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Now, with the pronouncement by Grant and Martha, I will reluctantly have to stop fence sitting. You see, I know that a TV anchor, a politician, a marketeer and their ilk all speak their pieces. But, perched neatly up on this fence, I can see the other camp. There is value in their gathering of eggcorns for the winter. There was in my mind, till now, a place for both spellings.
Now that we can only hold peace, and not speak it, never again will I listen to Handel's Messiah with the same ear: "He is the righteous Savior and he shall speak peace unto the heathen." (Maybe that was "piece" and was transcribed in error.) But now, in the 21st century, we don't speak peace anymore, so we could hardly miss that use, anyway.
Still, there are situations in which folks are deprived of a voice. They don't get a piece to speak. Struggling and even suffering in their inability to speak their mind, some can hold their peace no longer, certainly not forever, and they suddenly, explosively speak their something. They are not speaking their piece. It is relief they are seeking, not a mere portion of airtime, a sound bite. Is it peace?
So now, what can I write when I mean that kind of speaking, the speech that quells a longing to be heard? No more clever turning of the phrase "to speak one's peace." That is skunked. "Speak one's satisfaction?" (too selfish) "Speak one's heart's content?" (too precious) Maybe "speak one's due." But then, people might misspell that as "dew" or "do."
I guess I'll have to make dew.
Handel's 'Savior... shall speak peace' should be safe from challenges because the alternative 'speak piece' makes no sense, because piece of what? What or whose piece? - it glaringly lacks a .. a .. word .. like the or his or your ,etc. The only other way for it to go without and still make some dismal senses is with the plural form: 'speak pieces,' which is not much of an improvement, not to mention not even an eggcorn.
(Peace on the other hand is a large concept, which as such does not need the or his etc. in front of it.)
Excellent, Glenn.
I know there are two idioms - "Speak you piece" and "Hold your peace." I, myself, have never been confused about the spelling of each, but this discussion has my mind spinning. I think that there are rare situations that "speak your peace" would be proper, and there are less rare situations that "hold your piece" would also be proper. Of course they wouldn't mean exactly the same thing as the official spelling and these usages would take them away from the definition of idiom. Also, using them would probably complicate the confusion so it's probably best not done.
I had held this piece of information too long so I am glad that my peace, once held, is now spoken.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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