So, I'm sipping some tea, enjoying some beautiful grammar girl fuckery provided by Lucy (she's a Lamb right down to her little black heart, that one is) and I'm perusing my gmail because it's jam packed with Grammar Girl ideas. Which one to choose...hmm...
I'll go with Wendy's request of surly versus surely. Good one, Lambbaton!
Let's clear this up!
Okay, first of all, THEY DON'T EVEN SOUND THE SAME *clears throat and takes calming breath* Christ, they're not even homophones...yet they pose a problem, don't they my dears?
SURLY is pronounced /sir + lee/ and according to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: sure·ly
Pronunciation: \ˈshu̇r-lē, especially Southern ˈshȯr-\
Function: adverb
Date: 14th century
1 : menacing or threatening in appearance
2 obsolete : arrogant, imperious
3 : irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner
SURELY is pronounced /sure + lee/ and according to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: sure·ly
Pronunciation: \ˈshu̇r-lē, especially Southern ˈshȯr-\
Function: adverb
Date: 14th century
1 : in a sure manner: a archaic : without danger or risk of injury or loss : safely b (1) : with assurance : confidently
2 : indeed, really —often used as an intensive
i always learn so much on this site!
ReplyDeleteI love the shirely skit! Great piece, and another common misspelling (i've not done this one have i Tina? shit i'll probably do it subconsciously now...)
ReplyDeleteL x
More people laughing at me? Woman i gotz thiz! *throws up a gang sign* There are other ways of learning that don't involve humiliation? Are you sure of this? Hmmmm...
ReplyDeleteI look forward to being pointed and laughed at on here (more so than usual), for the good of grammar virgins everywhere.
L x
p.s spell check taunts me daily - i've had to teach it words, so i wouldn't trust it's accuracy now with my rubbish bin.