known to those of us who actually know English as "ancestors". snarl.
Or at least antecedents, which is closer to descendents, if they really gotta be.
I honestly think a lot of it is newer generations losing touch with the phrases and what parts of daily life they came out of. Allowing someone "free rein" refers to horses, of course, as does "reining in" your expectations. To "reign over" is a different thing altogether, but younger people don't have that knowledge, and honestly, I think it's natural language creep.
Words really don't mean the same as they did 50 years ago. The meanings change as relevance changes. And of course, I can't think of any good examples right now.
I will throw my body over the line for "eyes rolling in the back of her head," instead of "eyes rolled back (or up) in her head," though. Competely different thing, really.
There was that one episode of Angel where Cordelia COULD have eyes rolling in the back of her head ... but I digress.
See, I'm down with the idea of language creep, but "rein" and "reign", to me, is incorrect, not lazy. Different words!
Um... I have Word Usage Issues.
I think it's natural language creep.
They'll take the proper usage of rein/reign from my cold dead fingers!
::high-fives connie neil::
Not to rain on your parade, he he, but I've seen rein/reign AND rain used interchangeably. bah! People worry about American children not being able to speak a foreign language? teach them ... um, English ... first!
I saw somebody use reign where they meant "rein" sometime in the past 24 hours. (Talking about "reigning something in" . . .sigh.)
Half the time when I screw up usage, it's a brain fart. I'll know the difference, but the fingers pick something else. I screw up ancestors and descendants ALL THE TIME without meaning to. I know the difference, given half a second. It's as if they share the same cell or whatever and there's a chance the wrong one will make it all the way out before the half-second elapses.
I put it in the same category as the brain farts that make me forget common words. Like canvas, last night.
