'Drivel' insidiously replaced by 'dribble'.

[sidebirds]

As in (almost gagging as I steel myself to write the phrase): 'talking utter dribble'.

The gaffe appears to derive from complete ignorance of the existence of the word 'drivel', as opposed to a foul attempt to 'update' it. Possibly American. Employed by the over-fifties in Britain, in addition to the expected younger types.

⬆️ Complete ignorance of the existence of the word and/or mishearing of it.

I must admit I haven't heard this. Thankfully.

Oh, I've seen that.
It's very similar to the way people say/write "slither" when they actually mean "sliver".

Well, it’s one of those errors that makes a certain kind of sense, if you associate dribble with baby babble, I suppose?

I mean, it’s not one of the ones that makes me want to punch a wall.

I’m well over fifty and haven’t seen or heard anybody doing this, let alone done it myself.

Echoing a PP, it’s not one that makes me want to punch a wall but it is annoying.
Dribble can be a noun - and if you really squint - sort of a synonym for drivel.

Whereas ‘slither’, being a verb, and in no way linguistically connected to describing ‘a small slice of something’, cannot ever, ever be a synonym for the noun that is ‘sliver’. This is violent-holes-in-plastering territory for me.

Very much dislike slither/sliver.

I think I dislike the dribble thing due to the imagery it conjures 🤢

However, I get a little internal giggle when someone says damp squid instead of squib. As it makes me think of squid that has appeared from nowhere and is very confused to be there 🤣

I'm pretty sure I heard Mary Berry say "slithers of garlic" . I rewound it and that's definitely what it sounded like, whereas the subtitles were correct.

I will join you in wrecking a wall over that one.

Well, I'm going to sound like my father, but here goes - it's because people don't read anymore!

Your father is not wrong.

That's the irony really. So many people spend so much screen time reading, so many videos have subtitles, yet we are becoming less and less able of brain.

my EXH started saying “drizzle” for drivel which he speaks I immediately corrected him 😶

👍🏽

I think what we mean is that nobody is reading real books or newspapers which have been (hopefully) edited and proof read. Subtitles and nonsense written online is often almost criminally incorrect.

And yes I know some books show poor editing and mistakes get through, but not as many as you see online.

Yes I've seen and heard this. I despair!

I agree.

Please don't fall into the ageist trap of insulting the intelligence of the over 50's.

I think they simply meant it is not a young persons trend as they have experienced over fifties also saying this.

Damp Squid was something I remember being picked up & picked at on the IT crowd. Along, if I remember correctly, peddle stool (pedestal) and calling the judge "my love" instead of M'lud.

Correct. Not to mention I am over fifty myself 😧

'Drivel', which derives from a German term, originally meant 'dribble'. But that is no excuse to botch a later English staple.

Oxford English Dictionary entry for the earliest use of the noun in its original meaning (c.1336):

1.
?c1335–
Saliva or mucus running or dripping from the mouth or nose; drool, slaver; dribblings. Now somewhat rare.
?c1335
Moch me anueþ, That my dribildruiþ.
in W. Heuser, Kildare-Gedichte (1904) 170

OED entry for the earliest use of the later meaning (1852):

2.
1852–
Foolish or silly words; nonsense, twaddle.
1852
As it begins with dreams, so it must end in drivel.
J. S. Blackie, On Studying Language 2

Has he ever eaten a lemon drivel cake?

50s. 50s. 50s. No apostrophe, please!

Are greengrocers not allowed on here?