Fridge/Frig/what in US? HELP! QUICK! - Page 2

Cloud · 05-29-2010, 08:30 AM

I contest that, because "fridge" is a logical shortening of refrigerator. I still call it the icebox sometimes, 'cause that's what my parents called it often. But I'm most likely to simply call it the refrigerator. Said really fast!

ZenGum · 05-29-2010, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud

I contest that, because "fridge" is a logical shortening of refrigerator.

I mostly agree ... but where does the D come from?

Cloud · 05-29-2010, 07:45 PM

well, not from Guardian Frigerator Company. from pronunciation?

HungLikeJesus · 05-29-2010, 07:58 PM

From fridgid?

wolf · 05-30-2010, 01:17 PM

Fridge, with a consonant pair indicates a "short" i pronunciation.

Frige, single consonant followed by the silent e would be "long" i. Fr-eye-ge. (to rhyme with fries)

Glinda · 05-30-2010, 01:34 PM

I think the main problem here is that America is full of people who have no clue how to spell. "Frig" is their way of spelling "fridge."

As for the "d" - there seems to be a legitimate spelling rule:

Quote:

Why is there a "d" in "fridge", but not in "refrigerator" or "refrigerate"?

What happens is this: when you shorten "refrigerator" to the one-syllable "fridge" you move the "g" from the beginning of a syllable (re-fri-ger...) to the END of one.

In English, g is often "soft" (sounding like "j") at the beginning of a syllable, before e, i or y (germ, "giraffe, gyrate).

But at the END of a syllable/word it doesn't quite work that way. G all by itself at the end is always treated as "hard" --as in rig, bag...

OR when you DO find a "soft g" sound closing a word it is followed by e, AND the preceding vowel is LONG. For example: age, page, etc.

So, by English spelling conventions, "frig" would rhyme with "rig" and "frige" would rhyme with "OBLIGE"

The way English usually solves this problem -- when there is a g at the end of a syllable/word after a SHORT vowel, you write in the "d" --to represent a sound which is already actually part of the 'soft g sound'. There are many examples of this: badge, ridge, ledge, lodge, budge

(If the adding of a D seems odd, notice that j/soft g is actually not one sound, but a combination of two: d + 'zh'; a related sound, only not using the voice is the combination t + sh, which we commonly represent with "ch". 'zh', if it looks odd, is simply the "voiced" version of "sh". It is the sound made by the Z in "azure")

Actually, I believe the REAL problem here stems from the different ORIGINS of two sets of words. The words ending with "-dge" are generally of Old English lineage, whereas the final (-ge) are from Latin, mostly through French. So although "refrigerator" comes from a Latin word, "fridge" accomodates itself to the common pattern used for the 'original English' forms.

----------------

A little overkill (sorry!)

The "rules" above seem to work pretty well when the syllable we're considering is ACCENTED. When it loses the accent, things may seem more confusing.

Thus there are, in fact, -age words in which the "a" is not long. But neither is it an accented short vowel (as in "badge")! Instead, the vowel has ended up in an UN-accented syllable where it is scarcely pronounced at all. Example: garbage, adage, manage, pillage. (Not surprisingly, these are largely words borrowed from Latin, mostly through French into Middle English.)

Then there is "garage". Of course, English speakers can't even agree on how to pronounce it! Dialects differ on the vowel sound, on which syllable to accent, and often on whether the final g is a "j" or "zh" sound . (In this case I prefer the "zh" as befits its French origin.)

Huh. Who knew?

Flint · 05-30-2010, 01:58 PM

Fridge.

Aliantha · 05-31-2010, 03:02 AM

Everyone spells it Fridge over here.

An ex of mine used to sing a drinking song that had the line "friggin' in the riggin'", which I guess suggested sailors doing it boy style.

Spexxvet · 06-02-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Could Frig frig Freya's icebox?

No, she's frigid.

DanaC · 06-06-2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Everyone spells it Fridge over here.

An ex of mine used to sing a drinking song that had the line "friggin' in the riggin'", which I guess suggested sailors doing it boy style.

lessee...if i can remember this one without googling...

friggin in the riggin,
Friggin in the riggin,
Friggin iiiiiiiiiiiin the riggin,
'cause there's frig all else to do.

Now am gonna google it and see...

casimendocina · 06-03-2010, 07:04 AM

Definitely not overkill on the spelling rules. Love it! If only the placement of accents in Spanish was that comprehensible.

Cloud · 06-06-2010, 12:31 AM

Why are you mad?

BigV · 06-06-2010, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud

Why are you mad?

Minus the "anger" represented by the face of the smiley between the "digital penetrators". "THAT" anger.

casimendocina · 06-06-2010, 05:33 AM

Is that...Why, are you mad?

OR

Why are you mad?

(yes, I know, I know, completely unnecessary and not even particularly intelligent pedantry)

Aliantha · 06-06-2010, 06:03 AM

Either way, I'm keen to know the answer. lol

05-29-2010, 08:30 AM	#1
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	I contest that, because "fridge" is a logical shortening of refrigerator. I still call it the icebox sometimes, 'cause that's what my parents called it often. But I'm most likely to simply call it the refrigerator. Said really fast! __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

05-29-2010, 07:45 PM	#3
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	well, not from Guardian Frigerator Company. from pronunciation? __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

05-29-2010, 07:58 PM	#4
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	From fridgid? __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

05-30-2010, 01:17 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Fridge, with a consonant pair indicates a "short" i pronunciation. Frige, single consonant followed by the silent e would be "long" i. Fr-eye-ge. (to rhyme with fries) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

05-30-2010, 01:58 PM	#7
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Fridge. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

05-31-2010, 03:02 AM	#8
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Everyone spells it Fridge over here. An ex of mine used to sing a drinking song that had the line "friggin' in the riggin'", which I guess suggested sailors doing it boy style. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

06-03-2010, 07:04 AM	#11
casimendocina Professor Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,622	Definitely not overkill on the spelling rules. Love it! If only the placement of accents in Spanish was that comprehensible.

06-06-2010, 12:31 AM	#12
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	Why are you mad? __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

06-06-2010, 05:33 AM	#14
casimendocina Professor Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,622	Is that...Why, are you mad? OR Why are you mad? (yes, I know, I know, completely unnecessary and not even particularly intelligent pedantry)

06-06-2010, 06:03 AM	#15
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Either way, I'm keen to know the answer. lol __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

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