English Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary

[Anita Bensoussane]

I have become tired of this discussion, in fact I've acquired a headache. Luckily I've also obtained some paracetamol so the pain I've sustained will soon be gone. Time I became real and stopped talking about such things. I'm sure Enid didn't ever say gotten. She would have grown quite mad if one of her pupils had used such a phrase. They would certainly have reaped their just deserts.

I'm probably not too accustomed with the English, but is "reaping their just deserts" an expression I've never come across? What's the sense of reaping a very dry place? Or should it have been "reaping their just desserts"?

"Deserts" is correct but it comes from the word "deserve" and has nothing to do with barren areas of sand and rocks. It's pronounced like "desserts". Reaping (or getting!) your just deserts means receiving what you deserve.

[Rob Houghton]

Thanks Anita! I didn't know where it came from, or even if 'deserts' was actually right!!

[Wolfgang]

"Deserts" is correct but it comes from the word "deserve" and has nothing to do with barren areas of sand and rocks. It's pronounced like "desserts". Reaping (or getting!) your just deserts means receiving what you deserve.

Thank you for the explanation, Anita .

[Fiona1986]

And there was me thinking it was desserts. Though googling it suggested that desserts is used so often that it is often considered correct for modern usage.

[Katharine]

On the radio today I heard the presenter say something about the tune they had just played being particularly good with a capital 'ch'. I'm really hoping that was just some kind of joke, and that they didn't really think that they play 'chunes' rather than 'tunes.

[Eddie Muir]

I think "chune" is often used to describe a Caribbean tune (especially a Jamaican one), Katharine.

[Rob Houghton]

I've personally always called them 'chunes' Maybe its a Brummie thing!

[Eddie Muir]

I think you're right about it being a Brummie thing, Rob. I've always pronounced it "chune" and I'm a West Midlands lad.

[Katharine]

Interesting about the Caribbean reference, I can't remember what the song was, so don't know if it was applicable or not.

It's not so much the pronunciation that alarmed me, I know accents vary, it was the fact that the presenter said 'with a capital ch', as if they think the word is spelled chune.

Perhaps it's just something I've not come across before, or maybe I was too influence by the 'Tunes' cough sweets adverts - mostly definitively a 't' at the beginning of them.

[GloomyGraham]

Being at times a grammar nazi and always interested in the evolution of language, reading Blyton books in your adult years always provides some food for thought.

Was thinking only the other week when Blyton described something as 'dull as ditch'water', how this phrase has evolved over the years into 'dull as dishwater'.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've only ever heard "dull as ditchwater" but I can see how "dull as dishwater" might creep in.

I've heard a couple of people say someone did something "off his own back" instead of "off his own bat" so that's another phrase that may well evolve.

[Daisy]

Katharine, I'm puzzled as to whether the presenter said "ch" as in the sound that indicates, or "C H", which would suggest he isn't aware of the correct spelling. I would think he was joking if he said "chunes with a capital 'ch'." After all, both letters aren't capitals at the beginning of a word!

[Daisy]

I've only ever heard "dull as ditchwater" but I can see how "dull as dishwater" might creep in.

I've heard a couple of people say someone did something "off his own back" instead of "off his own bat" so that's another phrase that may well evolve.

I was about to make the same observation Anita. I have not heard "dishwater", but can see how it can be corrupted if it has been misheard, and a similar thing is happening with "off his own bat", - I hear 'back' very often, said by people who I would have thought would have known better!

[Eddie Muir]

Katharine, I'm puzzled as to whether the presenter said "ch" as in the sound that indicates, or "C H", which would suggest he isn't aware of the correct spelling. I would think he was joking if he said "chunes with a capital 'ch'." After all, both letters aren't capitals at the beginning of a word!

The presenter probably said with a capital 'ch' to indicate how good the tune was in his opinion. Capital letters tend to be used as emphasis.

[sixret]

I had always thought that "off his own back" was correct until now.