I share your dislike and frustration with the self-appointed language police.

With Royal approval, the first full English Bible ever printed (the Coverdale Bible) Matthew 7:7 was written as “Axe and it shall be given you.” Today, the word “ake” and “aks” is still used in many parts of the British Isles, as well as Appalachia and the rural south. In a language contest between “ask” and “aks”, the winner would be “aks” because it is closest to the original.

The spelling of thar, thaire, ther, yar, theer, thiar, thore and there are all correct. The spelling of thayir, thayre, yaire, there and there are also all correct. The word they’re means they are. Using they’re when you mean “they were” is wrong.

Having moved 26 times as a child, and 15 times more as an adult, I have to be careful, or I will automatically switch to the language used by people I am talking with. I am not alone. Here in Kentucky, people switch to my use of language so fast, it makes my head spin. So far, I’ve detected three distinct uses of language – all quite correct.

In California and New York people corrected my spelling constantly. But here in Kentucky I’ve been spared the need to correct the correctors. Kentuckians are so comfortable with original, or pure English, my spelling has not been corrected even once.

Likewise, the exact same saying in one part of the country, means the opposite somewhere else. “Bless your sweet heart” is a good example – nice in one place and an insult somewhere else.

If people are going to travel, or communicate with people in other parts of the world, they need to sharpen their own spoken and written language skills first.

Expecting people, who often speak several languages and/or dialects, to translate your words for you, can get you into trouble. My motto is, Check myself first.