Author Topic: Ahold (Read 3734 times)

Brinestone · « **on:** August 23, 2005, 09:19:53 AM »

I recently read a novel where the word ahold was always split into two words. So they would say, "I couldn't get a hold of her." It struck me as strange. This book was well edited. What, I wondered, was wrong with ahold as one word?

I don't really have a good usage dictionary at work (go figure), but www.bartleby.com says that ahold should only be used in conversation and informal writing. My question is, why? What the heck is wrong with this perfectly cromulent word? The suggestion was to say "get hold of" instead, which to me just sounds plain silly.

Any enlightenment you can lend me, Jonathon?

Jonathon · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2005, 09:42:45 AM »

The problem is that it's colloquial and snotty people don't like it. That's about it, really.

Brinestone · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2005, 09:50:40 AM »

But why don't they like it? Is it relatively new?

Jonathon · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2005, 09:54:22 AM »

The OED's earliest date is 1872, and it lists it as colloquial or dialectal. Oh, and it has one more syllable than hold, which means the same thing and came first. That's reason enough for most people.

Brinestone · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2005, 09:56:13 AM »

So when I'm editing, would it be bad not to edit out ahold? I think it's a silly rule, but I don't want to look like a sloppy editor for leaving that word in.

Jonathon · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2005, 10:09:51 AM »

I would split it or delete the a. Personally, I prefer the former.

Brinestone · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2005, 10:23:22 AM »

Huh. Splitting it looks absolutely, painfully wrong to me. Like, "a nother" would if someone wrote that. I wonder why.

Porter · « **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2005, 10:42:30 AM »

I think you should all ways split up words.

AFR · « **Reply #8 on:** August 23, 2005, 11:00:50 AM »

Notme.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2005, 11:35:46 AM »

I would rather read "get hold of" than "get a hold of." The separate words just strike me as weird.

Jonathon · « **Reply #10 on:** August 23, 2005, 11:41:46 AM »

For me it's the opposite. I find "ahold" to be much like "alot" and "awhile."

Brinestone · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2005, 11:44:16 AM »

Hm. But in the sentence, "I kept calling all day, but I never did get ahold of her," ahold has nothing to do with holding. The meaning of ahold has moved past its literal meaning of succeeding in grasping something and now just means what it means. Which is why separating it seems so strange to me, like you're trying to insist on its original meaning when it doesn't mean that anymore.

I mean, I'll admit that "I never did reach her" sounds more professional, but if you're going to use the phrase, why not use the word?

Jonathon · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2005, 11:47:09 AM »

I agree with you for the most part, but the stigma against the spelling remains. I would avoid it if possible.

pooka · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2005, 02:17:44 PM »

I think that "a lot" and "a while" are supposed to be separated too.

I stop myself about 90% of the time from writing "gonna" and "wanna" and especially "wannabe".

Porter · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2005, 02:20:22 PM »

I write "gonna" and "wanna" a lot.

Or, rather, alot.

Jonathon · « **Reply #15 on:** August 23, 2005, 02:20:27 PM »

Quote

I think that "a lot" and "a while" are supposed to be separated too.

That was my point. People often write them and perceive them as one word, but it's like nails on the chalkboard to me.

rivka · « **Reply #16 on:** August 23, 2005, 08:36:58 PM »

Quote

Quote
I think that "a lot" and "a while" are supposed to be separated too.
That was my point. People often write them and perceive them as one word, but it's like nails on the chalkboard to me.

Ditto.

But you use alright, which I have the same reaction to. *shrug*

Jonathon · « **Reply #17 on:** August 24, 2005, 07:54:23 AM »

Yup. I'm consistently inconsistent.

Porter · « **Reply #18 on:** August 24, 2005, 08:05:28 AM »

Except for that one time.