Oddities, curiousities and strangness in history

While we're on the subject, can one of you native speakers explain this to me: When people say they "would of done something" I always thought they meant to say "would've" done something", just with added pressure one the "'ve", making it sound like "would'ove", or "would'ave" or something like that. Then I read somewhere in the first Game of Thrones book that a person not only once, but twice, says "would of". He is not the brightest character in the book, but this cannot be correct? It makes no sense at all!

Would have / Would've - is correct.

"Would of" is stupid, and wrong, so don't listen to anyone who uses it. They're just as bad as the people who mix up "then" and "than."  

It's dialect. I'd never write it, but in common colloquial speech I rarely say more than "uh", as in "I never would uh done that", or "I wouldn't uh done that." If I were to enunciate the h or the v it would sound a bit pretentious, especially for a humble farmer, though I would probably make the effort in a professional or academic setting.

I haven't read GoT but it sounds like the author is putting a little dialect into this character for effect.

bungobaggins wrote:

"Would of" is stupid, and wrong, so don't listen to anyone who uses it. They're just as bad as the people who mix up "then" and "than."  

That's more then a little judgemental, Bungo. I wouldn't of thought it of you.

 

 

Yeah, "would of" is incorrect. I assume people get confused because in a lot of accents (including mine) it sounds basically the same as "would've", so they write it down wrong.

"I haven't read GoT but it sounds like the author is putting a little dialect into this character for effect." - David

You're right, and I guess he probably wanted the reader to know that this character says "of" and not "'ve" But the whole thing just looked so obviously wrong when written that I had to ask. Thanks for helping a Fjordian out, guys

I get irritated when people put, to much, instead of, too much But maybe I am wronging?

Eldorion wrote:Yeah, "would of" is incorrect.  I assume people get confused because in a lot of accents (including mine) it sounds basically the same as "would've", so they write it down wrong.

Just out of curiosity, how many syllables does "would've" have, and if it has two syllables, what is the vowel sound of the second syllable?
Because I don't see a vowel....

I can see an excuse for the initial confusion of: "to, too, two" ; "there, their, they're" because at least they all sound the same, but "then" and "than" are completely different.

I also dislike it when people misspell definitely. ("Definately") ugh

David H wrote:Just out of curiosity, how many syllables does "would've" have, and if it has two syllables, what is the vowel sound of the second syllable?
Because I don't see a vowel....

Speaking only for myself, I pronounce both words WUHD-UHV. Sometimes "would've" is closer to WUHD-IV though. And sometimes "would've" (but not "would of") becomes "woulda".

A man from darkest Tennessee was visiting Harvard. He accosted a passing student:
"'Scuse me, could you tell me where the library's at?"
The student drew himself up to a height to look down his nose at the interloper with disdain, and addressed him with his most upper crust voice: "I can excuse your manner of dress, and even your bahbarous accent...but when you are here on the grounds of Hahvahd, you could at least refrain from ending a sentence with a preposition."
The visitor scratched his nose, then began again.
"Awright. Could you tell me where the library's at, asshole?"

 

 

 

 

Canada annexes Santa!

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/09/us-arctic-pole-idUSBRE9B811Y20131209

Well, Santa is going to be either Canadian, American, Russian, Norwegian, or Danish. And given that he wears red and white, it really only makes sense for him to be Canadian or Danish.

Petty, you wear tiny skirts ?!   

 Its a kilt not a skirt!!!!!   )And I only wear the tiny one on special occasions!)

For the first time in 112 years, it snowed in Egypt.

Wow!  

Has anybody checked recently to see if Hell is freezing over???

I hope it does, because that's when I become a multi-millionaire and by common acknowledgement Ivana Trump will go out with me too!   

Out of all things weather wise or seasonal, snow has the ability to make anything look good !

Very cool pic Somehow the Sphinx looks even more impressive surrounded by snow