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Original poster

To wonder why so many people are misusing the word "brought" lately?

58 replies

VioletBam · 15/06/2016 16:26

I've been on MN and other forums for about ten years now. I've never before seen SO many people write "I brought a new top..." or "I went to Tesco and brought one of their kettles." etc...instead of bought.

It's a really hard mistake to make in my opinion!

Brought....bought....totally different!

OP posts:
AppleSetsSail · 15/06/2016 17:21

It's not an Americanism.

KateLivesInEngland · 15/06/2016 17:37

Pohara I couldn't be friends with such a person! That would make me hide every one of her posts!

Theoretician · 15/06/2016 17:43

I thought this thread was going to be about "brung." I'd never thought about it until DD aged 5 used it, and for a moment I thought it might be a valid word, despite never having used it myself. I had to look it up to confirm that although it is in the dictionary, there is no context in which "brought" isn't the more correct alternative.

Apparently it is quite common for children up to the age of 5 to think it is a valid word, even if their parents don't use it.

Sing, sang, sung.
Ring, rang, rung.
Bring, brang, brung.

(Apparently "brang" has also been used in some parts of the world, but not as many as "brung".)

steff13 · 15/06/2016 17:43

It's not an Americanism.

Nope. I've only every seen someone use brought instead of bought on MN. I've never heard anyone actually say it, so I've never been sure if it was a typo or not.

lazyarse123 · 15/06/2016 17:48

None of us are perfect but if I see of instead of have once more I may have to throw this laptop through the window, and I don't want to be anyone's hun.

PortiaCastis · 15/06/2016 17:51

Calling people fuckwits because they make a mistake is awful. Nobody is perfect and if they think they are then they're deluded.

Moanranger · 15/06/2016 18:06

One of my staff -with an advanced degree!- sent me an email entitled -work I have bought in - and then used the same wording in the body of the text.
I responded with , " the word is brought, not bought" Why is this happening now? I am most brutal at work, re grammar & punctuation, but I think staff do this to annoy me. I am unforgiving & hate malaprops. My personal least favourite is discrete for discreet. Argh!

BossWitch · 15/06/2016 18:48

Not claiming to be perfect! I can't do my times tables. No good reason, just shit at them. Would happily accept the general judgement that people who can't do times tables are fuck wits.

I'm not calling a specific person that, as that would be cruel and probably pointless. But I have the right to think (and express that thought in general terms, not directed at a specific person) such a thing.

oldlaundbooth · 15/06/2016 18:49

Surely its predictive text gone wrong?

oldlaundbooth · 15/06/2016 18:50

I have loose trousers.

I am losing weight.

RiverTam · 15/06/2016 18:57

So you think people with dyslexia are fuckwits, Boss? Or people who, through no fault of their own, had very little education?

No 'reason' you have provided can justify your original post.

SinglePringle · 15/06/2016 19:06

It's the misuse of 'bring' that kills me.

For example:

'Should I bring my child with me to my friends wedding?'. I can't quite put my finger on the tense that makes it incorrect but I know it should be 'should I take my child with me...'. Ditto 'My DH is going to bring me to my mums at the weekend'. No. He. Is. Not... He. Is. Going. To. TAKE. You.

Someone more learned than me will hopefully explain the use of tenses!

BossWitch · 15/06/2016 20:52

Dyslexia wouldn't result in a confusion over two distinct words.

Why aren't we allowed to think people are stupid for not knowing / understanding a simple fact (assuming absence of SN)? Is everyone now a special snow flake whose every failing is a unique part of their perfect whole? Are we all just 'differently clever' now?

Again, I stress that I would never call a person stupid - or anything more colourful - directly. It would hurt their feelingsite and serve no purpose. But yes, I am allowed to think that if, as a reasonably well educated, native speaker with no SN (like the work colleague a pp referred to up thread) you cannot be bothered to understand the difference between brought and bought, you are being a fuck wit.

BossWitch · 15/06/2016 20:53

*feelings.

Autocorrect is such a fuck wit.

WitchyPoos · 15/06/2016 20:56

At work the self scans used to say at the start of scanning, "have you brought your own bags?" (It used to ask so it could weigh your bag)
And they always say, no I'm not buying bags why does it always ask you that I've bought my own"

Or they click yes on the question then ask for a bag...... I'm thinking you've bought a bag from me not brought one.

Loads of costumers did one or the other. It's an irrational pet hate of mine

redexpat · 15/06/2016 21:34

I've noticed recently on MN that lots of people 'done' various things.

Egosumquisum · 15/06/2016 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Andylion · 15/06/2016 22:04

The most common error on mn is "Me and my OH went to the shops...."
It's everywhere. My friend (in real life) does this all the time. She makes no other errors, has some post-secondary education and is a voracious reader. I don't know where it comes from.

Original poster
VioletBam · 17/06/2016 09:23

Single I'm like you and usually just "know" which word is correct.

Bring is correct in the following sentence.

"When you come, you should bring Tara...she's so weird and I love laughing at her!"

OP posts:
bbcessex · 17/06/2016 09:35

Yes!!! Agree.. and what's with all those that 'defiantly' agree these days too?

Luckyyem · 17/06/2016 09:41

My spelling is far from perfect but the two that really get me are, aloud as in 'please delete if not aloud' - have seen it loads on Facebook. And alot Hmm

penisbeakerlaminateflooringetc · 17/06/2016 09:41

I local cafe advertised that you'd get a free cup of tea or coffee with every slice of cake brought. I was incredibly tempted to bring my own cake and ask for the free coffee! I didn't though, but I hope someone else did.

It does really annoy me, almost as much as 'would of', but I'm not allowed to point it out as I'm foreign! Wink

bakeoffcake · 17/06/2016 09:42

Language changes. Get used to it.

You must have never listened to any Shakespeare if you think language should stay the same.

Osirus · 17/06/2016 09:46

BossWitch - this earlier post is full of grammar mistakes:

They usually are, yes. But I wouldn't be upset if someone thought I was thick based on my inability to use the English language. I'm an adult, I've had access to education, if I can't distinguish between two different words I am either stupid or lazy or both. Or auto correct happened.

BasinHaircut · 17/06/2016 09:48

Brought and bought do seem to be misused quite a lot and it always irritates me too.

I don't think it's a case of lack of education as I see it in a range of people.

I know I am guilty of the misuse of other words though, for example I will ask DH to 'itch' my back for me, instead of scratch and it drives him barmy. But I sometimes do it on purpose because he says 'acrossed' instead of across and I hate it!

MIL says nothink and somethink too and it drives me mad, especially because DS is picking it up now!!!