Past Tense of Plead

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hello, this is Tony from San Diego, California.

Hi, Tony. Welcome to the program.

Hello.

Hello, hello.

Hey there. What can we do for you today?

Well, I have a question regarding a word that seems to have fallen out of favor, at least in the press.

And every time I read the substitute, I get a little electric jolt, I think.

Oh, my.

If it was still valuable and valid, the word is pled, T-L-E-D.

And what’s in vogue today in discussing judicial issues in the press seems to be pleaded.

And, you know, I thought maybe all those years of watching Perry Mason had walked my mind.

So I figured I’d ask you guys.

Yeah, Della Street, Paul.

Man, you’re bringing back some memories there.

What did they say in Perry Mason? I don’t remember. Did they say pled?

They used to say pled.

Did they really?

Interesting.

Yeah.

What was that, 50s, 60s?

At least as I recall it, anyway.

Yeah, yeah. In my wonder years.

Yeah, there you go.

Yeah, yeah. You know what’s really weird is that I’ve heard many people say,

Oh, what’s the deal with pleaded all of a sudden becoming in vogue?

But the truth is that pleaded is the traditional form, right?

And it’s used exclusively in Great Britain.

And we’ve actually been moving away from it a little bit with pled, but pleaded will make a lot of the sticklers happy if you use that one.

I see.

Yeah, so pleaded is the older, more common form still.

In the legal profession, Martha, am I remembering correctly that they do prefer pleaded to pled?

He pleaded guilty.

But outside of the legal profession, you’ll find it more common to say he pled for his life.

I would say he pleaded for his life.

Oh, really?

What would you say, Tony?

I would say pled, actually.

You would say pled.

I think maybe it’s the economy of one syllable versus two.

I don’t know.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, again, the traditional form is pleaded.

And, Grant, I do think that a lot of attorneys prescribe pleaded,

Although if you look online at discussions, a lot of them say, oh, no, it’s pled.

So I think there’s some controversy within the legal profession as well.

Interesting.

Well, both are in the dictionary.

Both are listed as valid.

Right.

It just struck me as curious, that’s all.

Right.

Yeah, it does strike the ear strangely, doesn’t it?

Because you think of read and read and feed and fed and bleed and bled.

And then you have plead and pleaded.

Pleaded, yeah, not reeded.

Yeah.

It’s almost a skunked word where you’re going to give somebody that jolt of electricity that you’re talking about either way.

Don’t you think, Grant?

Yeah, we’ll send an electrician right over.

Well, thank you.

Really enjoy your show.

Thank you.

Well, I hope you’re wearing rubber shoes when you listen to us.

From now on, yes, I will.

Okay, Tony, good talking with you.

Thanks for sorting this out.

Thanks, buddy.

Good talking to you.

Did we?

Bye-bye.

All right, bye-bye.

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