Odd habits of speech from PD books

rosea · Post by **rosea** » July 9th, 2009, 12:26 pm

Has anyone else found they've picked up interesting habits of speech from reading/listening to so many (old) public domain books?

Here's some strange constructions I've found myself using regularly:
Nominative absolutes: "It being summer, I'm drinking a lot of water."
Outdated contractions: "I oughtn't do that . . . really, I mustn't."

I occasionally find even stranger things, such as using the word "oftimes" in a conversation. Oops.

Has anyone else noticed the same sort of thing?

Rose

neerajanagarajan · Post by **neerajanagarajan** » July 9th, 2009, 12:38 pm

Ahem, I didn't know oughtn't and mustn't are outdated contractions.

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » July 9th, 2009, 12:46 pm

I noticed I've started saying "ought not" instead of "shouldn't". Also, I used the word "presently" once the other day. That was a

moment when I heard myself.

gypsygirl · Post by **gypsygirl** » July 9th, 2009, 12:53 pm

Better 'presently' than 'anon'

Great Plains · Post by **Great Plains** » July 9th, 2009, 12:58 pm

gypsygirl wrote:Better 'presently' than 'anon'

"Anon" isn't setting the bar very high, though

RuthieG · Post by **RuthieG** » July 9th, 2009, 1:02 pm

Better than being a pirate in an online game and saying Arrrr! in a supermarket.

That takes a bit of living down.

Ruth

gypsygirl · Post by **gypsygirl** » July 9th, 2009, 1:12 pm

RuthieG wrote:Better than being a pirate in an online game and saying Arrrr! in a supermarket.

That takes a bit of living down.

Ruth

Every Sept 19th!

Starlite · Post by **Starlite** » July 9th, 2009, 1:16 pm

Well my mom and I both listened to Three muskateers and Robin Hood and now we go hither and thither!!

Esther

catchpenny · Post by **catchpenny** » July 9th, 2009, 1:33 pm

I think it sounds educated. Peradventure is my favorite.

neerajanagarajan · Post by **neerajanagarajan** » July 9th, 2009, 1:34 pm

Remember travesty?

Hokuspokus · Post by **Hokuspokus** » July 9th, 2009, 1:41 pm

Starlite wrote:Well my mom and I both listened to Three muskateers and Robin Hood and now we go hither and thither!!

Esther

I can remember hither and thither from the vocabulary I had to learn at school. And I am not that old.

But maybe the textbook was ...

Post by **KiltedDragon** » July 9th, 2009, 1:43 pm

RuthieG wrote:Better than being a pirate in an online game and saying Arrrr! in a supermarket.

That takes a bit of living down.

Ruth

Avast! Do ye be sayin' thar's sumpin' wrong wit me talk? Have at ye! Arrr!

neerajanagarajan · Post by **neerajanagarajan** » July 9th, 2009, 1:44 pm

LOL ya, I use hither and thither oftener than even to and fro. What does that say about me...

By the way, Hokuspokus, I'm SURE Hoffmann influenced your German and made you say odd things every now and then...

Hokuspokus · Post by **Hokuspokus** » July 9th, 2009, 2:01 pm

Well, there are people who think, Hoffmann is better than the things I normally say.
Things like "Rindviechiensalat", "Klopslett" and "Schnipsel".
Today I invented " Musenvergewaltigung" for "Museumsverwaltung".

anna · Post by **anna** » July 9th, 2009, 10:27 pm

Hokuspokus wrote:Today I invented " Musenvergewaltigung" for "Museumsverwaltung".