The Etymology of Summer

But not literally. It’s actually the etymology and origin of words related to summer, in honor of the impending season. Because the etymology of summer is quite arduous and boring and wouldn’t make for a sufficiently substantial post.

 Bikini: A word that brings a smile to the faces of the majority of the male species (and yes, I know men aren’t their own species, but they might as well be) actually came about because of a potential deadly weapon that would soon change the world forever. That’s right, designer Jacques Heim named his two-piece bathing suit creations after Bikini Atoll, the (in)famous site of nuclear testing that took place in the middle of the 20^th century. He released the product just days after the first weaponry test took place there, naming it after the much-talked about event in the center of the media craze, seemingly in an effort to increase sales. Capitalize on controversy to increase publicity and make money? He may have been a bit ahead of the times. I guess he was like the Kardashians of the 1900s, always looking to profit and gain publicity from anything possible. Oh wait. That's most public figures nowadays. ;)

Muscle: This one is for all you Situations out there who just love that summer provides an excuse to flash those guns and abs. It also has an unlikely etymology. “Muscle” comes from the French muscle which comes from musculus, Latin for “little mouse.” Mus alone is Latin for mouse— which itself is derived from Ancient Greek μῦς (mus)— and musculus is the diminutive form. It was said that, when flexed, it appeared that little mice were running under the skin. Sounds like the plot for a new low budget horror film…

Wave: Nothing too exciting behind this one. The waves you surf weren’t originally about water. “Wave” partially comes from the verb “to wave,” because the water moves back and forth. Before it came to its current form, the word used was the Middle English waw, which in turn comes from Old English’s wagian, meaning “to move to and fro” [1].

Dog Days of Summer: Though some believe this term, meant to refer to those hot days smack dab in the middle of summer, came about because their heat is something even dogs wouldn’t tolerate, that is not the case. The “dogs days” of summer are actually meant to be a specific time frame, generally July 3^rd to August 11^th, when Sirius, the Dog Star, rises with the sun— though the rotation of the earth has since changed the validity of this. It just so happens that those days coincide with the ones you wouldn’t be cruel enough to make even your dogs spend outdoors.

Sundae: Possibly the very best part of summer. Possibly also has the most debated origin of any of the words on this list. Various accounts claim different origins, but there are a few that are more believed (and believable) than others. Most of these stories share a common idea that the name itself comes from Sunday, the final day of the week. One theory claims that the ice cream used to create sundaes was the leftover ice cream from the week that would have been sold for less money the next day. Another popular account says that it was originally only sold on Sunday, as a way to try to get around certain laws that did not allow for the sale of regular ice cream or ice cream sodas on Sundays (due to religious reasons). The exact origin of its name doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that it was created for our consumption in the first place. Yum.

References and other links for more information:

1. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=wave&allowed_in_frame=0

2. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=muscle

3. http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/bikini/

4. http://www.citehr.com/238708-origin-word-bikini.html

5. http://www.space.com/8946-dog-days-summer-celestial-origin.html

6. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=dog+days

7.http://www.epl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=218&Itemid=331

8. http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2009/07/29/summer-scoop-the-etymology-of-ice-cream-sundae/

It's All in the Past! - Incorrect Past Tenses

This post is pretty self-explanatory. However, here is an important grammar fact that you’ll need to know going forward: A past participle is the form of a verb used for perfect tenses or the passive voice. In other words, it is the form of the verb that you pair with “has/have” or “had,” or possibly use as an adjective (e.g.,  to goà gone, to runà run, to seeà seen, to doà done).

1. Lead/Lead: Some of you may have already guessed where I’m going with this one. The past tense and past participle of “to lead” is “led,” not “lead” (also pronounced LED; a.k.a that metal that causes an uproar in the news whenever it’s found in a toy shipped in from a country we outsourced American jobs to). It is such a common mistake because “led” and “lead” (the metal) are homophones, meaning they sound the same, but have different meanings. When people write, they tend to transcribe what it is they are hearing in their heads at the time, and even though you may be saying “led” in your head, you are conjuring up the letters l-e-a-d. Also, the past tense and past participle of “to read” is read, and for some reason, people tend to automatically assume that words that rhyme in the present tense also rhyme in the past tense.

Incorrect: Last week I lead a hiking group up the Rocky Mountains.

Correct: I led him to the right room yesterday so he asked if I would lead him there again tomorrow.

2. Bring/Brang: Bring it on, incorrect grammar! (Okay, so that one was lame). Anyway, “brang,” in the spirit of yesterday’s post, is a non-existent word— at least in most English dialects (some regions apparently use it). On a related note, “brung” is also considered by some to be the past participle of “to bring,” though that, too, is only in those few dialects. In the majority of English dialects, neither word is acceptable. “Brought” is both the past tense and the past participle of “to bring.”

Incorrect: I have brung an apple for lunch all year long, so today brang something new.

Correct: I brought the wrong binder to class, only to realize I had not even brought the correct binder to school that day.

3. Swim/Swimmed: This one is pretty straightforward, so it should go quite swimmingly. Hah. Basically, despite the fact that some say “swimmed” is the past tense of “to swim,” the correct word is “swam.” The past participle is “swum.”

