Comments on: People is a Funny Word http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word The Weblog of Erik J. Barzeski Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:03:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: blitzvvolf http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18191 blitzvvolf Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:43:05 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18191 That just happened to me. It's happened before with the word sleep too. :P It's just funny to stare at. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks these things. >_ That just happened to me. It's happened before with the word sleep too. :P It's just funny to stare at.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks these things. >_

]]> By: Pop! http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18190 Pop! Thu, 11 May 2006 08:04:34 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18190 Aren't "lines" or "write offs" -- or whatever you call them -- such a stupid idea? Does anything dull the mind to the meaning of a sentence more than repeating it ad nauseum? Of course, the meaning-dulling effect can be used for amusement, as most of us find out eventually. I believe that we normally recognise words by their overall shape (as anyone who's seen that chain e-mail with the mxeid up letetr odrer will attest) but putting a word in uppercase makes its shape less distinctive, so we scruitinise the word more and then notice its strange spelling and other qualities. pod SPONGE MISSISSIPPI THERMOMETER Aren't "lines" or "write offs" -- or whatever you call them -- such a stupid idea? Does anything dull the mind to the meaning of a sentence more than repeating it ad nauseum?

Of course, the meaning-dulling effect can be used for amusement, as most of us find out eventually. I believe that we normally recognise words by their overall shape (as anyone who's seen that chain e-mail with the mxeid up letetr odrer will attest) but putting a word in uppercase makes its shape less distinctive, so we scruitinise the word more and then notice its strange spelling and other qualities.

pod

SPONGE

MISSISSIPPI

THERMOMETER

]]> By: EJ http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18189 EJ Sat, 15 Apr 2006 23:06:48 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18189 I'm still in school and have to do write offs. After writing the same thing for the fifty-fourth time, it starts looking REALLY weird... and WEIRD may be the strangest word of all. And also, who created the so-often-broken rule 'I before E except after C'? It like never works. Except for spelling 'pie' and field'. (Anyone up for some field pie?) I'm still in school and have to do write offs. After writing the same thing for the fifty-fourth time, it starts looking REALLY weird... and WEIRD may be the strangest word of all. And also, who created the so-often-broken rule 'I before E except after C'? It like never works. Except for spelling 'pie' and field'. (Anyone up for some field pie?)

]]> By: Tim Buchheim http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18188 Tim Buchheim Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:13:45 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18188 I once read a short story in which a guy wakes up one morning and thinks "shelf" is an odd word and that there is something wrong with it. A few seconds later he hears a crashing sound from the next room. When he goes to investigate, he finds that all the shelves are gone and that everything has fallen to the floor. You can see where this is going ... throughout the day he keeps getting that odd feeling that a word is wrong, and then whatever it was that he was thinking of disappears. I once read a short story in which a guy wakes up one morning and thinks "shelf" is an odd word and that there is something wrong with it. A few seconds later he hears a crashing sound from the next room. When he goes to investigate, he finds that all the shelves are gone and that everything has fallen to the floor.

You can see where this is going ... throughout the day he keeps getting that odd feeling that a word is wrong, and then whatever it was that he was thinking of disappears.

]]> By: Jeff http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18187 Jeff Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:04:59 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18187 I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. Some English words are just wierd and people or "Pee-pull" is one of the strange ones. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. Some English words are just wierd and people or "Pee-pull" is one of the strange ones.

]]> By: Erik J. Barzeski http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18186 Erik J. Barzeski Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:51:36 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18186 I once stared at the word "of" for a few minutes just about convinced I'd spelled it incorrectly. You pronounce it "uv" for crissakes! How can it be spelled "O-F"? I once stared at the word "of" for a few minutes just about convinced I'd spelled it incorrectly. You pronounce it "uv" for crissakes! How can it be spelled "O-F"?

]]> By: Bud Landry http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18185 Bud Landry Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:36:35 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18185 I have a similar feeling about once a month regarding one word or another of very frequent vocabulary, and I almost think it might be like some sort of perceptual quirk we all experience, somewhat like deja vu. That is, I think it sometimes goes beyond the common quirks of English spelling variations. Sometimes I think it is more likely to happen if the word is in all caps, that the trigger may be more visual, at other times, I think it is linked to doubts about spellings (mispellings) of common words. I have a similar feeling about once a month regarding one word or another of very frequent vocabulary, and I almost think it might be like some sort of perceptual quirk we all experience, somewhat like deja vu. That is, I think it sometimes goes beyond the common quirks of English spelling variations.

Sometimes I think it is more likely to happen if the word is in all caps, that the trigger may be more visual, at other times, I think it is linked to doubts about spellings (mispellings) of common words.

]]> By: Scott Smith http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word#comment-18184 Scott Smith Tue, 31 Jan 2006 16:56:06 +0000 http://nslog.com/2006/01/31/people_is_a_funny_word/#comment-18184 I've always thought the same thing! You don't say Pe-Oh-Pull, you say Pe-Pull. It's so weird. I've always thought the same thing! You don't say Pe-Oh-Pull, you say Pe-Pull. It's so weird.

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