RSS Feed (xml)
Suggested by Nithin:
I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?
Yup, I write down all the words I don't know so that I can look them up in the dictionary later. I have notebooks full of words, words, words so that I have enriched and enlarged my knowledge of the English language.Ummm... just kidding. If I'm on a computer, I will google a word depending on how badly I want to know it, but as a rule, I don't dig out the dictionary. In my laziness, I like to rely on the old method from elementary school: context clues. This has led to plenty of times I thought I knew what a word meant but I really actually didn't. Other side effects: recognizing words from reading books, but completely butchering the word when trying to actually say it out loud.
For example, I was familiar with the word picturesque. I wanted to describe something to my mother as picturesque, but when I told her it was picture-a-scew, she laughed and had to let me know the correct way to pronounce it.
Alarming?? You Tell Me.
On a completely different note, any turkey hunters out there? Anyone? Anyone? Even better if you are dating a turkey hunter, because this sucker makes the perfect birthday present. Who doesn't want to be awakened by the sounds of "an owl hoot, a hen cutting and then a gobble" followed by a "shotgun blast" when you hit the snooze? I for one would like to buy three. Check Cabela's to order yours today!!
11 comments:
I don't dig out the dictionary too... unless I want to find out the meaning badly. I admit I'm just plain lazy, hehe.
Uh-oh...I hope your hubby doesn't read your blog, or you just totally blew the surprise! Or are you ordering it for yourself? Hard to believe that baby only got a 3.6 out of 5 rating, isn't it? ;)
I rarely dig out the dictionary either - and it has caused trouble with pronunciation!
Ha! That turkey clock is hilarious...seriously, if I had the money to waste I would be buying a few of those for gag gifts...though I have a few relatives who live deep in the country who probably would genuinely like it, but we won't go there.
I do the same as you when it comes to words. If I'm by the computer, I'll go to dictionary.com...if not, then I'll just forget about it and figure it out for myself. I should start keeping a notebook though...maybe I'd actually start learning something!
Done. Since you gave me the go-ahead I ordered three. I had them express delivered, so they should be here later today. Then tomorrow morning we can try them out!! I'm glad to see you are coming around. :P
I think the picture askew thing is common among people who read a lot of books but don't hear people talking that way. I remember when I was in college, I heard professors saying words that I knew well from books but had never heard said aloud. And plenty of them were pronounced differently from how I had imagined in my head. I used to have a friend who was always throwing around big words he knew, but he had no ear for language, so he was always saying them wrong. It was so funny. But if you told him the correct pronunciations, he'd get all mad. I think there's an opposite phenomenon, too, for example I know someone who grew up in a house with very educated parents and a lot of NPR on all the time, but she never read. So she speaks very eloquently but can't spell any better than your average third grader.
But wow, I can't imagine even a big time turkey shooting fan (ugh) wanting to be awakened by the sound of shots!
When I was studying for the GRE, I used the sound feature on Webster.com all the time to hear the words pronounced!! I've gotten lazy about looking up words, though. There are also words that I know HOW to use them, but am a little foggy on their actual definition. Oh well!
I'll have to keep the turkey alarm clock in mind--we have lots of hunters in the family (on my husband's side anyway).
melody-yes I blame it on laziness as well :-)
debi-Yeah, I would have given it a 5 out of 5 myself. He claims to have already ordered 3 of them :-)
janiejane-oh I'm sure you have some good stories about that one!
chris-heehee if you know someone who would actually like them, only $44.99 separates you from the alarm clock. And yeah, i should keep a notebook so I'd actually learn something.
lucky-oh husband of mine, I see you really want to start sleeping on the couch :-)
dewey-I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one taken aback by the actual pronunciation of words. And I so know people who always toss in big words and get mad if you correct them.
And no, I can't imagine anyone who wants to be awakened by the sound of a shotgun. But clearly someone somewhere does.
trish-wow I had no clue that there was something like that online. I will have to check it out next time I want to prove to my husband that I'm pronouncing the word correctly:-) And yes, if you know someone who would actually like the alarm clock, it would be cool. I get a kick out of just knowing it exists.
I don't think all of the online dictionaries have the sound option, but I know webster does. Sometimes, though, it gives a few different pronounciations (so, I guess you AND husband could be right...). Anyway...it certainly saved me from embarrassment a few times. Ha!
And yes, a few rednecks in the family! Although mostly deer hunting--not so much on the turkey.
You hit it head on about speaking out part. I too have had those moments!
Moral of the story: look up words!
Here is my BTT post!
I've known some turkey's in my time... just don't know if I'd let them know it by giving them a turkey clock lol
Post a Comment