July 21, 2006

English Usage Question

Alright, now.

Or, more particularly, the word alright.

I know it's not "standard," and that you're supposed to use all right, but doggone it, if it's not all right to use alright, why do almighty and already and although and always and albeit and almost and also get a pass!?

I like alright just fine, and it's not right to make one rule for it and not apply the same rule to the other eight I listed. I'm going to keep on using it, but out of curiosity, which version do YOU use?

Posted by Terry Oglesby at July 21, 2006 12:44 PM
Comments

If I think about it, all right. If I'm not thinking (90% of the time), alright is good enough.

Given all the odd things added to the dictionary lately, I'm surprised this isn't accepted as standard usage.

Posted by: Diane at July 21, 2006 01:05 PM

You really need two forms:

All right! for when something works.

Alrighty, for a phrase such as "Alrighty, then, go ahead and try it."

Posted by: Janis at July 23, 2006 07:35 PM

"Are you all right?" (An enquiry after someone's health; especially after, for example, a fall.)

"Alright then, let's eat." (A kind of condensed form of 'all right' in which it is understood but not formally established that everything is, in fact, all right.)

Posted by: kitchen hand at July 24, 2006 01:06 AM

I'm glad to see no prohibitionists linger hereabouts!

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 24, 2006 08:42 AM

I suppose this makes me wonder: which form is correct:

"Algore"

or

"All Gore"?

Posted by: Stan at July 24, 2006 09:35 AM

:;snort::

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 24, 2006 09:38 AM