Actually, it isn't Frisco.

It's "The City", or else say the whole thing. Calling it "San Fran" is pretty revealing, too. It's equivalent to saying, "I'm not from the area". Which is okay, not everyone should be from the area. I just thought someone might want to know...... I know I would.

Carson City residents live in the state of NevAda, not NevaHHda. Another dead give away. I'm sure you can think of some similar examples.

Not sure how we got on this topic, but it came up in conversation at a good friend's birthday party last night. ...... Oh, I know what started it: we, somehow, got to talking about the "actually" epidemic, and other filler words like "umms" and "ahhs", "like" and "y'know".

Their family had the "actually" epidemic so badly that they agreed to bust each other every time it was said...... But, then if it was said. It became "actually day", and then the whole family could say it as much as they wanted! Fun.

We really start to notice what we say when the kids started modeling after us.

Just remember: Friends don't let friends call it Frisco!

UM is not a word

My 5 year old girl explains, politely, to adults, "Excuse me. Um is not a word.".

We had explained this to Eliana after she came back from my mother's house "Um-ing" like crazy! My mother is wonderful, but has a chronic "Um" infection. I really didn't want my daughter to catch it.

Ever have to listen to a long winded, incessant "ummer's" message on your answering machine?!! Egads!

What really blows my mind are the professional speakers who get away with this! Radio personalities, audio and video podcasters....

My favorite is when the UM is more pronounced than the normal speech volume..... Somebody, provide some feedback for these folks....!

I'm not saying I'm "Holier than Thou"...... my speech fillers have only morphed into "Uhhs" and "Ehhs" ..... Much more sophisticated!

Suzanne and I have recently progressed into using the intensifier, "actually" in every other sentence..... Whew, that's a tough one to kick!

Intensifier?? Is that what that is? .... Shucks, now I have to go look it up. Time to catch up on some episodes of Grammar Girl....

What's your speech habit that needs some "examination" ..... C'mon, now... You've gotta have something.

I had to break myself of "aints" again, a while back!!! I'm not sure how those slipped in... Well, .... Yes, I do..... It was from being around some folks that use it, even in jest... Not that I'm "better than all that", but, well... I'm just not wanting any of my parts of speech to be a distraction.

Sometimes I catch myself saying a whole lot of nothin'!

I've had to turn off the radio, at times, because all I can hear is the exaggerated "Ums" and I can no longer focus on the message! ....makes me crazy! I think I may have a problem.

Blecchh, I just started to look at my writing! Issues abound. One thing at a time, please.