No matter how hard I try, I cannot get my brain to always use “spun” as the past tense of “spin.” Under a lot of conditions, my brain insists it should be “span.” Which is apparently formally obsolete.

I’ll have to see if my library’s web site has access to the OED Online since it seems to be behind a goddamn paywall.

In other places I skimmed, it was said that it appeared in a lot of old literature. I devoured old literature in my teens-- far more than more “modern” works-- so I wonder if that’s how I picked it up.

My brain wants to use “spun” as an adjective only, I think. Like “spun wool.” I have to forcibly change usage. And I’m not always conscious of it.

But my brain likes the pattern like ring=rang, sing=sang, sink=sank. All of those have been migrating to use U instead of A in past tense (rung, sung, sunk) and my brain HATES IT.

I have a lot of archaisms rattling around in my brain, apparently. My 2nd grade teacher taught us the plural of “roof” was “rooves,” like “hoof=hooves,” so even though I have retrained myself to use “roofs” I sometimes twitch at it.

I have recently realized that I have a tendency to omit “that” in some sentences.

“she realized that she must have x” > “she realized she must have x”

“it was true that he had treated her well” > “ it was true that he had treated her well”

“I have recently realized that I have a tendency to omit x” > “ I have recently realized I have a tendency to omit x”

Okay, so like, maybe I’m being a dork here.

I need the kanji for Itsuki Inui’s name so I can do some searching.

Whatever it is, I think it’s a homophone joke about Uhrmann.

I am a complete novice. My brain keeps saying “ 犬 いい” (inu-ii)

GOOD DOG

my lit/comp teacher in middle school, circa 1998: The adverb form of "dry" is spelled "drily."

every spellchecker in existence in 2018: The adverb form of "dry" is spelled "dryly."

online dictionaries and writing sites: Both are correct I guessssssss

me: *screaming*

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my elderly 2nd grade teacher, circa 1992: The plural form of "roof" is "rooves," like "hoof" and "hooves."

every spellchecker in existence in 2018: The plural form of "roof" is "roofs."

online dictionaries and writing sites: While "rooves" is technically a correct spelling, it is considered an archaism in modernity. Your teacher was showing her age.

me: *screaming*

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7th grade lit/comp teacher: "bald-face lie"

8th grade lit/comp teacher: "bold-faced lie"

9th grade lit/comp teacher: "baldfaced lie"

10th grade lit/comp teacher: "you're a terrible writer"

10th grade AP European History teacher: "actually it began as 'barefaced lie' because...."

11th/12th lit/comp teacher: "bald-faced lie"

college typography teacher: "'boldfaced lie,' as if it stands out in printed text because it was bolded"

writing sites on the internet: *shrug*

Naturally, people see the -us and think, “ah! turn it into an -i! octopi!” This would be a good idea if the -us were Latin but it’s not. Instead of -us, it’s actually -pus, which is derived from Greek for “foot”: octo- for eight and -pus for feet. So, if we’re using the language of origin to make the plural, it would be octopodes.

HOWEVER, regardless of its origins, octopus is still an English word, so we can apply English rules to make it plural, which makes octopuses correct.

HOWEVER AGAIN, octopi is so widely accepted that it has essentially bludgeoned its way into being a correct plural form.

Therefore, octopus has three correct plural forms: octopi, octopodes, and octopuses.

We live in an exciting world.

[source]

For a century and a half, The New York Times has been earnestly—and hilariously—defining topical terms.