Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Pretty soon we'll all be super-saturated with emphatics. But Glen is plenty right; we'll still invent more. Can't have too much of a raging good thing.

I grew up in the Midwest, and recall my parents and grandparents using the word "prin-year" (spelled it like it sounded). I assimilated it into my vocab, as the meaning was clear to me. Only later, perhaps in mid-grade school did I come to realize this was a shortened version of "pretty near." For example: The weather today is prinyear blizzard conditions.

It was one of those aha moments when I suddenly realized I'd been using a non-word for all those years. Never saw it in print. Only heard it as spoken, and so assumed it was a word I should know and use. I think it was when I asked a teacher how to properly spell "prinyear" that I was enlightened. Reminds me of that classic bumper sticker: If you can read this, thank your English teacher.