I heard someone on today's program say, in passing, that "misnomer" is another of those many misused words. I don't think there was any further comment. My question: How is it misused?

Eric from NJ:
I've always heard it as "All of a Sudden." Never heard the usage "all the sudden."

When i was in Costa Rica, there was an ice machine that stated "made with 100% pure water"
I took a picture because i thought it was hilarious.

There is a nonprofit in Connecticut which has clothing drop boxes labelled:

"Kiducation: We turn used clothing into new kids through education."

I submitted 5 photos to the Bad Sign Language Contest. I've enjoyed viewing all the entries but am disappointed to learn today that you eliminated from consideration any signs taken in neighborhoods with businesses that cater to non-English speaking immigrants. To my mind, this smacks of facile "political correctness"! One of the joys of living and raising children in Brooklyn is its staggering diversity. The photos I submitted taken in Sunset Park's Chinatown were taken by my 14 year old daughter. Each led to a lively conversation between us about possible meanings and what may have been lost in translation. These photos -- rather than making fun of my neighbors-- are our homage to them and to the richness they bring into our lives each and every day!

A question and an observation:
I've heard dissent, dissidence, and dissension - which is correct?

Also - and I heard this several times on NPR during the World Cup - reporters used the phrase African-American to refer to South Africans and black people of other nationalities. Oops!

re: fortuituous , worth noting that "happy" is related to "happen," "hap", indicates ancient relationship between "chance" and "good fortune."

recently i sent a comment to MrLopate when he had the ubel brothers on. I wrote"please settle an arguement between my husband and me". When MrL.read it aloud on air he said "my husband and I" ,so I thought that he was correcting me but he then quickly changed it back to "me".I picked up on it right away because I wasn't sure what was correct although I thought it was "myself" not "I". Can you settle this?!

I hear people use the folk often, mostly in reference to the music genre but recently I've heard the "L" in folk being pronounced, am I hearing things, or is this the correct way to pronounce it, I always thought it was a silent "L" like yolk,"yoke"... please help me with this. thanks Daniel, Brooklyn

Love the show! I've been told the term "The whole Nine yards is a military trem reffering to the length of ammo 9 yards bullets to be feed through a machine gun!

At a dry cleaner: "cleaning done on the premise." On the premise that it's dirty, I suppose!

A question my wife and I disagree on. Is the phrase "All of a sudden," or "all the sudden?"

Opinions welcome!

Please inform PTO that one "Shoots fish in a barrel" not ducks.

Thanks

The best road sign I've ever seen, while walking around the 'Theatreland' section of the West end in London:

'Changed Priorities Ahead'

health club insists on announcing at closing time "get home safe" and that is how it is written in their book of procedures for employees.

I hate it how people now say they are waiting "on line." You wait IN line, but check email on line.

I really hate the signs that say: "Positivley" no whatever - smoking, parking, snoring, etc. Shouldn't it be "Absolutely"?

When and why did 'route' begin to be pronounced as 'rout'?

Many companies had some Performance Measurement Systems or Performance Management System called referred to as PMS. When news of the female problems referred to as Pre Menstrual Syndrom worked it's way into popular culture, some of these systems were quickly renamed.

While I understand why Patricia doesn't want to include foreign signs for this contest, I have to disagree with Patricia and Leonard when they defend the signs. I'm a translator, and it really bothers me when people, especially institutions like hotels and companies that really should invest in a proper translation, decide that they can just do things on their own, and their customers are supposed to give them a pass, because English isn't their native language. That's what professional translators are for. If you want to serve English speakers, or any other language, invest the money into a proper translation. There, now I've vented.

I saw a sign in Brooklyn that read, "Department of Building's". Since this was an official government sign, I was particularly appalled that a superfluous apostrophe had been inserted in the word "buildings". I often wonder why the extra effort required to turn a plural into a possessive doesn't prevent people from confusing the two. Unfortunately -- or fortunately -- the sign was taken down before I could snap a picture. Maybe they noticed their error? Of course not, but at least it's gone!

Language is communication. Lack of standard of communication leads to miscommunication. Miscommunication leads to conflict. There should be artisitic license in art... there should be self applied discipline in conversation with a grain of salt and patience.

I am a sports nut. You know drives me crazy is when an athlete uses the word “humbled” when they are given some kind of award or broke a record. You will hear them say “It was a humbling experience”. They should say they are honored. To be humbled, they would have to be beaten by a competitor or proven they were not as good as they originally thought.

In Macy's on 34th street - the flagship store - there is a sing at the top of the escalator on the 2nd or 3rd floor, pointing customers to the
"LADIE'S ROOM"

I have mentioned this to many employees and written a letter - it's been there for years!

Language pet peeves.... are because we share the language. Any tool people share leads to conflict on the proper use of the tool. Same in workshops as in languages.

Sorry I missed the contest, but can't help wanting to share something I saw recently on a dinner menu:

chicken, mashed potatoes, and, ready for this:

Hari-Culvert

Aren't you mixing metaphors?
Shooting ducks in a barrel? Isn't it shooting fish in a barrel? and Duck soup?

Mark Rehnstrom
Guilford, CT

Spanish tends to make English initialisms into anachronisms: fbi and ucla, said as words.

I noticed a sign on the 34th street platform of the 1 Train... the sign said 'Dowtown'... I took a photo and sent it to the MTA... they changed it quite promptly.
I was amazed that my letter prompted such immediate rectification.

Please Thank Patricia for responding personally to my question about the correct use of 'suffice to say' or 'suffice is to say'.

This is my least favorite segment & recurring guest on this show. cute sometimes? yes. but that's the extent of it.

Sorry no picture but I saw a sign reading "Iced Cold Water". I like this because while being wrong, they were bottles of water, it is also sort of right.

As lame as this is and I find myself flinching as type this...bring on the Palinisms.

Hey, Patricia, Leonard just said: "older than he."

MARCONI SALAD, on the side of a deli on Long Island, also advertising their Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, etc.

Tunnel Tease
Couldn't take this photo because its in the middle of the Holland Tunnel from NJ to NYC. There is a large, vertical EXIT sign on the wall next to a door that says, 'No Exit.'