Quote: Griff @ May 24 2011, 12:02 PM BSTSurprisingly, eww is recognised as part of standard English, if not formal English:
http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0981300#m_en_gb0981300
Equally surprising is that the usage is recorded as originating in the 1970s.
It's only 'imitative' if you're American - you don't have to be Professor Higgins to realise that.
This thread sounds like it's about to get a bit fighty.
What about "ill-gotten" as in "ill-gotten gains". That's still an acceptable use of "gotten" isn't it?
I think Scooby Doo can't do without it.
Quote: Griff @ May 24 2011, 12:33 PM BSTWhy don't you drop the principal etymologist a line and point out his omission. He'd be pleased to hear from you.
Do you disagree?
Quote: Griff @ May 24 2011, 12:39 PM BSTWell yes, it does survive as part of another adjective, as I'm sure do many other obsolete words. But as a standalone participle it's incorrect.
Words are only obsolete if they aren't used. I thought the beef here was the word had got more useage of late?
Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 24 2011, 11:55 AM BSTDoesn't help much on here. Take a look at the thread where I tried in vain to explain to Zoo and Scatterbrained Floozy and some others that 'Ew' was an American word and the British equivalent was Eurgh or urgh. They wouldn't have it.
https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/post/345234/
I still think ew and urgh are different. But agree that most of us probably only started using ew because we heard it on American shows. But don't think gaining a few new words is a bad thing. I still also use ugh/urgh etc. But have added ew.
(Mostly use 'ew' in written language, not as often in speech.)
You've all got your knickers in a twist.
But if misbegotten is a word, then surely so must got?
Quote: zooo @ May 24 2011, 12:44 PM BSThttps://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/post/345234/
I still think ew and urgh are different. But agree that most of us probably only started using ew because we heard it on American shows. But don't think gaining a few new words is a bad thing. I still also use ugh/urgh etc. But have added ew.
(Mostly use 'ew' in written language, not as often in speech.)
Except for scatterbrained Floozy - who claims to have picked it up off her mum. Thanks for linking to that Zoo. What a tedious prick I was in those days.
Quote: Griff @ May 24 2011, 12:56 PM BSTIt's obviously imitative. In the same way that words like "click" or "clip-clop" don't sound exactly like the thing they describe but that is still the original intent/etymology of the word.
It's imitative in American speech patterns. Imitative words are not universal across all languages and dialects. Obviously you know that. That is why Ew and Urgh exist in the first place. It's nothing to do with words sounding exactly like the thing they describe - you are talking to me, remember.
Oh boy do I look forward to the day the Morlocks finally control the English language. Your days are numbered you Eloi snobs.
It's thought that there may never be another full print OED on account of language mutating so rapidly.
Yes the online dictionaries will rule and banish you "readers" to the outer darkness.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/09/the-end-of-the-oed.html
The OED will have no more status than an urban dictionary updated by chavs.
Mu ha ha!
Time to lock yourself in the libraries before we burn them all.
It's Fahrenheit 451 meets The Time traveller.....Innit!
I once started to read a dictionary but there were too many words, innit.
Quote: Griff @ May 24 2011, 1:10 PM BSTWell I'd be interested to see the corpus entries from the 1970s which persuaded the OED to put it in. Remember they are talking about written language, not spoken.
But if it's not imitative where do you suggest the word comes from?
No, no, it is imitative - I didn't say it wasn't, merely that the 'Ew' sound is imitative in American speech patterns. It's usage in Britain is via adoption.
F**k me! This thread is worth staying alive for.
Quote: Leevil @ May 24 2011, 2:07 PM BSTF**k me! This thread is worth staying alive for.
Some of us are interested in etymology.
Griff is there a way to get the etymology on the online dictionary you linked to.