At end of the day, phrase's overuse lessens its impact

By Nathan Bierma
"On Language"
Chicago Tribune
January 25, 2006

Readers write in to inquire or complain, often seeking firm rules in a language that resists stability.

Q. Why is it suddenly a requirement for anyone attempting to sound intelligent to use the phrase, "at the end of the day"? At the end of the day, I find it produces the opposite effect.

-- John Marcet, Naperville

A. I must be in the minority -- I like "at the end of the day" much better than its banal predecessor, "when all is said and done." When, exactly, is all said and done? "At the end of the day" reflects the fact that we tend to make summary judgments when the day is done -- on the way home from work or before falling asleep -- and those judgments have a broader scope than when we're in the middle of our daily duties.

But as with any phrase, overuse saps its impact.

Q. One word that really bothers me is the word "at," in "Where did you park your car at?" I was kidding my wife and said, `Never write a sentence that ends with at.'

-- Herman Fasnacht, Pontiac, Ill.

A. This use of "at" is informal and widely condemned, but I detect a subtle nuance and purpose in it. Ending a question with "at" indicates that the speaker expects the answer to be a particular location. I've never heard, "Where is the loyalty at?" But I do hear, "Where is he at?" The speaker may even expect the answer to begin with the same word: "At the mall."

I ran my theory past linguist Carmen Fought of Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., who said, after generating some examples, "the pattern does seem to hold." No one, she observes, says, "Where's the logic at in that?" but they do say, "Where's your sister at?" So ending with "at" is hardly standard English, but it's probably not just careless; that "at" may have a linguistic function.

Q. Have you already addressed the problem of the incorrect use of "lie" and "lay"? "Lay" needs an object ("The child will lay down the book"). "Lie" means to assume a horizontal position. This is never used correctly on TV. Now I'm going to lay down my pen and lie down to rest.

-- Margie Watt, Olympia Fields

A. The reason this distinction is so hard to enforce is that "lay" and "lie" are tangled to begin with -- "lay" is both its own verb and the past tense of the verb "lie," and "lay" essentially means "lie" (in connotation or idiom) in "Now I lay me down to sleep."

It's natural for "lay" to merge with "lie" even more. In fact, The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style says, "For many ... expressions, nonstandard `lay' is actually more common than standard `lie,' and in many contexts `lay' sounds more natural."

But the guide concludes that in written English, "Copyediting tradition demands that the two verbs be kept distinct and used according to the prescribed rules."

Q. Is the distinction between "healthy" and "healthful" obsolete? Is the latter even a word in the English language anymore? All the foods on grocery store shelves are "healthy," and I'm glad for them that they are not sick. I feel like a pedant when I use "healthful."

-- Rhita Lippitz, Evanston

A. If there ever was a distinction, it was already ignored in Richard Huloet's Latin-to-English glossary in 1552, which listed "healthye or healthfull" as equivalent, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The American Heritage Guide says, "Certainly, both `healthy' and `healthful' must be considered standard in describing that which promotes health."

Q. My dictionary says that a "pom-pom" is an anti-aircraft gun used on ships during World War II. A "pom-pon" is an ornamental tuft or ball of yarn. (Such as used by cheerleaders.) Every recent reference to cheerleading that I have seen has used the word "pom-pom." I would appreciate your comments.

-- Carol Natke, LaGrange Park

A. Most of the dictionaries I checked say that "pom-pom" and "pom-pon" are interchangeable (in addition to the "anti-aircraft gun" definition for "pom-pom," for which "pom-pon" is not an alternative).

Even if there were a distinction, the similarity of the M and N sounds would all but ensure that it wouldn't last. "The interchangeability of `m' and `n' sounds is common in many languages," Grant Barrett, author of the forthcoming book The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English, writes by e-mail.

Barrett says it's conceivable "that the changes in the way English is spoken have made `pom-pom' more common than `pom-pon' because it feels more right on the tongue or is easier to say."

Contact Nathan Bierma at onlanguage@gmail.com.

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