Incorrect: The dolphin swimmed past as I sat on the beach shore.

Correct: I swam every day last week, but I haven’t swum yet this week.

4. Hang/Hanged/Hung: This one is confusing because, depending on the intended meaning of “hang,” the past tense differs. So it isn’t that one form or the other is necessarily incorrect in all cases, but that, if used in the wrong context, it is considered incorrect.

If by hang you mean to “kill (someone) by tying a rope attached from above around their neck” [1], then both the past tense and the past participle are “hanged.”

Example: They hanged the man for his crimes. They had hanged many others before him.

However, if you intend to use the definition “to suspend or be suspended from above with the lower part dangling free” [1], then both the past tense and the past participle are “hung.”

Examples:

1. The pendant hung from a chain around my neck.

2. I have hung the picture on the wall.

5. Drag/Drug: This one is similar to bring/brang/brung in that some regional dialects differ from the majority.  So some places use “drug” as the past tense of “to drag,” although almost all dialects reject this use. The “proper” past tense of “to drag” is “dragged,” and the past participle is the same.

Incorrect: I drug the sled behind me in the snow.

Correct: I have dragged this backpack around with me all day. I’m still wondering why I dragged it to all the classes I didn’t need it for.

References and other links for more information:

1. http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/hang

2. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0200807.html

3. http://www.writing.com/main/books/entry_id/307719

4. http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/brang.html

5. http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/English/swim.html

6. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/dragged-versus-drug.aspx

7. http://www.the-conjugation.com/english/verb/drag.php

Commonly Used Words... That Don't Actually Exist

The problem isn't that you're using these words incorrectly. It's that you're using them at all! (But, as always, remember that most people aren't very concerned with the minutiae of grammar and won't mind if you do.)

Alright: Alright is not all right! Continuing this week's theme of "things you only thought you knew about English," we have what is most likely the most commonly used word from this list. In fact, it is so misused that many English teachers either won't notice its use in a formal essay or will have thrown in the towel already on this one and no longer even try to stamp out its use. Another common theme from my posts so far has been that something has been used incorrectly in the English language for so long that it is now regarded as "correct" in colloquial speech. Such is the case with alright. Alright is a non-existent word, a combination of the correct "all right," which can either mean "all correct" if the writer didn't necessarily intend for the words to be next to each other or "satisfactory" if the adjacency of those words was on purpose and mandatory. "Alright" stems from the latter definition. So even though it is a mistaken jumble of a short phrase, its meaning actually differs from the phrase from which it came; "all right" can be taken to mean "entirely correct," while "alright" is taken to mean "not entirely correct but adequate enough."

Irregardless (Note: Even the spell check on my computer isn't underlining it with that annoying squiggly red line. Incorrect English has taken over Microsoft!): This word is the Justin Bieber of non-existent words. Widely known; the majority of people love to hate it, while the minority continue on in their obliviousness, proudly singing its tune; and, if used in a sentence, it instantly makes people think the speaker has the maturity and intellect of a twelve year old girl. “Irregardless” seems to be a bemusing mix of the words regardless and irrespective, synonyms which mean “notwithstanding” or “without taking account of” [1,2]. It was a combination of this confusion and what was likely the desire to sound more sophisticated that led to the birth of “irregardless.” Irregardless of how it came about, I hope that anyone reading this will be careful not to use the word anymore.

Should of, Would of, Could of: An oldie but a goodie. Sometimes seen as the equally (or possibly even more) atrocious “shoulda,” “woulda,” or “coulda.” Very simply put: these phrases/words have never existed and will never exist. What are the actual words? Should have, would have, and could have. The incorrect terms came about because, when spoken quickly, the v in “have” sounds like the f in “of.”

References and other links for more information:

1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regardless

2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irrespective

3. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/all-right-versus-alright.aspx

4. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alright

5. http://www.portent.com/blog/random/9_words_that_dont_exist.htm

6. http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/couldof.html

The Oxford Comma

Today's a short one. And more informative than corrective. And potentially controversial if other grammarians are reading this.

           As far as punctuation goes, I offer not a correction, but rather a plea. Please use Oxford commas. 

           I am a staunch supporter of the Oxford comma, also known as the Serial comma or Harvard comma. It's that comma after the penultimate word in a list, right before the conjunction (good ol' FANBOYS) that introduces the final item. For instance: I like running, jumping, and dancing. As you can see, I had two commas in that sentence. However, some grammarians would argue that I should exclude the comma before “and dancing,” deeming it unnecessary punctuation. I am from the school of thought that recommends always using the Oxford comma. Mostly for the sake of clarity.

           Consider this next (and relatively viral) example [1]. “We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin.” With the Oxford comma, you know that the two men were invited along with an unknown number of strippers. Without the Oxford comma, it becomes, “We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.” Now JFK and Stalin ARE the strippers— pasties, provocative moves, and all. 

References and other links for more information:

1. http://thegloss.com/beauty/why-the-oxford-comma-is-something-you-should-care-about-392/

2. http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-is-the-oxford-comma

3. http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/f/QAoxfordcomma.htm

All this English is making me sick! - Nauseated vs Nauseous

As promised, here's another post about an incorrectly used word.

