Irregardless

[the_bird]

That is cool, but your "source" fails to give a definition. The prefix "irri" negates whatever comes after. WTF is the opposite of regardless? It may have a meaning, but then people like you are using it wrong. And why have a word that YOU think means the same thing but is longer to write and say than the original word?

You picking a fight with Merriam-Webster?

 

[cheezydemon]

If Webster says that the prefix irre doesn't change the meaning of a word, then absolutely.

 

[the_bird]

That definition is straight from M-W. They do note that it's nonstandard, but that's not the same thing as not being a word. Again, something can be considered a "word" if people use it as a word (that's how language evolves). If you want to argue that people should *not* use it, well... that's a distinct argument from saying that it is not a word.

In any case, it's all semantics.

 

[Brew Runner]

I'm with cheezy; it shows that someone has a poor handle on proper English writing and speaking. Technically irregardless would mean "without a lack of regard to"..... which is is what regarding is a word for. The problem is that irregardless is used in place of the proper word, regardless, that technically means the exact opposite. Another similar instance is the meanings of "I could care less" and "I couldn't care less." How did these two phrases come to mean the same thing?! I could cite other examples of linguistic asshattery, but I'll stay on topic.

Apparently "irregardless" appeared in the 1920s: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irregardless

 

[cheezydemon]

Thank you.


The reason for my rant is that people invariably use the Irregardles to add emphasis because it gives them 2 more syllables. DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

Again, if you discount the prefix, then IRREVERSIBLE means reversible. IRREVERENT means a good little choir boy.

We expect foriegners to learn English, how can they if we break and change the rules at will.

 

[Beerthoven]

There is an Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh, but I've never been there.

 

[cheezydemon]

They either have a great sense of humor or a lot of mentally deficient employees for it to get that far.

I bet they get pissed if you call and ask if "irregardless" is really a word lol.

 

[rdwj]

Sports casters are famous for a phrase that drives me crazy, "Back to back to back"! Nothing can be back to back to back. When you add the third thing, there are no backs for that thing’s back to be against - there are just two fronts. It’s three CONSECUTIVE!

 

[cheezydemon]

Sports casters are famous for a phrase that drives me crazy, "Back to back to back"! Nothing can be back to back to back. When you add the third thing, there are no backs for that thing’s back to be against - there are just two fronts. It’s three CONSECUTIVE!

That is just irresponsible of them to say that....(and of course by "irresponsible", I really mean that they are being completely responsible and doing a good job!)

 

[Joker]

This thread is superific!!!1!!!1

 

[Rhoobarb]

You probably learned about Googol, not Google

But the word 'google' has been around much longer than the Internet. Who can forget Barney Google?

 

[e lo]

Miriam Webster? I hardly know her!

I'll admit it. I'm a linguistic prescripitivist. Avril Incandenza is my hero. For my money, it's OED or nothing. For the record, the OED includes "irregardless," but only as a word in non-standard or humorous use.

Yes, language is a dynamic entity. That doesn't mean that we should automatically include misused, misconstrued or just plain made-up words in the lexicon as correct or standard. "Irregardless," "orientate," and "for all intensive purposes" each make me die a little inside.

 

[jbreiding]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

 

[c.n.budz]

"for all intensive purposes" each make me die a little inside.

I hate hearing that one also. When someone says that I always want to tell them to listen to the words coming out of their mouth and tell me if that expression actually makes sense...

 

[menschmaschine]

Sorry, I just saw this thread. Some people do like to be wordy! I think "irregardless" is a perfect example of that. Also, to say "also, too" instead of one or the other. However, remember there are two main forms of English... American English and British English. We say "gotten", they don't (anymore... I was told that was old English). They say "disorientated", we say "disoriented". Afterall, they wrote the language first! So, should we change "disorientation" to "disoriention"?

 

[RichBrewer]

I almost posted a thread about this. My former boss uses irregardless all the time. Even after he was told it is incorrect.

 

[cheezydemon]

Good to see you Mensch!!

I think that I have conceded that if used correctly, it is a word. I have never heard someone use it correctly as the opposite of "regardless", or rather "not regardless".

I am beginning to think that this may be one of those subjects, although lesser in importance, but nonetheless like religeon and politics, in that it can not be discussed to a civil conclusion.

 

[Jim Karr]

Speaking of sportscasters, I remember a tribute to a Canadian Hockey 'caster who was in the middle of a play-by-play.

He bellowed, "And the puck cannonades down the ice to score!"

Someone mentioned to him, "There is no such word as 'cannonade'."

His response was, "Well, there is NOW."

 

[Seabee John]

"for all intensive purposes" each make me die a little inside.

I hate hearing that one also. When someone says that I always want to tell them to listen to the words coming out of their mouth and tell me if that expression actually makes sense...

First of all, it's not "for all intensive purposes" It's for all "INTENTS and PURPOSE" meaning for the intention of ... and purpose of... AKA "I meant to do that!" intensive means something completely different.

Learn the language first...speak second!

Thank you very much....
Elvis has left the building

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Some one go get Yuri quicklier!

How did I miss this? You guys are bringing out all the gems!

Irregardless of your opinions, "irregardless" is a word. It's just poor form to use it. It reminds me of "inflammable," which means, "flammable." Skip the extra syllable, it doesn't make you sound more intelligent.

