Mental Monday: Hey, Buddy (Holly) — You Got That All Wrong
Back in 1957, Buddy Holly released a song called “Everyday,” which was the flip side to “Peggy Sue.” It’s a terrific song, and I also love the version Bobby Vee did (the teen who took over the Buddy Holly “sound” after the plane crash). The one thing I don’t like is the title — because it should be “Every Day,” not “Everyday.” Why? Look at the lyrics:
Everyday, it’s a-gettin’ closer,
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster.
Love like yours will surely come my way.
A-hey, a-hey hey.
Interestingly enough, the spell-check feature in Word just underlined “Everyday” as a mistake (I always type these up in Word first). So why is it a mistake? Because “everyday” is an adjective meaning “routine.” The correct version, “every day,” means “each day,” as in “Every day, it’s a-gettin’ closer” — every single day/each day, he’s getting closer and closer to a relationship with the girl he loves.
So when do you use “everyday”? When you’re speaking about the mundane, the routine, the ordinary, as in “everyday traffic.” You use it as an adjective to describe a noun: everyday life; an everyday situation. To recap the difference:
— I want you to take out the trash every day.
— Taking the trash out is an everyday chore for him.
Now, to quote Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, “I’m just gettin’ warmed up.” For each of the following combinations, the trick is to recognize the difference between the versions:
First up: any more versus anymore = additional versus currently/nowadays:
— I don’t want you giving me any more trouble.
— He felt threatened, so he doesn’t come to my class anymore.
Next: any one versus anyone = any single member of the group versus anybody:
— Does any one of your friends happen to have snow pants you can borrow?
— Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? (Thank you, Ben Stein.)
And: any time versus anytime = at any particular moment versus whenever:
— Did he at any time say that he wanted to kill his wife?
— Please feel free to contact me anytime.
Then: any way versus anyway = in any manner versus regardless:
— Is there any way you could give me a ride home?
— It doesn’t matter because he’s not going anyway.
Followed by: every one versus everyone = each one versus all/everybody:
— Every one of these answers is wrong.
— Did you bring enough food for everyone?
Also: no body versus nobody = no individual/group versus no one:
— They found clothing and jewelry but no body.
— Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.
Along with: none versus none (WHAT?) = not one single versus no amount:
— Believe me: None of the dresses fits her comfortably. (She tried every single one.)
— None of the costs are passed on to the client.
Not to mention: some day versus someday = on a particular day versus eventually:
— Some day next week, I’ll take you to lunch.
— I plan on getting a new car someday.
Finally: some time versus sometime = a moment versus whenever:
— He gave me some time to cool down.
— You can pay me back sometime next month.
Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Why, yes…it’s time to end this week’s Mental Monday. Now for some Chicago Transit Authority…
Karen A. Hernandez, Editorial Manager at Wunderman L.A. WundermanLA.com
On Twitter: @Goofreader and @WundermanLA