           I'll just be as blunt as possible. Nauseous and nauseated do not mean the same thing. If you say you feel nauseous and receive a few snickers, don’t be surprised.

            “Nauseous” is an adjective that refers to something that induces nausea. “Nauseated” is the feeling of experiencing nausea. So if you say I feel nauseous, you are basically saying I feel that I am inducing a feeling of sickness in others. How's that for self-deprecation?
            However, using "nauseous" to convey a feeling of queasiness has become so common that you are not likely to come across any objections to defining the word as such, except possibly from some grammarians. Even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary now includes "affected with nausea" as a possible definition for "nauseous" [1]. But if you are like me and prefer to use the word as it was intended to be used, you should stick with saying you feel nauseated.

           Speaking of which: Am I making any of you guys nauseated with all of this yet? Am I nauseous? (Yeah, I know. That was pretty lame.)

           Moral of the story here? Guys: If your grammar-conscious date ever happens to look a little green in the gills, don’t tell her that she looks nauseous unless you want that to be your last date.

References and other links for more information:

1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/nauseous

2. http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nauseated.html

3. http://www.grammarerrors.com/word-choice/nauseousnauseated/

The Green Monster - Jealousy vs. Envy

Today's post is more within the realm of usage, but I think it will fit in nicely.

           Do you ever use the words “jealously” or “envy”? Do you use them in the exact same context? If your answer is yes (which, let’s be honest, it is), then I’m here to inform you that you’ve likely been using them incorrectly your entire life. Prepare to have your mind blown. 

           Jealousy and envy are not synonyms. So saying that you feel jealousy towards someone does not necessarily mean you are envious of him or her. Colloquially, they have come to have the same meaning to people, which is why you're not likely to be corrected for using them interchangeably.

           So what exactly do each of these words mean, and what is the distinction between the two? 

           Envy is the desire to have something that belongs to someone else. Jealousy, on the other hand, is the feeling of distress that someone or something you have will be taken away. 

           So you aren’t jealous of someone’s clothing or college acceptance, but rather envious of them. You wish that you, too, had these things. However, if you are concerned that someone else is encroaching on your boyfriend or girlfriend and have a strong desire to hand them their… derrière, that is jealousy.

Incorrect: I was jealous when he was accepted into the program that I had been rejected from.

Correct:

1) I felt envious of Becky when she pulled up to school in that new sports car. I wish I had one of those.

2) Even though I know my boyfriend will always be faithful, I still have feelings of jealousy when I see girls flirting with him. 

References and other links for more information:

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Envy_vs_Jealousy

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/envy/#1.2

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000301.htm

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. I'll reveal to you another word that you've likely been using incorrectly all your life.

Lay vs. Lie / Raise vs. Rise

Welcome to Grammar Time! Sit back, relax, and enjoy my first post! Hopefully you'll take away something new. :)

    

            If you’ve ever had trouble with correct grammar, rise your hand. Hmm… sound wrong? That’s because it is. Some people consider their pet peeves to be toe tapping or board scratching or using annoying phrases. I find it grating when someone uses incorrect grammar, like confusing verbs that require an object (transitive verbs) and verbs that do not (intransitive verbs)— lay and lie, raise and rise.

            First, there’s the issue of lay and lie. The bane of my grammatically-punctilious existence. When I hear them misused, I grit my teeth and pretend I’m not shrieking on the inside. Unfortunately, this happens all too frequently, because those are among the most commonly switched words. Are you laying down or lying down? Should you lie down over here or lay down over there? You lay the book down yesterday, or you laid it down? 

           Well, wonder no more; I’m here to clear everything up. The verb “to lay” is transitive and therefore requires a direct object— that is, something to which the action refers. “To lie” requires just a subject as it is intransitive. You lay the book down, but you, yourself, lie down. Therein lies the distinction. Hah. 

           The confusion begins when using the past tense. The past tense of lay is laid. But the past tense of lie… is lay. Confusing, to say the least. So last week when you didn’t feel well, you lay down in bed. But when you pulled the covers up, you laid them over yourself.
           And of course, there’s the present participle. But here’s where it gets easy. The present participle of “lay” is “laying,” while the present participle of “lie” is simply “lying.” Here’s how I keep them straight: To paraphrase a very wise grammar website, when you go to the beach for vacation, you spend your time “lying” on the sand, not “laying.” Unless you’re referring to the colloquial form of “laying”… and that just ends with a lot of sand in very unfortunate places [1].

            On a similar and much quicker note, raise and rise are sometimes switched. Like with lay and lie, one word takes a direct object while the other does not. In this case, “raise” requires an object that is actually being raised, while “rise” requires just a subject. You raise your hand in class, but when the bell rings, you rise from your seat and dash to the hallway as soon as possible.

References and other links for more information:

1. http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/articles/article/992333/8992.htm

2. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/lay-versus-lie.aspx

3. http://robin.hubpages.com/hub/Grammar_Mishaps__Raise_vs_Rise