Comments on: PoTAYto, poTAHto…or is it poTAYtoe? http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100 A Blog about Words and Language(s) from alphaDictionary.com Tue, 21 May 2013 19:53:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: Jim B http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-148545 Jim B Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:42:13 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-148545 My teacher taught the same spellings with the "e" on the end of potato and tomato in the 1960's. Is it possibly a British spelling from that period? I've spelled these words with an "e" for 50 years. My teacher taught the same spellings with the “e” on the end of potato and tomato in the 1960′s. Is it possibly a British spelling from that period? I’ve spelled these words with an “e” for 50 years.

]]> By: bvw http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-107015 bvw Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:54:32 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-107015 I'm a life-long Trenton NJ area native and here we remember the true facts -- not the so-cheap-to-repeat slander -- in the case of Mr. Qualye's day in a Trenton School District schoolroom. There is a rule in substitute teaching that a substitute is to follow the explicit instruction left by the teacher. Mr. Qualye was acting temporarily as a substitute in leading the class's spelling bee. Well then there was no clearer instruction that could have been left to him than that the teacher did leave. She had written "POTATOE" as the *correct* spelling on the back of the card. As your own blog entry relates -- the spelling of words ending in "o" oft occasions honest confusion deriving from back-formation from the irregular plurals. Such irregular plurals are not just of "o" ending words but of "y" ending words too. You, yourself, tossed an interesting example out: "pimento". The plural is "pimentos". Well, pimento is classified in botany as a member of nightshade family, just like potato, or tomato. So why "potatoes"? It is SO confusing! ;-) RightGrrl retold the story in 1999, a version that comports closely to what I recollect the local newspapers of the time reported. See http://www.rightgrrl.com/carolyn/potatoe.html I’m a life-long Trenton NJ area native and here we remember the true facts — not the so-cheap-to-repeat slander — in the case of Mr. Qualye’s day in a Trenton School District schoolroom.

There is a rule in substitute teaching that a substitute is to follow the explicit instruction left by the teacher. Mr. Qualye was acting temporarily as a substitute in leading the class’s spelling bee. Well then there was no clearer instruction that could have been left to him than that the teacher did leave. She had written “POTATOE” as the *correct* spelling on the back of the card. As your own blog entry relates — the spelling of words ending in “o” oft occasions honest confusion deriving from back-formation from the irregular plurals. Such irregular plurals are not just of “o” ending words but of “y” ending words too.

You, yourself, tossed an interesting example out: “pimento”. The plural is “pimentos”. Well, pimento is classified in botany as a member of nightshade family, just like potato, or tomato. So why “potatoes”? It is SO confusing! ;-)

RightGrrl retold the story in 1999, a version that comports closely to what I recollect the local newspapers of the time reported.

See http://www.rightgrrl.com/carolyn/potatoe.html

]]> By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-14014 rbeard Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:25:07 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-14014 Actually, the E makes a nice distinction between this word and the tool, a gaff. I may begin using the two spellings to this advantage. Actually, the E makes a nice distinction between this word and the tool, a gaff. I may begin using the two spellings to this advantage.

]]> By: Language Lover http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-8083 Language Lover Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:15:26 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-8083 Interesting. I'm American, and I've never seen the shortened spelling. Alas, I don't have access to the OED; Webster's doesn't accept "gaff" but the American Heritage Dictionary does, so I retract my correction. Interesting. I’m American, and I’ve never seen the shortened spelling. Alas, I don’t have access to the OED; Webster’s doesn’t accept “gaff” but the American Heritage Dictionary does, so I retract my correction.

]]> By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-7978 rbeard Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:57:45 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-7978 While the British prefer "gaffe", US speakers, always the more pragmatic, see no need for the silent E. This shortened spelling is so widely used, even the OED now accepts it as a variant spelling. --Dr. GW While the British prefer “gaffe”, US speakers, always the more pragmatic, see no need for the silent E. This shortened spelling is so widely used, even the OED now accepts it as a variant spelling. –Dr. GW

]]> By: Language Lover http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100&cpage=1#comment-7960 Language Lover Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:41:50 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=100#comment-7960 No, "potato" doesn't have an "e", but "gaffe" DOES. ;) No, “potato” doesn’t have an “e”, but “gaffe” DOES. ;)

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