Author Topic: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game  (Read 1062 times)

Jacki

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DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« on: January 20, 2023, 08:45:27 PM »
I missed DRUTHERS. Now I’ve seen the solution I would say I’ve vaguely heard of the word, but should it be classed as a common word? Played by 20 from 266 it wouldn’t seem so with Chihuahua players anyway. Could you please review the status of this word Alan? Thanks
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ridethetalk

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2023, 01:00:45 AM »
I tried druther and got an unknown so didn't even consider druthers...  :-R :-R :-R

I believe it is a contraction/massacre of "I'd rather"...
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Maudland

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2023, 06:21:08 AM »
I’ve never heard of it, even vaguely. I looked it up and it seems to be US slang - so that’s why!

Wibbly Bits

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2023, 12:43:29 PM »
Only ever heard of it in a couple of US films, spoken by slack-jawed yokels. In my book, 'druthers' doesn't even rate being accepted as a rare word.

guyd

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2023, 05:03:12 PM »
Everyday word as far as i am concerned, if I had my druthers it would remain common. Maybe I watched too many American TV shows  as a kid - or read too much Mark Twain.

Ozzyjack

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2023, 05:03:54 PM »
In my book, 'druthers' doesn't even rate being accepted as a rare word.

I'll drink to that.
Regards, Jack

jem01060

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2023, 10:45:06 PM »
To me, the word DRUTHERS is quite common in the US; my laptop dictionary marks it as "North American informal." That seems to be reason enough to omit it, as I infer from ther subtext of more than a few of the comments above. I have no problem with removing all North American informal words, as long as all UK informal words, Australian informal words, New Zealand informal words, and all informal words used in whatever community of native English speakers are likewise removed.

pat

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2023, 03:45:23 AM »
I have no problem with removing all North American informal words, as long as all UK informal words, Australian informal words, New Zealand informal words, and all informal words used in whatever community of native English speakers are likewise removed.

Oo-er.

TRex

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2023, 05:40:18 AM »
To me, the word DRUTHERS is quite common in the US; my laptop dictionary marks it as "North American informal." That seems to be reason enough to omit it, as I infer from ther subtext of more than a few of the comments above. I have no problem with removing all North American informal words, as long as all UK informal words, Australian informal words, New Zealand informal words, and all informal words used in whatever community of native English speakers are likewise removed.

I believe Alan's goal has been to ensure informal words are not classified as 'common' (i.e. as 'rare'). IMO, he has done an excellent job (and of the whole operation of these games!).

cmh

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2023, 06:05:21 AM »
I agree Pat( oo-er indeed!) and TRex. Alan slowly but surely amends anomalies from any part of the world. The joy of Chi is that we gain knowledge of other countries/continents and their coloquialisms.Hopefully it teaches us all to see the differences are actually interesting and positive even if they can be frustrating if you miss out on a rosette. Mind you that NEVER applies to me as a rosette is a dream that never comes true!!





Maudland

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2023, 11:14:32 AM »
I love learning new (and sometimes peculiar) words. And I don’t think any word that exists somewhere in English should be removed. I think the underlying principle is that if it’s only used in one part of the English-speaking world and not known in the rest, then it’s classified as rare. Druthers would seem to be an example, as per its definition.
This only comes up when a word is in a puzzle. People then comment, to establish how well a word is known in different parts of the world. I don’t think there’s a subtext there - just a view re whether a word should be common or rare.

Maudland

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2023, 11:45:00 AM »
Is it even common in the US? Because I don’t think I’ve ever come across it, in US literature, television, film, theatre, etc. plus it’s got a pesky ‘s’. Please make it rare, Alan?!

PJune

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2023, 12:34:01 PM »
I grew up in the US Central states (Kansas, Nebraska).  I often heard the phrase "Given my druthers, I'd ..." and I've probably used it on occasion.  I didn't play it because I didn't think it would be common.

I'd agree that it is a colloquialism, and probably shouldn't be common in Chi; but I also agree that there are a number of British, Australian, NZed phrases that could also be re-classified for that reason.

I'll be posting about word that I have questions about that came up again in the current 10 letter puzzle.  (My syntax is horrible in that statement.)

PJ

lilys field

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2023, 02:27:57 PM »
What does oo-er mean?

(I know I’m going to regret asking this and exposing my dumbness)

guyd

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Re: DRUTHERS in yesterday’s UNDERSHIRT ten letter game
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2023, 03:21:17 PM »
Merriam-Webster:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/druthers


Druther is an alteration of "would rather." "Any way you druther have it, that is the way I druther have it," says Huck to Tom in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, Detective. This example of metanalysis (the shifting of a sound from one element of a phrase to another) had been around for some time in everyday speech when Twain put those words in Huck's mouth. By then, in fact, druthers had already become a plural noun, so Tom could reply, "There ain't any druthers about it, Huck Finn; nobody said anything about druthers." Druthers is a dialectal term.