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Topic ClosedIs 'alot" a word?

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Poll Question: Well, I see it alot, at work and on the forum, but is it a word?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
1 [3.13%]
19 [59.38%]
1 [3.13%]
1 [3.13%]
1 [3.13%]
2 [6.25%]
1 [3.13%]
0 [0.00%]
1 [3.13%]
0 [0.00%]
1 [3.13%]
0 [0.00%]
3 [9.38%]
1 [3.13%]
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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 00:14
I do insist. Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 07:06


John Renbourn - Sir John Alot of : Noun

Edited by Man Erg - March 20 2007 at 07:23

Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 07:20
Originally posted by Geck0 Geck0 wrote:

I also do not use "alright", I always use "all right" instead.  Infact (In fact?) I try not to use most Americanised or American words, especially O.K. and its derivatives.  O.K. is not a word, all right?
 
Okay.Approve
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 07:26
'A Narchy in the United Kingdom' - Sex Pistols

Edited by Man Erg - March 20 2007 at 07:27

Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 08:03
Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

 
BTW, Tux, I meant to include the option "No, but it will be a word in 20 - 30 years" to acknowledge that I am aware that language changes over time. See "gay":
 
1950s: 'gay' = "happy, merry"
 
1970s: "gay" = 'homosexual"
 
Today: "gay" = "stupid, lame"
 
The second meaning is now in the dictionary. the third, regrettably, one day will likely  be as well.Ermm
 
We used the word gay as lame back in the early 80's.
But as macho kids, being gay/homo meant lameEmbarrassedWink
 
Alot reminds of some words like "beit" or "albeit" which are really be it or all be it, and I've never seen anyone condemn this
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 08:43
Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

Imagine covering a song, but inserting wrong notes and lyrics here and there


Have you ever seen Dream Theater do a cover version? They even got Iron Maiden's "number of the beast" wrong...

"6... 6... 7 - the neighbour of the beast"


Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 08:52
Originally posted by tuxon tuxon wrote:

deducting marks on spelling should only occur when the test is about spelling


No no no no no no NO!

Far too many people are leaving school (and even graduating from universities) without the ability to string together a legible sentence, which is correctly punctuated or spelled (spelt? - I am in danger of being hoisted by my own petard, here...). It is essential that the very building blocks of correct spelling and grammar are firmly entrenched in every young person's mind to prevent the following from becoming the norm:


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 13:03
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Originally posted by tuxon tuxon wrote:

deducting marks on spelling should only occur when the test is about spelling


No no no no no no NO!

Far too many people are leaving school (and even graduating from universities) without the ability to string together a legible sentence, which is correctly punctuated or spelled (spelt? - I am in danger of being hoisted by my own petard, here...). It is essential that the very building blocks of correct spelling and grammar are firmly entrenched in every young person's mind to prevent the following from becoming the norm:

 
Clap
 
Both spellings are correct, Jimber. Geek
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 13:29
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

 
BTW, Tux, I meant to include the option "No, but it will be a word in 20 - 30 years" to acknowledge that I am aware that language changes over time. See "gay":
 
1950s: 'gay' = "happy, merry"
 
1970s: "gay" = 'homosexual"
 
Today: "gay" = "stupid, lame"
 
The second meaning is now in the dictionary. the third, regrettably, one day will likely  be as well.Ermm
 
We used the word gay as lame back in the early 80's.
But as macho kids, being gay/homo meant lameEmbarrassedWink
 
Alot reminds of some words like "beit" or "albeit" which are really be it or all be it, and I've never seen anyone condemn this
Those are long-established compound words, Hugues.
"A" and "lot" have long been established to be separate words.
 
"Alot" may well be an official word one day (thanks to someone's original mistake, or laziness, and others following suit like so many lemmings), butit'snotyet. Wink
 
 
 
Mass media and the universally-acessible internet really affect how people speak and write (I often see "u" written for "you" in student writing, for example). We are all, like, starting to , like, speak like California surfers, Shaggy from Scooby Doo, or "valley girls."Ermm
 
Every waiter/waitress around here seems to think that the plural of "you" is "yous." (As in "Do yous want smoking or non-smoking?"
 
