When did bought and brought become interchangeable?

[Prissyknickers]

Has anyone else noticed this? It drives me crazy.

[TheFallenNinja]

It all started when correcting people was deemed mean. Probably on the same day the meek inherited the earth.

[SubliminalMassaging]

It has never been interchangeable, it's just that some people don't listen/read properly and confuse the two. It irritates me no end, but I am told I must just get over it, and it doesn't really matter as language is 'fluid' apparently.

The difference between lend and borrow seems to confuse some people too. And many, many more.

[Trazzletoes]

They're not they're not they're not they're not.

Some people genuinely don't know, though, and some people struggle with the "brou" sound.

[Cooroo]

Language is fluid of course. But that's no excuse for getting stuff wrong!

[SubliminalMassaging]

Exactly! the 'but language is fluid and evolves' thing seems to be a get out clause for all sorts of shoddy shite.

[Bunbaker]

It is just wrong and bad grammar, as is borrow and lend the wrong way round, learning and teaching the wrong way round and using the apostrophe for plurals. I work in publications and have spent too many years proofreading to just be able to ignore anything that has been badly spelled or written grammatically incorrectly. (she says, hurriedly re-reading this post)

[Relaxedandhappyperson]

THEY'RE NOT!

Lots of people don't know the difference, but then lots of people don't know their arse from their elbow. It doesn't make the two interchangeable.

[JumpingJackSprat]

it amused me no end that an ex friend managed to get an english degree but still doesnt know the difference between brought and bought. its one of my biggest pedantic bugbears.

[Bunbaker]

Oh, and of instead of have really annoys me.

[PrincessFlirtyPants]

JumpingJackSprat My SIL is an English teacher but still manages to say "it was the most nicest day ever"

[OnaPromise]

People have always mixed these two words up haven't they? I don't think it is anything new. Although where I live, people don't even say 'brought', they say 'brung'.

[Bunbaker]

And people who say haitch instead of aitch for the letter H.

[JessieMcJessie]

Seriously? I've never heard or read this. So people might say "I brought him an ice cream"? How would you know if they meant purchased for him or carried over to him?

Is this yet another thing driven by the fact that English people ( as opposed to Scots like me) don't pronounce a lot of "r"s so they are starting to become optional?

[WMittens]

Ask them when was the last time they went to bing and bruy sale.