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When there are alternate ways of saying the same thing and no specific reason to choose between them, in one era one of them wins out, but in the next one, the other one may take over. A hundred years ago, most people used dived as the past tense of dive; now many prefer dove. The past tense of sneak? Most would now, after a pause, say snuck. But the Americans you see in starchy clothes barely smiling in old black-and-white photographs liked sneaked more. Why? For no more reason than over the past couple of decades, people have started saying “Based off of her point, I would say that . . .” ...more
Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths About America's Lingua Franca
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