." makes me crazy.

Also, "7 a.m. in the morning." (Duh.)

Re: When did adding up to phrases become a thing?

vermint — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:47:07 GMT

@gidgetgh wrote:
I hear you on the adding of "up". I don't understand it,

Another one I just don't use, that is used widely by probably everyone but me, is adding the word "down" when referring to cleaning something.

"I wiped the counter down". "I wiped the car seats down".

I don't understand why the word "down" needs to be included. I wiped the counters. I wiped the car seats. I don't understand what "down" adds.

@gidgetgh I agree on the "down"! Regarding "up", something I see a lot of here (in reviews, mostly) is "This (clothing item, sheet set, etc.) washed up well." Maybe it's a regional thing, but I just say "washed well".