Tuesday, March 25, 2008
An English Usage Rant
More and more often, I'm seeing people write or say such things as, "So and So passed last Friday" to mean that So and So had just died. I'm not confused by such usage, but it still grates on my sensibilities.
Please, folks, the phrase is "passed away," or even, "passed on" when you are referring to the death of someone. When you say only that "he passed," it makes my mind, for a short while, imagine all kinds of qualifications on the phrase to narrow down the meaning. "Passed" what? Passed by? Passed out? Passed the biscuits? Passed a kidney stone? Passed gas?
Finally, my mind settles on passed AWAY, but only after having traumatized me by forcing me to think of all the possible meanings.
Please, folks, the phrase is "passed away," or even, "passed on" when you are referring to the death of someone. When you say only that "he passed," it makes my mind, for a short while, imagine all kinds of qualifications on the phrase to narrow down the meaning. "Passed" what? Passed by? Passed out? Passed the biscuits? Passed a kidney stone? Passed gas?
Finally, my mind settles on passed AWAY, but only after having traumatized me by forcing me to think of all the possible meanings.
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africans say passed
language changes all the time
this is the new 'died'
language changes all the time
this is the new 'died'
# posted by 
: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:41:00 AM MDT
: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:41:00 AM MDT Links to this post:
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