Slithers instead of slivers?!

[BobbyBiscuits]

Just that really.
Why do people say things like 'oh, there was only a few slithers of meat on my plate'?
They clearly means Slivers. Very small slim skinny pieces. Not slithers, which is is a verb to describe the movement of a snake?
It seems loads of people do it.
How can stop this abomination? 🤣

It is an abomination! 😂

Are you sure they don’t have a listhp? I’ve never heard such a thing!

Makes me imagine the slivers slithering around the plate.

This annoys me too! I hear it and see it a lot.

That would only be the case if such people typed with a lisp; I've seen it written in books far more often than I've heard it in speech.

Agree, it's very annoying.

Same way as people mishear things and write it incorrectly, like would of.

I'm so triggered. I have a digital impediment, why am I being marginalised?

Best way of combatting is to loudly shout SLIVERS! VEE! VEE! YOU ARE NOT A SNAKE!

You are entirely correct OP. Drives me mad.

I’m a pedant but somehow “sliver” sounds pretentious as though one’s saying… “actually all you ignoramuses, THIS is the correct pronunciation”

We say “slither” even though we know it’s incorrect

Actually it’s probably “ignorami”

I honestly can’t see how ‘sliver’ is pretentious. It’s just a word. ‘Slither’ isn’t simply a mispronunciation, it’s a different word. And it’s a verb, not a noun. I’m from Belfast and people get the piss taken out of them regularly for being up their own arses, but I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelash at sliver.

@Funnywonder
haha. Maybe you’re right.

I shall revert to sliver

The little asp slithered across Cleopatra's bosom.
The legless serpent slithered its way out of the Garden of Eden.

Cut us a sliver off that piece of cooked ham, my duck.

Unfortunately, some people are too stupid to realise that slithers and slivers are two different words.

Is it, possibly or partly, due to people having a disinclination to use the 'v' sound in the middle of a word, for fear of it sounding lazy in not sounding the 'th' sound?
Like someone saying "I'm not 'bovvered" instead of 'bothered'?

@Oneearringlost I think I came across “should have”, “would have” and “could have” more than ‘slither’ and ‘sliver’ used incorrectly. I can imagine people pronouncing ‘slither’ as “sliver” because the ‘v’ (like in ‘bovvered’) might be easier to say.

I hate this too.

I saw the opposite in a book recently for the first time - can’t remember the exact wording but it was about wine that ‘slivered’ down the character’s throat.

I think you have a point there.

Also:

lathered instead of slathered

and squashed instead of quashed.

One of my unfavourite mispronunciations. To the extent my children ask if I would like a SLITHER of something just to annoy me.

Is it because it's considered bad form to correct mispronunciation, so those who have correctly heard 'sliver' have assumed it's a case of mispronunciation, not wanted to say anything (at which point they would hopefully find out that sliver was correct) and "corrected" it to slither (wrongly)? I do so hate the trend for allowing incorrect pronunciation in the spirit of virtue signalling inclusivity.

Only read OP (sorry!) but, yes, one of the most excruciating misuses of words - and surprisingly common.

I agree that it’s bad form to correct mispronunciation but I’m not sure that’s linked to virtue signaling or allowing it to slide “in the spirit of inclusivity” ?

I have even seen 'slithers', although not recently, in the foodie section of the Daily Telegraph [fans self while clutching pearls]. If journalists can't even use the correct word, it makes me despair.

@ExitPursuedByAPolarBear why do you agree that it's bad form to correct mispronunciation? Unless you mean 'it's widely held to be bad form, but I don't think it should be?'

It leads to mistakes, which is what this thread is about. Is there a genuine reason not to correct and thus increase knowledge, other than the slight chance you might hurt someone's feelings a bit?