*The bird couldn't reach its beak through the cage.
where the proper English would be:
The bird couldn't reach through the cage with its beak.
or
The bird's beak couldn't reach through the cage.
Another example is:
*Can you reach me that book?
Instead of:
Can you reach that book, and can you hand it to me?
I think the improper usage is becoming more common, and I can see why: the meaning is clear, the sentence structure more direct, and there's no conspicuous vulgarity (I doubt most people would recognize the impropriety at all.) Also, note the confusion with 'stretch', which, unlike 'reach' can be used transitively.
One that is equally logical is the use of 'itch' as a verb:
*I itched her itch.
For the vulgar, it's easier to remember one word than two, and 'scratch' already has separate meanings as a noun and a verb:
The cat had scratched me, so I had a scratch on my hand.
So, predictable, but annoying. Since there is no gain in logic or directness, this locution just seems like a way for the uneducated to decrease their vocabularies even more.
The vulgar locution most unique to me involves the F word. Below is an example:
ReplyDeleteThe fuckin' vulgar.
The locution originates from the fact that the vulgar are more libidinous and consequentle procreate more.
btw, that bird beak example was interesting because I read it and was confused as to the meaning but think that I could have heard the statement and understood.
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