Hey, Karen...not to hijack this thread too much, but I must confess that I am still learning much about the English language, and I've been teaching for 8 years. English is complicated! I grew up in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, and I am a first generation college graduate (I have a master's degree in English but neither my parents nor my 5 sisters graduated high school). The more educated I become, I discover that I am both appalled and somewhat amazed at the things I didn't know before now. I also find that the various ways people express themselves are what add so much interest and color to life.

My niece told me a few months ago that she spent half an hour writing emails to me because she was nervous about making errors. I told her to RELAX. I notice people's use of the language as a matter of habit--a curiosity that education instills in us all. I'm as prone to mistakes as the next guy when I'm not paying attention (and sometimes even when I am!).

I must say, Cowie, that here in Virginia we say "druel" for "drool" because we pronounce almost everything with an extra syllable!

Christine