Pleaded v. Pled
My UC-writing-teacher-friend shares:
Hey Patrick,
I regret to inform you that the difference between "pleaded and "pled" is that "pled" is not a word. The past tense/past participle of "plead" is "pleaded." Spell-check says its a word and maybe some dictionaries, but ask the OED and it's a no go. Which is a damn shame because [us] poets love those monosyllabic, loaded words.
Although the OED does not appear to treat "pleaded" in its relationship to the noun, "pleading" (as in a complaint), that is also not the sense in which "pled" is used in legal jargon. When we say, "Plaintiff pled y," what we mean is "plaintiff said in the complaint that y." We are using the term in the OED's past participle sense, as it relates to "plead," or "ask," or, "beg."
Armen suggests the same conclusion for the following reason: Think of it as the difference between "I couldn't care less" and "I could care less."
That's an argument I couldn't understand less, but maybe he was right after all?
You tell me.
Hey Patrick,
I regret to inform you that the difference between "pleaded and "pled" is that "pled" is not a word. The past tense/past participle of "plead" is "pleaded." Spell-check says its a word and maybe some dictionaries, but ask the OED and it's a no go. Which is a damn shame because [us] poets love those monosyllabic, loaded words.
Although the OED does not appear to treat "pleaded" in its relationship to the noun, "pleading" (as in a complaint), that is also not the sense in which "pled" is used in legal jargon. When we say, "Plaintiff pled y," what we mean is "plaintiff said in the complaint that y." We are using the term in the OED's past participle sense, as it relates to "plead," or "ask," or, "beg."
Armen suggests the same conclusion for the following reason: Think of it as the difference between "I couldn't care less" and "I could care less."
That's an argument I couldn't understand less, but maybe he was right after all?
You tell me.
Labels: Grammar Snarks
posted by Patrick at 3:03 PM
31 Comments:
I have no idea what your post, other than the quoted part, means. Pled is not a word. It's not the past tense or the participle of "to plead." For example, "Defendant pled guilty to the charge of murder." WRONG. "Defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of murder." The only reason people use pled is because words that sound similar to "plead" such as "read" and "lead" have an irregular past tense. I mean how can the past tense of "lead" be "led" but the past tense of "plead" not be "pled?" Well the origins of "plead" much like most other words used by the English judiciary are French in origin thanks to William the Conqueror (think "Plaintiff").
Point being, people [incorrectly] overuse "pled" when the right word is "pleaded," much like people saying "I could care less" when they really mean they couldn't care less. One is right, the other is common.
Armen, I'd say you're explanation of your own analogy is incomprehensible.
"I could care less" is just plain wrong. "I couldn't care less" is correct. They mean opposite things.
Plead and pleaded are getting at the same idea (whether or not one of them is wrong) and i don't think either is more common than the other.
Therefore, don't listen to armen.
I've got my New Shorter OED (Thumb Index Edition) open right now to page 2248. There it is: pled, with its own entry.
"pled v. pa t. & pple; see plead"
Then when you flip back to page 2246, you find that both pleaded and pled can be used as past tense.
I'm not writing a bloody SAT analogy question. The point is pled is one of the millions of incorrect uses of a word that I commonly encounter. Who cares if it's the exact opposite of pleaded? What the hell does that have to do with anything? The only thing I'm pointing out is that pled is commonly used, and it's wrong. See also, "please RSVP," "if all goes well," "begs the question" (props to Patrick for correctly using it in the other thread), etc.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary also says that "pled" is fine for the past tense.
*NOT the exact opposite...
Ugh, one of those days.
"Only WHO can prevent forest fires?"
Two buttons marked "you" and "me." Bart presses "you."
"You pressed you, implying me. The correct answer is you."
Whenever I'm making these kinds of arguments, I point out that the lexicographer's job is simply to reflect our usage of a word. When I'm on the other side, I quote Ambrose Bierce's "The Devil's Dictionary."
DICTIONARY, n. A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.
Not quite sure what I'm jumping into here, BUT.
I've used both and I prefer "pled".
this is 3:46. Armen, don't get so defensive, aren't you supposed to be billing?
Pled is not in Blacks.
That is all.
Let's see if I have it straight.
When it comes to "hillbilly," Armen is a Brennan-style, loose construction, let-it-breathe-and-grow type.
When it comes to "pled," Armen is a Scalia-style, tight construction, dont-let-new-usages-flourish type -- except that he's all wrong on the original history of the word. Very Scalia-esque in every aspect!
