It's "dragged" not "drug"

[wren_kt7oz]

I'll be posting something more interesting later today, but for now ...

Unless somewhere along the way, Americans have once more re-written the grammar books, the past participle of "to drag" is not, has never been, and hopefully never will be "drug".

It's "dragged". Dragged.

As in ...

The dog dragged the filthy towel across the clean floor.

He had been feeling depressed and had to be dragged out to dinner by his friends.

I had dragged myself reluctantly out of bed and was in the shower before I remembered it was a holiday.

She dragged her kids around the supermarket with her because she couldn't find a baby sitter.

The day dragged on and on and on. Mondays always did.

dragged

Not drug.

A drug is something I want to reach for every time I find an otherwise literate writer using the word as the past participle of a perfectly normal verb.

Think about it ... you wouldn't say that the curtains "sug" in the middle.

Or that she went out shopping and "bug" three great bargains.

Or that you'd "snug" your last pair of nylons on that damned old chair.

The curtains "sagged", she "bagged", and you "snagged" your nylons.

So why on earth would you have "drug" yourself out of bed?

PLEASE people, please.

Dragged.

Okay?

Comments

[smartwomn1.livejournal.com]

We've been waiting TWO weeks to hear from you, and we get a grammer lesson!

Enough already. Give us the good stuff!

[wren-kt7oz.livejournal.com]

Lol ... sorry ...

I've been catching up on some of the fics I missed while I was away and I came across three at least that used "drug" instead of "dragged" and it's just driving me nuts.

Good stuff to come later today, I promise.

::g::

[mdlaw.livejournal.com]

I sorry; did I miss something? Cause you certainly "drug" that post out. heheheheheheehe m

[wren-kt7oz.livejournal.com]

It seems lately that every second fic I read, the writer used "drug" as the past tense of "to drag" and it's simply driving me nuts.

I'm scared that someone re-wrote the grammar books while I wasn't looking.

It's been an increasing trend over the past few months, and finally it just got to me.

Sorry about that. But if you can't vent in your lj ... well, really, where can you? ::g::

[mdlaw.livejournal.com]

hehehe vent away, I just meant I didn't know which fic you meant. I guess I don't always read as closely as I should.
m

[wren-kt7oz.livejournal.com]

example (from yoursweater - a writer I really enjoy which makes it worse):

By the time Brian drug himself out of the cold November air

And guess what ? he wasn't getting high on the air of Pittsburgh!

But I find them all the time.

::gibber::

[fionat.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it must be an Americanism (tongue in cheek), because even some of the really good fic writers tend to use drug instead of dragged. I agree, it's really annoying!

[wren-kt7oz.livejournal.com]

Yes ... that's actually the annoying part.

If it were bad writers doing it, I'd just stop reading them. lol

[stillife.livejournal.com]

It's exclusively a Southern thing, as far as I can tell. Regional dialects in fan fic can be annoying. I'd have to include English and Australian slang in that category, as well! I've seen plenty of instances of "arse" instead of "ass" and it always grates on my nerves.

[wren-kt7oz.livejournal.com]

Ah, so that's it. I hadn't realised that it was a regional thing. That makes more sense to me now.

Although it doesn't explain why it's suddenly become so prevalent in the fics I'm reading, unless a lot of writers from the south have started writing in the last few months. Not sure.

Laughed about the 'arse'/'ass' thing, because with me it's the other way. I always find it odd that Americans are so ... well, whatever it is, that they've actually changed the word so it isn't so offensive. However, as it is the US version that I write about, I do try to remember.

I actually have a gallery of words that I know that I have to check every time - things like "car park" instead of "parking lot" or "parking garage", and "bench" instead of "counter".

And yes, "arse" instead of "ass".

Before I post a fic I always run a check - and my spell check is set to US spelling as well. lol

But if there are any of those sort of instances in my fics, I'm always grateful when people point them out so I can add them to the list. :)

Because, I agree, it's annoying.