is alright alright?

StephanieWeippert · Mar 19, 2009

I've read in two different books on writing that the word alright shouldn't be used because it makes your writing sound unprofessional. I did a word search for it and found I only use it in conversations, not in my descriptions etc., and not in every conversation either. I like having it in my conversations though, I think it makes my characters sound more real. Should I still banish it?

scarletpeaches · Mar 19, 2009

I think when people sound as if they're saying 'alright', they're actually saying "All right," which is two separate words.

You could probably get away with it in dialogue, though, but not description. 'Alright' simply isn't a word, although it's becoming more and more common. It wouldn't surprise me if it is in the dictionary, even though it gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Calla Lily · Mar 19, 2009

KILL IT FOREVER!

Copyeditors everywhere will praise you. Like me, for instance.

All right is two words. Always. No exceptions.

Fade · Mar 19, 2009

I used to put all right as just one word, but I finally took it out of my manuscript. It's easy to do. Just find and replace "alright" with "all right".

Deleted member 42 · Mar 19, 2009

No. It is Eeeeeevvviiiiilllll.

See this.

StephanieWeippert · Mar 19, 2009

Ok, I will banish it. Thank you very much guys. This is why I so very much appreciate AW.

eyeblink · Mar 19, 2009

However UNFORTUNATELY it is accepted as an alternative spelling to "all right" in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Rolling Thunder · Mar 19, 2009

I refuse to give up alright. It saves a whole letter making my work even that more tight and golden.

Maryn · Mar 19, 2009

Alright will probably be considered fully acceptable by the time I die. My kids, both sticklers about written English, accept it. As my son puts it, "Maybe we should kill you now."

Kid's always thought a little ways outside the box.

Maryn, rigid and unable to change

Robert E. Keller · Mar 19, 2009

I think alright shouldn't be used because it's alwrong, and I'm not okay with ok either. Just my own friendly opinion.

Robert E. Keller
http://www.scrollsofatlantis.com/

TerzaRima · Mar 19, 2009

Mine too. Banish it from your grammatical kingdom.

semilargeintestine · Mar 19, 2009

It bothers me that "words" are put into the dictionary because people are too ignorant to realise they're not using real words.

scarletpeaches · Mar 19, 2009

I bet it sounds hot in an Aussie accent though. Now stop threadstalking me!

(No, don't.)

MetalDog · Mar 19, 2009

semilargeintestine said:
It bothers me that "words" are put into the dictionary because people are too ignorant to realise they're not using real words.

That's how the English language evolves. The alternative is to try to forbid anyone from making up new words (or altering old ones via common usage) and then get all impotently angry when they do it anyway. Shakespeare was a massive offender on this front.

Some new words and phrases annoy me, but I'd rather put up with them than try to mummify the language.

veinglory · Mar 19, 2009

Given that I have only seen editors specifiy that they hate it, and none specify that they love it--better safe...

CatSlave · Mar 19, 2009

eyeblink said:
However UNFORTUNATELY it is accepted as an alternative spelling to "all right" in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Then let it stay there where it belongs, and quit wandering about and annoying serious readers.

Along with who's, irregardless and 'to be perfectly honest'...

colealpaugh · Mar 19, 2009

semilargeintestine said:
It bothers me that "words" are put into the dictionary because people are too ignorant to realise they're not using real words.

Agree completely.

MetalDog said:
That's how the English language evolves. The alternative is to try to forbid anyone from making up new words (or altering old ones via common usage) and then get all impotently angry when they do it anyway. Shakespeare was a massive offender on this front.

Some new words and phrases annoy me, but I'd rather put up with them than try to mummify the language.

That's fair and true, but it's become a fast moving snowball. IMHO, there's a huge difference between words being accepted into a dictionary because of ignorant over-use such as 'alright' and words such as ringtone, soul patch, and bioiesel. After all, 'wave pools' are fun.

MetalDog · Mar 19, 2009

I just think common usage should be greeted with a little less outright hate. A lot of the words that grammar gurus will fight tooth and nail to uphold now were yesterday's 'oh, that's so ignorant!' bugbears. =)

If there had been an English Académie Française, it would have tried to rob our language of a lot of its present delights.

semilargeintestine · Mar 19, 2009

I agree to an extent, but words that are added simply because people can't speak properly is a bit excessive.

colealpaugh · Mar 19, 2009

It's just that some words never leave the 'cringe' stage. On a message board, woulda/coulda/sorta/dunno and even words like 'ain't' can be fine. But 'alright' just makes a lot of people cringe, in my experience. It just feels ignorant and seems in need of correction. No hate intended. Just a discussion with words used to express the 'senses' evoked. And alright sorta evokes "stupid" instead of casual.

maestrowork · Mar 19, 2009

It should be "all right." If you use it, I'll guarantee your editor would change it.

TerzaRima · Mar 19, 2009

Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. Alright is not presently delighting me.

Chiquita Banana · Mar 19, 2009

colealpaugh said:
It's just that some words never leave the 'cringe' stage. On a message board, woulda/coulda/sorta/dunno and even words like 'ain't' can be fine. But 'alright' just makes a lot of people cringe, in my experience. It just feels ignorant and seems in need of correction. No hate intended. Just a discussion with words used to express the 'senses' evoked. And alright sorta evokes "stupid" instead of casual.

I agree that it SEEMS like most people who use it don't actually know 'alright' is wrong. A bit like 'supposebly' I think, although no one ever writes that. Lots of people say it though!

Swordswoman · Mar 19, 2009

MetalDog said:
That's how the English language evolves. The alternative is to try to forbid anyone from making up new words (or altering old ones via common usage) and then get all impotently angry when they do it anyway. Shakespeare was a massive offender on this front.

Some new words and phrases annoy me, but I'd rather put up with them than try to mummify the language.

I'd totally agree we ought to be open to neologisms. Chaucer and Shakespeare formed the language like that, and it's great it still continues.

But enshrining mistakes in dictionary tablets of stone is, I think, somewhat different. Where do you draw the line? How long before 'alot' (one word) is acceptable? Or 'Iam'? Both common mistakes, heaven help us, by people who haven't worked out what an indefinite article or a pronoun are. But they're common, right? Understood, right? Doesn't that make them 'alright'?

No, no, no, no, no. Never. Neologisms should expand a language, not shrink it to the lowest common denominator.

Please - no.

semilargeintestine · Mar 19, 2009

Swordswoman said:
I'd totally agree we ought to be open to neologisms. Chaucer and Shakespeare formed the language like that, and it's great it still continues.

But enshrining mistakes in dictionary tablets of stone is, I think, somewhat different. Where do you draw the line? How long before 'alot' (one word) is acceptable? Or 'Iam'? Both common mistakes, heaven help us, by people who haven't worked out what an indefinate article or a pronoun are. But they're common, right? Understood, right? Doesn't that make them 'alright'?

No, no, no, no, no. Never. Neologisms should expand a language, not shrink it to the lowest common denominator.

Please - no.

Too bloody right.

is alright alright?

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