posted
I've just had two people correct me because I used till instead of 'til. I was feeling paranoid because of the numbers of things that I've written with "till". It turns out that we are all right. Thanks for making me check.
"Usage Note: Till and until are generally interchangeable in both writing and speech, though as the first word in a sentence until is usually preferred: Until you get that paper written, don't even think about going to the movies. ·Till is actually the older word, with until having been formed by the addition to it of the prefix un-, meaning “up to.” In the 18th century the spelling 'till became fashionable, as if till were a shortened form of until. Although 'till is now nonstandard, 'til is sometimes used in this way and is considered acceptable, though it is etymologically incorrect." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=till
posted
Actually, I checked this one myself after correcting you. I realised then how wrong I was. Saying that my dictionary says that "till" is only really used as a word in itslef in the Scottish dialect. Most people now use "'til" as a abbreviation for until. I hope you prove my dictionary wrong...
Posts: 575 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
How strange, Mary. I was just discussing this with my wife a few days back -- probably on the day this topic was made. The story I was reading had both usages and it sort of threw me. I meant to look it up but forgot.
posted
Thanks! I was wondering when you were going to turn up again here. You did promise that you were going to be more involved in the New Year.
I think in one of my stories I corrected one "till" to "'til" but didn't do any of the others. I've since gone back and search/replaced them all to "till" or "until".
posted
I always thought it was a Minnesotan convention! :-)
They always drop syllables in their speech around here. People member things, they never remember them. People scuse themselves, they never excuse themselves.
But my favorite comes from my wife's family, who have a nasty habit of eating Parmesian (par-me-see-un) cheese instead of Parmesan cheese...
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