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

[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.