Donate SIGN UP

The 'e' after the 's' word

Avatar Image
overdale | 18:56 Sat 10th Feb 2007 | Phrases & Sayings
7 Answers
I recently asked the question who invented the 's' word as regards to excrement and I got my answer but know I would like to know who put the 'e' at the end
  
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 7 of 7rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by overdale. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Please see my answer re 'fool' above as regards this idea you have about "invention". The 'e' version you are asking about now is just one of the many spelling variations that existed in past times. Here are some of them...scitte, schit, schyt, scheitt, scheitte.
To help with any future such questions, try to bear in mind that 5/600 years ago, spelling in English was far from standardised...different writers just spelt things as seemed best to them. Some of these caught on and some didn't...simple as that. Nobody ever sat down and thought, "I know! I'll stick an extra letter on here and see what happens!"
pronunciation is involved as well as spelling, though, QM. My slang dictionary says that up until the 1990s it was mostly seen as regional, and in written dialogue often attributed to Irish characters. Then it seems to have gone nationwide, often replacing the version without the E. No reason why, apparently, just a word that people suddenly started using (and not any one person).
The extra 'e' is a version of a word device called 'hypercorrection', which means that the speaker or writer tries (or pretends) to be more posh than they are, thereby avoiding uttering the actual swear word. It isn't just used for swear words...that's why some people add an 'haitch' to the beginning of words when it's not necessary, for example pronouncing the H in 'your Honour' instead of just your 'onor'. Most people nowadays use this ironically 'cos it sounds funny, and most people have the level of education to know the correct version.
I don't know but it's my favourite rude word!! I don't like it without the "e"!
Who invented the word "invented" and - until then - as what would this process have been described?
A nursing colleague and I once discussed this issue. We came to the conclusion that fresh excrement had the spelling without the 'e', but when it had dried it had the spelling with the 'e'.
I personally don't think it is a 'rude' word. I find 'rude' words are those I wouldn't even dream of saying in front of my mother. ***** isn't one of them. Don't know where the 'E' came from.

1 to 7 of 7rss feed

Do you know the answer?

The 'e' after the 's' word

Answer Question >>