Comments on: Hem and Haw http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JH http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/comment-page-1/#comment-40239 JH Thu, 31 May 2012 12:12:58 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/07/hem-and-haw/#comment-40239 obama 'hems' quite a bit. obama ‘hems’ quite a bit.

]]> By: Norbert http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/comment-page-1/#comment-28817 Norbert Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:31:59 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/07/hem-and-haw/#comment-28817 According to my mother, in Germany when you finished the first grade it was expected that you could read the newspaper. After the 8th grade you either start as an apprentice to learn a trade (can include class instruction), go to a middle school (equivalent to a 2 year college) or go to the "Uni". My mom stated working at 16 in the Post Office in Nuremberg and her German, along with her English vocabulary, is still pretty good at 88. People seem to think education and intelligence are synonymous. Do a Google search of 'what 8th-graders were expected to know in 1910' in the U.S. - you may be a little surprised. According to my mother, in Germany when you finished the first grade it was expected that you could read the newspaper. After the 8th grade you either start as an apprentice to learn a trade (can include class instruction), go to a middle school (equivalent to a 2 year college) or go to the “Uni”. My mom stated working at 16 in the Post Office in Nuremberg and her German, along with her English vocabulary, is still pretty good at 88.

People seem to think education and intelligence are synonymous. Do a Google search of ‘what 8th-graders were expected to know in 1910′ in the U.S. – you may be a little surprised.

]]> By: Joy Fisher http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/comment-page-1/#comment-24689 Joy Fisher Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:16:05 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/07/hem-and-haw/#comment-24689 How old is the phrase "truer words were never spoken"? How old is the phrase “truer words were never spoken”?

]]> By: JILL KELSEY http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/comment-page-1/#comment-21739 JILL KELSEY Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:39:55 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/07/hem-and-haw/#comment-21739 I love your site, and am in awe of how you find out the answers to such obscure info. My mother and father, bothe born in 1910, and of low income, low education working class families, had very good vocabularies, and it makes me wonder how they learned to speak so well. Hemming and hawing was an expression used occassionally in our home, and I had no troubles Googling it, finding your site, and finding out exactly what I wanted to know. Dad was German, and Mom was Swiss/German. Dad finished 8th grade and Mom, one year of high school. I love your site, and am in awe of how you find out the answers to such obscure info. My mother and father, bothe born in 1910, and of low income, low education working class families, had very good vocabularies, and it makes me wonder how they learned to speak so well. Hemming and hawing was an expression used occassionally in our home, and I had no troubles Googling it, finding your site, and finding out exactly what I wanted to know. Dad was German, and Mom was Swiss/German. Dad finished 8th grade and Mom, one year of high school.

]]> By: Rev. B. R. Jones http://www.word-detective.com/2008/10/hem-and-haw/comment-page-1/#comment-1963 Rev. B. R. Jones Thu, 14 May 2009 06:09:57 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/07/hem-and-haw/#comment-1963 Your site was so helpful!!! I thought the expression I looked up was some colloquialism from my neck of the woods in East Texas. I will probably be back... soon! Your site was so helpful!!! I thought the expression I looked up was some colloquialism from my neck of the woods in East Texas. I will probably be back… soon!

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