It was supposed to draw comments, and it worked!
My post about the pronunciation of supposedly as “supposably” did just what I said – it led to a bunch of comments!
My sister-in-law, Adriane, said it’s one of a list of such things that drive her crazy. Her others?
“EXpresso instead of espresso.”
“EXpecially instead of especially.”
“All intensive purposes instead of all intents and purposes.”
Oooh, that last one drives me crazy, too. Also, people who confuse formally and formerly. But I digress.
The point is, Adriane and others said, this isn’t just a York “thing.” I’ve noticed that with other things I call Yorkisms – not so much that they’re native to this area, but rather, a higher proportion of people here seem to pick it up than in other places!
Melanie said her husband is from the Philippines and says “supposably.” This drives her nuts, too. (Maybe she and Adriane should hang out!)
Adam said he’s an eighth-generation Yorker (WOW!) He says, “I don’t say it and neither do any of my relatives, but a friend of mine who is not even from PA (lives here now) says ‘supposably’ all the time.”
And Bill points out that it’s actually a “famous” mispronunciation. It’s one of the 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English. Wow! I’d rather us not be famous for using so many of those. How about you? 🙂
