Transcript of “Seemingly Adverbs But Not”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett.
And sailing in and waving a pirate flag and cocking his tricorn in our direction, it’s our quiz guy, John Janeski.
Arr, matey.
Arr, matey.
It’s fine to be here.
Sorry, I got a thing.
I got a pirate in my throat.
Hi, guys.
Good to see you again.
Listen, the Nerdiverse lost a shining icon when satirist Tom Lehrer passed away.
Now, besides writing and performing dozens of cheeky tunes about politics, science, and mathematics, he contributed several songs to The Electric Company.
Now, children of the 70s, like me, remember educational tunes like Silent E and L-Y.
That last one got me thinking about fake adverbs.
Words that seem to be adverbs because they end in L-Y, but they’re just not.
Okay?
I’ll give you a clue to the word and to its fake adverb persona.
For example, if I said, like a sudden charge against an enemy, it does it like actress Mineo or baseball or Bando would clue the noun Sal-ly.
It’s not Sally.
It’s Sally.
Sal-ly, right.
Sally to Sally Fourth.
Salmoneo and.
Right.
Exactly.
Sal Mineo or Sal Bando.
To do it, Sal-ly.
Sal-ly.
So these are words that have the L-Y, which sometimes signals an adverb, but in this case not.
Right.
Usually some of these are adjectives.
Some of these are nouns.
Some of these are other-ly.
Let’s try it.
Ready?
Yep.
Okay.
Okay.
It’s the solitary answer to, can I do it like a switch position?
Can I do it like a switch position?
I was going to say awfully, but I guess it’s only.
It is only or only.
Yeah, solitary is the code there for only.
Gotcha.
On, L-Y.
Very good.
Let’s spread it on like a program for your mobile phone.
Spread it on like a program for your mobile phone?
Oh, we’re going to do it.
Apply.
Apply instead of apply.
Exactly.
Aply, ap, L-Y, is apply.
Very good.
He’s going to insinuate that I do it like a mischievous child.
A mischievous child.
I’m 100% sure you were a mischievous child.
John, what are you implying?
Are you trying to imply something?
Imply, imp, L-Y.
Your performance is very imply today, John.
Very nice.
It’s very probable that they’ll do it in the way of a thumbs up.
Do it in the way of a thumbs up?
It’s extremely probable they’ll do it in the way of a thumbs up.
On Facebook.
Yeah.
Because it’s likely.
Oh, likely, Martha.
Yeah.
Likely, like L-Y.
Finally, they seem greasy and unctuous, doing it in the style of a British or Aussie interjection.
Oily.
Oily.
Oily.
L-Y.
I have never seen so much action on my social medias as when Tom Lehrer passed away.
So many people saying how much they were going to miss him and how great he was.
Almost for no other celebrity.
It was amazing.
He is going to be missed greatly.
Yeah.
Take care, John, and sail those high seas with all your vigor and energy, and we get 10% of your treasure hoard.
We’ll talk about it 10%.
This show is about words and language and a little bit of goofing around.
If you’d like to goof around with us, call us toll-free from the United States and Canada, 877-929-9673.
