Run-on words

girlyswot · Nov 20, 2007

Something I've noticed happening with increasing frequency lately is the use of run-on words. The charitable part of me wonders if this is acceptable American usage, but the rest of me just thinks it's wrong!

I'm thinking about words such as:

'alot' instead of 'a lot' (or sometimes 'allot' for 'a lot'!)
'awhile' instead of 'a while'
'anymore' instead of 'any more'

I know that these last two are acceptable run-ons when used adverbially, but I see them being used in place of the noun phrases.

truelyana · Nov 20, 2007

This is interesting, as I also use the run-on words from time to time and don't know whether I'm using it correctly or not. What are the differences between say 'alot' and 'a lot'? Is this English language, or as you say 'typical American usage'? What are the differences between the two?

girlyswot · Nov 20, 2007

Well, I'd say that 'alot' isn't a proper word at all. 'Lot' is a noun and 'a lot' indicates one lot. I don't know what 'alot' would mean or why it would be formed that way.

'Awhile' is a proper word. It's an adverb so you'd use it to modify a verb.
'He walked awhile beside the lake.' This is correct though, to my ears, slightly archaic usage.

'A while' is a noun with the indefinite article.
'He walked beside the lake for a while.' This is correct and sounds normal to me.

NOT: 'He walked beside the lake for awhile.' That's nonsense. It would be like saying: 'He walked beside the lake for slowly.'

Similarly with 'anymore' and 'any more'.

The first is an adverb: 'Do they have Mars bars anymore?'

The second is an adjectival phrase: 'Do they have any more Mars bars?'

NOT: 'Do they have anymore Mars bars?'

Goodness that word looks strange when you write it so often!

truelyana · Nov 20, 2007

I quite like the separation now and understand it once read out loud, and re-read on here.

Thanks for that clarification.

truelyana · Nov 20, 2007

Is that how the typical American usage of run-on words work?

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 20, 2007

girlyswot said:
I know that these last two are acceptable run-ons when used adverbially, but I see them being used in place of the noun phrases.

The thing is that those are errors spell-check doesn't catch, because "anymore" and "awhile" are actual words.

"Alot" and "alright" are just mistakes, though (although it's interesting that the UBB spellcheck software doesn't flag "alright" even though it flags both "UBB" and "spellcheck"!)

Unique · Nov 20, 2007

Don't forget already and all ready. They're both real words.

Microsoft grammar check ... uh ... isn't "all that". Better than nothing but not infallible.

I use answers.com quite a bit but it isn't perfect either. It's better for definitions and spelling but some grammar answers will come up.

The two that get me are anymore and any more. I think they are both "real" but I wouldn't swear to it. Anyone who knows definitively - I'd love to know.

ETA: I missed your 'anymore' IceCream and girlyswot. Thanx!

Voyager · Nov 20, 2007

words I see a great deal

that are not compound words.

alright
noone
alot

Sometimes you just have to bust out the dictionary to determine if a compound is a real word or not.

Voyager · Nov 20, 2007

Unique said:
Don't forget already and all ready. They're both real words.

This one's easy because they have two distinct meanings.

Already = by this time. I already did it. not I all ready did it.

All ready = Prepared for immediate use. We are all ready to go. not We are already to go.

FennelGiraffe · Nov 20, 2007

All over vs allover. Both are correct, but they are used differently. Although, in this case what I've seen is the failure to use "allover" appropriately.

Allover = an adjective meaning completely covered by

Her dress had an allover print.

All over = all other usages

Her dress had flowers all over it.
The games are all over.
I looked all over the house for it.

Harper K · Nov 20, 2007

Here's one I've been seeing a lot lately:

eachother

Clearly not correct. Doesn't drive me nuts as much as some mistakes, though (loose / lose, anyone?). And I guess I can see the logic behind squishing them together, because they're generally spoken to sound like one word.

girlyswot · Nov 20, 2007

Eachother?!?! Ew!!

Voyager · Nov 20, 2007

satori said:
Here's one I've been seeing a lot lately:

eachother

Clearly not correct. Doesn't drive me nuts as much as some mistakes, though (loose / lose, anyone?). And I guess I can see the logic behind squishing them together, because they're generally spoken to sound like one word.

