Champing Neandertals
I recently read the origin of the phrase, “chomping at the bit.” I always assumed it came from an impatient horse gnawing at the metal between its teeth, and I was correct about that. However, the word isn’t “chomping,” it’s “champing,” which refers to a similar but specific behavior of a horse.
Along the same lines, my college anthropology instructor taught us the correct pronunciation of “Neanderthal” is actually “NeanderTAL,” with a silent “h.”
My conundrum, then, is this: Do I say these kinds of words or phrases “correctly,” or do I say them the way that’s more commonly known? I have found when I say, “champing at the bit,” the listener challenges me, and I’m forced to explain in a curmudgeony way, “No, see, it’s really champing” and end up sounding like a pompous ass. But if I say it the incorrect way, am I then contributing to the DOWNFALL OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE?
What’s more desirable, being right or being understood?
2 Comments
Keri on February 19th, 2009
Okay. Here’s what I love:
1) You have access to the editing features of this blog and could have edited this post, but chose instead to point out I had a typo in the comments. Where’s the teamwork, dude?
2) YOU MISSPELLED “POMPOUS” THE FIRST TIME YOU POSTED THIS COMMENT. (Yes, I received notification of your comment via email, so I TOTALLY saw it before you deleted it. Ha, ha.)
In any case, I have made the correction. Thank you for pointing it out. Publicly.
Rian on February 19th, 2009
Definitely being right. On that note – it’s “a pompous ass”, not “an pompous ass.”