SFDebris: Relics Review

[Sonic Glitch]

Right, TR-116 time...

Having fought with ALOT of drunks in my time

"Alot".

Why does the US (and from what I've seen it's entirely US members who do this) combine the phrase "a lot" into a single word? I've seen it all over the forum and it's bugging me, so what gives?

For one, I don't. Or at least I try not to. So this is a new phenomenon to me, but my guess is improper use of spacebar. To my fellow us members. A lot and allot are two very different words.

[Nickswitz]

I try to type a lot, but sometimes I don't hit the spacebar, But yes, I think it's mostly that American's seem to be lazy.

[Lazar]

Why does the US (and from what I've seen it's entirely US members who do this) combine the phrase "a lot" into a single word? I've seen it all over the forum and it's bugging me, so what gives?

It's not a standard part of American English, just an informal spelling that some people use. Another example would be "alright" instead of "all right".

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I try and spell it 'a lot' and 'all right', although no reason why 'alot' and 'alright' couldn't become official words.

[Captain Seafort]

"Alright" isn't too bad - allot has, as SG points out, a completely different meaning.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

"Alright" isn't too bad - allot has, as SG points out, a completely different meaning.

Yeah, to parcel out, right?

[Nickswitz]

"Alright" isn't too bad - allot has, as SG points out, a completely different meaning.

Yeah, to parcel out, right?

Ding ding ding, he wins the prize... Here's your cookie, savor it...

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

COOKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nickswitz]

Cookies?

[Mikey]

"Alright" isn't too bad - allot has, as SG points out, a completely different meaning.

The word "alright" and the phrase "all right" also have different meanings.

Why does the US (and from what I've seen it's entirely US members who do this) combine the phrase "a lot" into a single word? I've seen it all over the forum and it's bugging me, so what gives?

I've never seen it until now, so I assumed it was just a missed tap on the space bar. If it is common, it's probably a similar colloquialism to the Irish use of the fabricated contraction "t'other." Bear in mind, the US is fairly large - what may be common vernacular for Tsu could be completely alien to me. For example, where I live the term "y'all" is specifically confined to urban, inner-city slang... but it's a common term in the South, and different parts of the South have different grammatical usages for it.

* Interesting note: the use of the term "t'other" in the only widely-accepted genuine Jack the Ripper letter to investigators - the famous "From Hell" letter sent to a Mr. Lusk - combined with other evidence and handwriting has led profilers to tend toward accepting Francis Tumblety as Jack the Ripper. While American, Tumblety had a first-gen Irish father.

Strange. I can fake accents better when I'm sloshed.

As far as you know.

[Tsukiyumi]

T'isnt my opinion.

[Captain Seafort]

it's probably a similar colloquialism to the Irish use of the fabricated contraction "t'other."

Irish? T'other's more Yorkshire than Irish.

[Mark]

Kind of like "ya'll"?

[Tyyr]

Ya'll is a proper word, just like ain't.

[stitch626]

Ya'll is a proper word, just like ain't.

I'd argue about ain't. What are its components?