Breath, breathe grrrrrrrrr and spellcheck always gets it wrong.

maestrowork · Nov 20, 2007

Sometime vs. some time

CaroGirl · Nov 20, 2007

The most mixed-up one I see on an everyday basis is, well, everyday and every day. Signs, advertisements, newspapers. It's an epidemic.

reenkam · Nov 21, 2007

IceCreamEmpress said:
"Alot" and "alright" are just mistakes, though

Voyager said:
words I see a great deal that are not compound words.

alright

Alright is in the OED as an acceptable spelling of all right.

I don't understand why everyone has a problem with that one...I can't remember even seeing all right unless you're indicated that everything is correct...

truelyana · Nov 21, 2007

reenkam said:
Alright is in the OED as an acceptable spelling of all right.

I don't understand why everyone has a problem with that one...I can't remember even seeing all right unless you're indicated that everything is correct...

Its interesting, as now I'm seeing 'all right' everywhere. I often use 'alright' instead of 'all right'. Is there a major difference between the two in the English language?

jennifer75 · Nov 21, 2007

al·right [ awl rt, áwl rīt ]

adverb

Definition:

satisfactory: in a generally good, satisfactory, or pleasing way

adjective

Definition:

pleasant: generally good, satisfactory, or pleasant

Word Usage

See all right.

maestrowork · Nov 21, 2007

truelyana said:
Its interesting, as now I'm seeing 'all right' everywhere. I often use 'alright' instead of 'all right'. Is there a major difference between the two in the English language?

"Everything is alright to me."

"Are you all right?"

"All right, we'll move forward."

truelyana · Nov 21, 2007

maestrowork said:
"Everything is alright to me."

"Are you all right?"

"All right, we'll move forward."

I see. The sentences do flow easier, one way rather the other. Thanks maestro for that. Is 'all right' used mainly over the casual 'alright'?

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 21, 2007

reenkam said:
Alright is in the OED as an acceptable spelling of all right.

Not in mine, which is the most recent print edition. There are two entries for "alright" on page 363 of Volume I, A-Bazouki. The first is an "obsolete" word, last cited from the 13th century, meaning "exactly". The second entry, in full, reads:

alright, a frequent spelling of all right.

There are four citations, of which two are from H. W. Fowler; the last citation from Fowler is: "There are no such forms as all-right, allright, or alright, though even the last, if seldom allowed by the compositors to appear in print, is often seen...in MS." {"MS" here meaning "manuscript".}

I think it would be stretching it to say that this definition suggests "alright" is an acceptable variant, let alone the more usual spelling. I think "alright" probably is considered all right in other dictionaries, but the OED is the only one I have (that's just how lame I am!)

Certainly, "all right" is unlikely to ruffle anyone's feathers, no matter how old-school they are.

truelyana, I would encourage you ALWAYS to use "all right". Obviously some people think "alright" is all right, but since English isn't your first language, I think you might want to be a purist on this. "All right" is always all right, whereas some people are old-fashioned enough to think that "alright" is always all wrong.

Skippy · Nov 23, 2007

Good to know since I do use "alright" in my writing. Alot is not a word so I don't use it. Gamers I notice do use that but probably because gamers write everything in short mode anyway.

Silver King · Nov 23, 2007

The virtues of using "alright" versus "all right" comes up here from time to time. One of the best discussions I've ever witnessed is here, where some great minds weigh in on the subject, some with surprising results.

job · Nov 23, 2007

I'd consider it essential for such phrases as -- "Alright already, I'm coming. Don't bust a gut."

Once we emerge from dialect ...
I find it distracting where 'all right' is intended. The argument that 'alright' may be emerging as a separate word with a distinct meaning is interesting.

veronie · Nov 23, 2007

Technically, "alright" is wrong every time. It should always be "all right." Nice comments from job above.

Run-on words

Set yourself free

Set yourself free

Set yourself free

Hapless Virago

Agent of Doom

Ribbed for your pleasure.

Ribbed for your pleasure.

It's green they say

here's to the girl on the go

Ribbed for your pleasure.

Fear the Death Ray

Living the dream

aka cupcake

Set yourself free

SupahStah!

Fear the Death Ray

Set yourself free

Hapless Virago

Megalops Erectus

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

practical experience, FTW