I seem to see poor spelling and grammar more and more often these days, and ever more in places where one would expect more care to be taken (expensive advertising, newspapers, etc.) It certainly creates a negative impression of the source. Here's a recent front-page headline from my local paper: "Strickers still on picket line"  Now how many clueless, inattentive hands did that headline go through, I wonder, before 50,000 copies of it were printed? Ever hear of spell check, folks? "Strickers" (strikers) is not even a word! Confused
 
Needless to say, I don't have a very high opinion of the local paper.Thumbs%20Down
 
I think it sux! Angry


Edited by Peter Rideout - March 20 2007 at 13:30
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 13:33
Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

Here's a recent front-page headline from my local paper: "Strickers still on picket line"  Now how many clueless, inattentive hands did that headline go through, I wonder, before 50,000 copies of it were printed?


That's ridiculous - they even underlined the error!

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 14:34
Ow boj, Peter'is back in the forems, that meens I will have to wotch my speling alot aggain. Wink

Welcome back Peter Smile
ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 14:54
^ Thanks, Angelo -- it's nice to be back among friends!Smile
 
 
Now, about your spelling....Wink
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 14:58
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

Here's a recent front-page headline from my local paper: "Strickers still on picket line"  Now how many clueless, inattentive hands did that headline go through, I wonder, before 50,000 copies of it were printed?


That's ridiculous - they even underlined the error!
Smile You will pay dearly for that one, my friend....
 
 
face down, in the harbour!
 
(You know the drill -- might as well just show up in a swimsuit and jump right in and get it over with.)LOL
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 15:56
^ Thatz dizgusting! Shocked
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 19:16
Originally posted by Peter Rideout Peter Rideout wrote:

Mass media and the universally-acessible internet really affect how people speak and write (I often see "u" written for "you" in student writing, for example). We are all, like, starting to , like, speak like California surfers, Shaggy from Scooby Doo, or "valley girls."Ermm


That should be "universally-accessible". Wink

I always capitalise "Internet" also, but apparently this is incorrect now. Confused


Edited by Geck0 - March 20 2007 at 19:17
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 19:35
does alot have the same meaning as a lot?
I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 19:44
Indeed, "alot" is supposed to have the same meaning as "a lot".

i.e. "this album has alot of synclavier on it" would read the same as "this album has a lot of synclavier on it".

However, "A lot was destroyed today by a group of thugs" is not the same as "Alot was destroyed today by a group of thugs", because in this instance, "lot" is referring to "a parcel of land with fixed boundaries", rather than a "large amount of".


Edited by Geck0 - March 20 2007 at 19:48
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 19:52
Originally posted by Geck0 Geck0 wrote:


However, "A lot was destroyed today by a group of thugs" is not the same as "Alot was destroyed today by a group of thugs", because in this instance, "lot" is referring to "a parcel of land with fixed boundaries", rather than a "large amount of".
 
so basically using the space inbetween a and lot works confusing, while alot has a more clearer meaning
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 19:55
Originally posted by tuxon tuxon wrote:

Originally posted by Geck0 Geck0 wrote:


However, "A lot was destroyed today by a group of thugs" is not the same as "Alot was destroyed today by a group of thugs", because in this instance, "lot" is referring to "a parcel of land with fixed boundaries", rather than a "large amount of".
 
so basically using the space inbetween a and lot works confusing, while alot has a more clearer meaning


It shouldn't be confusing if you've taken more than 1 year of basic english Shocked

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2007 at 20:07
No, I wouldn't say so.  It's a lazy way of saying "a lot" and before long, the "parcel of land with fixed boundaries" meaning, will also get shortened, thus confusing things even more.  There is nothing wrong with "a lot" as it is.

However, an argument for its use can be made, because there have been previous multiple words that have been fused together and which are now common in dictionary, viz. already, altogether, awhile, hithertofor, whatever, although, nonetheless and nevertheless.

Some of the above are transitional words (conjunctions), however and are thus rather important in the English language.


Edited by Geck0 - March 20 2007 at 20:34
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