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Pedants' corner

'Drawers' not 'draws'

(29 Posts)
singingnutty Fri 13-Apr-18 19:51:42

Apologies if this has been brought up before. I cringe when people write 'draws' instead of ' drawers'. This happens all the time on the Buy swap or sell type sites on the internet. They will refer to 'chest of draws' or 'table with a draw' or similar phrases. I suppose because so many people now misspell the word it will soon be alright to do so. Grrrrrr!

grannyticktock Sun 15-Apr-18 14:11:18

Many Scots and Irish - and probably some northern English - speakers do still pronounce the "ers" and make the distinction that must once have been standard.

A related issue is when (English) speakers say "thawring" instead of "thawing". It makes me want to ask them when it stopped snowring.

etheltbags1 Sat 14-Apr-18 23:06:24

I meant to say drars not dramas maybe we are making a drama out of a dra

etheltbags1 Sat 14-Apr-18 23:04:32

In the north east we say dramas for a chest of drawers, we never refer to knickers as drawers. I had a friend who had a London accent and called knickers drawers, pronouncing every letter fully. Maybe it's a north south thing.

BlueBelle Sat 14-Apr-18 21:38:38

So many on groups say ‘ I hope I m aloud ‘ it totally grates (perhaps I should say greats) on me and the draws/ drawers one as well

Elrel Sat 14-Apr-18 20:11:27

Singingnutty - Hilda Ogden had a 'muriel' on her wall in Coronation Street. She was very proud of it and often spoke of it!

Elrel Sat 14-Apr-18 20:08:03

Maizie. I have always written it as 'all right' although I don't know whether any of my pupils cared enough to do so. I wouldn't correct other versions of course.
and 'alot' really grates.

Bridgeit Sat 14-Apr-18 20:00:19

I keep my ‘draws’ in my drawers?

MawBroon Sat 14-Apr-18 19:48:49

I am perfectly happy to “stand corrected” as my Granny used to say, but less chuffed when I am right.
So GabriellaG if you are reading this I did mean “whose grammar” and not what you thought it should be (because that would be “who is grammar “ and altogether too profound a philosophical discussion.) grin

singingnutty Sat 14-Apr-18 18:38:52

We have several murals in our town and another one is being prepared. I'm afraid to say it is usually referred to as a 'muriel'.

Greyduster Sat 14-Apr-18 08:28:51

Love that, Maw! grin

janeainsworth Sat 14-Apr-18 07:27:46

maw grin
pensionpat my response in that situation (usually after being contradicted by MrA) is to raise my eyebrows and say in my best Joyce Grenfell tone ‘I think you’ll find I’m right’ grin

MawBroon Fri 13-Apr-18 23:33:36

Like this? grin

pensionpat Fri 13-Apr-18 23:19:35

I hate the thought that the people who spell things wrong are probably thinking that my correct version is wrong. I have a friend who corrected my pronunciation of "thesaurus". She laughed and stated. "Don't you know it's Theosaurus". I should have told her that a Theosaurus was an erudite dinosaur but it would have gone over her head.

MissAdventure Fri 13-Apr-18 23:14:01

Oh Maw I had completely forgotten that!
My mum used to sing it sometimes and we thought she was disgusting! smile (we loved it!)

janeainsworth Fri 13-Apr-18 22:45:16

maw grin

MaizieD Fri 13-Apr-18 22:42:05

No guilt, Charleygirl; I'm sure that's how it was originally pronounced. Though I suspect that had we gone on pronouncing it like that it would have ended up as 'droorers' (the things you 'draw out') grin

I blame it on we English who refuse to talk properly...

Baggs My (very old) English teacher used to make us write it as two words 'all right'. I expect that 'almost' used to be 'all most' at one time and I suspect that 'a lot' will very shortly become 'alot'...

singingnutty Fri 13-Apr-18 22:32:53

Thanks MawBroom. Enjoyed Flanders and Swann being rude.

Charleygirl Fri 13-Apr-18 22:30:27

MawBroon coming from the east Neuk of Fife I am still guilty of that.

singingnutty Fri 13-Apr-18 22:28:27

Yes Greyduster now you come to mention it I have seen it in auction house catalogues.

MawBroon Fri 13-Apr-18 21:27:49

In Scotland (and I suspect N England) we do say something closer to “draw-ers”

MawBroon Fri 13-Apr-18 21:25:15

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSrXqOI9988

gringrin

janeainsworth Fri 13-Apr-18 21:04:06

Am I the only one who thought this was another thread from a certain male member grin

Greyduster Fri 13-Apr-18 20:37:41

I have noticed this particularly with catalogues from auction houses. They don’t seem to be able to get to grips with the fact that chests have drawers, but telescopes have draws!!

MissAdventure Fri 13-Apr-18 20:05:03

Chester Drawers..

Baggs Fri 13-Apr-18 20:00:28

PS My youngest daughter is a very good drawer.