Someone else beat you to it by e-mail 4:24. =) I'll give you bonus points for the Scalia remark though.
It it just because I heart grammar that I totally understand Armen's post #1?? "Pled" is incorrect gramatically speaking, but is used so commonly that it is assumed correct. Just like people say "he was hung" or "he hung himself" when the correct past-tense of "hang" in that circumstance is "hanged" (ok, totally morbid example, but whenever I hear it it drives me crazy). The incorrect word is used so often that many believe it is right.
Anyway, it's the same with "pled" and "pleaded." You could probably get away with saying "pled" in your classes or even in court. But you'll be gramatically incorrect.
cf.
"She's smarter than him."
"*Ring ring!* Who is it?"
"It's me, Jane!"
"Who did you see when you entered the store at 8 o'clock yesterday?"
"Go back from whence you came!"
Thank you 5:12. Picture is hung, person is hanged (well, sometimes hung also applies).
Just last week, I had a staffer at the firm say expresso instead of espresso. I fumed to myself for 30 minutes then decided to let it go. I didn't want to come off as a pompous prick (any more so than usual).
Well, hell. Now I am confused as ever. Again.
(I wonder if I can write my entire WOA brief in the present tense so as to avoid the dilemma entirely . . . )
@5:57--someone said "expresso" and you let it GO??? But you must be SO MAD!!!
Remember when this blog was about Boalt? Me neither.
I think bickering about pled vs. pleaded and analogizing dictionary appreciation to supreme court justices is, in fact, VERY Boalt, 9:45.
I'm coming late I guess.
I had always heard pled, and thought it was right. Recently I've heard pleaded a lot and it finally bugged me enough to look into it.
I've decided to use the phrase "entered plea of" instead in anything formal. At least I know that's correct.
Oops,
"entered a plea of"
-Thomas
*we* poets, not "us poets."
EKspresso is actually a perfectly acceptable pronunciation for that beverage, most likely because it indicates the true prefix of the word, ex-, out of.
Expresso is 100% and unquestionably always INCORRECT. It is ALWAYS "espresso", which is how it is pronounced in the language of the place of origin of the beverage: italian.
Hi, I just stumbled upon this when looking for the proper usage - pleaded or pled. Um, y'all are hilarious! I appreciate the intensity of Armen's thoughts and I would love to be 100% perfect with all of my writing, but reality can be a female dog.
Just realize that, whether you use pleaded or pled, the judge will know what you mean and probably won't penalize you for using the word *s/he* thinks is incorrect.
Also, Armen, I think you should consider a libel lawsuit against the B-tard who likened you to Scalia. Some things are just unforgivable. ;)
For more on this subject, check out http://www.cjr.org/resources/lc/pleadguilty.php
To think, we come to this great nation from the south in a most precarious fashion to learn the language and adapt to the culture. Funny thing is, I didn't realize how much more I have to learn. I'm still working on pronouncing "chair" with a cha...cha.
I think Armen is trying to provide us with a less embarrasing situation during small talk at social gatherings. Take it as such. What's the old addage "Never argue with a fool...
Besides, court TV or True TV never uses pled...and as convenient some of you may think it is, it is still incorrect.
Pleaded sucks
I am a a fairly well edjamacated individual if I do say so myself and quite honestly I am disgusted with the word 'pleaded' when used used instead of 'pled'.
'So-and-so pleaded guilty...' simply sounds un-right. A waste of a syllable and completely non-rhythmic by all counts. The word pleaded just rings of illiteracy. If a word, ANY WORD, becomes adopted by another language then it will follow the rules of it's new parent language. Period. I don't care where it came from or what language adopted it.
Anyone who disagrees with me is of course entitled to their opinion however wrong and stupid it might be.
For another take on this: http://www.cjr.org/resources/lc/pleadguilty.php, apparently pled has its own fairly respectable lineage (a la Blackstone)
At the ripe old age of 56, I have found that the use of 'pled' was much more popular than the distinctly less melodic 'pleaded' in years past. I noticed a strong upswing in the popular usage of 'pleaded' a few years ago and found it annoying- to a point where I have done some investigation. All of you are wrong who say 'pled ' is not a word or is being used incorrectly. The changing of popularity does not render the "older" usage wrong, just out of style. Much the same as the change of Peking to Beijing or Bombay to Mumbai or Mao Tse Tung to ... well you get the idea.
Jesus - why do we communicate at all?
In Scotland it is pled
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home