Where I work, people love to add syllables improperly in order to add emphasis and feel more intelligent. For example, they misuse "myself" all the time. The correct way to say the following sentence is, "If you have a question, ask me or your supervisor after the presentation." The improper bastardization commonly heard around my office is, "If you have a question, ask myself or your supervisor after the presentation."

This paragraph contains several of my pet peeves from work: "Proper prioritization will help you avoid task saturization. If you recognize symptoms of spatial disorientation, confirm it with the instruments, and recover the aircraft, keeping focused on your composite crosscheck until you are properly orientated. Do not enter any airspace without a deconfliction plan."

None of the following are words:
saturization
orientated
deconfliction

Here are some more that haven't been mentioned yet:

"ATM machine" and "DVD disk" are repetitive, redundant, and say the same thing over again.

Far be it from me, my pencil is out of reach. Far be it FOR me to get my lazy ass
up to get it.

I'm weary of people who confuse "weary" and "wary." I'm also wary of anything written by those people.

I'd just assume that you mean, "I'd just as soon."

"Needless to say" is almost always needless to say, along with whatever follows it.

If, "obviously," is the first word of your sentence, obviously you didn't need to finish the thought.

 

[e lo]

First of all, it's not "for all intensive purposes" It's for all "INTENTS and PURPOSE" meaning for the intention of ... and purpose of... AKA "I meant to do that!" intensive means something completely different.

Learn the language first...speak second!

Thank you very much....
Elvis has left the building

Uh ... John? You do know that we understand that it's not "intensive purposes," right? That we were using it to point out that's it's incorrect? It kinda sounded like that was directed at us. Just curious.

Also, it's "intents and purposeS," plural. And it has nothing to do with "for the intention of" or "I meant to do that." It means in every practical sense, e.g. "Corona may not actually be horse urine, but it is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing."

I'm just sayin'...

 

[c.n.budz]

Uh ... John? You do know that we understand that it's not "intensive purposes," right? That we were using it to point out that's it's incorrect? It kinda sounded like that was directed at us. Just curious.

Also, it's "intents and purposeS," plural. And it has nothing to do with "for the intention of" or "I meant to do that." It means in every practical sense, e.g. "Corona may not actually be horse urine, but it is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing."

I'm just sayin'...

Yeah, what he said

 

[quickerNu]

Ahh, this is fun. If I wasn't so drunk, I could toss around some of the interesting phrases I hear all day at the Harley shop. I'll have to keep a notepad handy tomorrow. Even worse, SWMBO, the managing editor of a newspaper, throws out at least on grammatical error or mispronunciation per conversation. She writes perfectly though.
My biggest pet peeve is misspellings on business billboards or marque signs. Damn that pisses me off.
If someone is about to flame me for grammatical errors in this post, please read sentence 2.

 

[PeteOz77]

Yeah, so I was at the local Rugby Union Club a few years ago, sitting at a table with a few other intoxicated people, when I hear someone speaking (loudly) at the next table behind me... I didn't hear the preceding sentence, of what this was in reference to, but I DID hear this load and clear...

"Well, I'm no rock scientist, but...."

I wasn't the only one who heard it, and the whole table got a good laugh.

 

[menschmaschine]

"I could care less!" That's a good one. If the speaker could care less, he must care at least a little. I COULDN'T care less!

 

[cheezydemon]

Indeed Mensch.

And Pete, I do not doubt that the person you heard was drunk or stupid or both, but I myself (and I guess I will leave it to the judgement of others, but I am pretty damn sure that I am not stupid) have been heard to say "...but, that train has sailed"... or: "It Aint Rocket Surgery".

I say the first because I am quoting Austin Powers and I think it was hilarious, and the second just because it is funny.

I do usually give everyone present a little look or a wink to make sure I am not being taken seriously, however.

 

[menschmaschine]

"It Aint Rocket Surgery".

That's classic! I love mixing up cliches and saying them all seriously... sort of Naked Gun-type humor. For those "well, you know what they say"-type moments. I had a whole bunch of them, like:
"a penny saved is worth two in the bush"
"eh... six one way, baker's dozen the other"
"don't put all your eggs in a bucket"
This one is from one of the Naked Guns:
"well, well... the cow's have come home to roost!"

 

[c.n.budz]

That's classic! I love mixing up cliches and saying them all seriously... sort of Naked Gun-type humor. For those "well, you know what they say"-type moments. I had a whole bunch of them, like:
"a penny saved is worth two in the bush"
"eh... six one way, baker's dozen the other"
"don't put all your eggs in a bucket"
This one is from one of the Naked Guns:
"well, well... the cow's have come home to roost!"

I've always liked: does the Pope sh!t in the woods?

 

[rdwj]

That's classic! I love mixing up cliches and saying them all seriously... sort of Naked Gun-type humor. For those "well, you know what they say"-type moments. I had a whole bunch of them, like:
"a penny saved is worth two in the bush"
"eh... six one way, baker's dozen the other"
"don't put all your eggs in a bucket"
This one is from one of the Naked Guns:
"well, well... the cow's have come home to roost!"

I'm a poet and didn't realize I was one.

 

[malkore]

The word I hate most is "impacted".

You can have an impacted wisdom tooth.

But to say something was impacted by something else is incorrect usage, unless a linking verb is used.
i.e. Something can 'have an impact' on something else.

Its used wrong so often, that language rules are changing to allow it. (Somewhat like ir-regardless being a non-standard, but allowable form of regardless)