this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2024
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[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 102 points 4 months ago (3 children)

On the one hand, a sign like this definitely did have enough room for the full spelling of "through". There seems to be no reason to abbreviate it.

On the other hand, isn't drive-thru just, like, its own noun now? Part of me thinks this was always spelled correctly.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 55 points 4 months ago (5 children)

It seems like shorthand for signs that has been used enough that it's basically normal now, like "lite" instead light, or "donut" instead of doughnut.

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 34 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Right, the distinction I'm making is this isn't just "normalized" but actually the correct spelling. As in, if a newspaper editor saw it written as "drive-through" they would be obliged to correct it.

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 15 points 4 months ago

Suppose both aight?

drive-through or drive-thru (a sensational spelling of the word through), is a type of take-out service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars.

Sensational spelling is the deliberate spelling of a word in a non-standard way for special effect.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago (5 children)
[–] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 15 points 4 months ago

All my homies call them aerodromes.

[–] CoggyMcFee@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

My kid calls it a plane station and frankly it’s growing on me

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

I’m down for that

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 1 points 4 months ago

Or we could go with train-port.

[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm gonna take a ride in a aero

[–] sawdustprophet@midwest.social 5 points 4 months ago

“I would like to send this letter to the Prussian Consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4.30 autogyro?”

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 months ago

How about a nite-lite?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

The correct way would be "drive-through."

"Drive-thru" is purposely spelled wrong to attract attention. The same as "Krispy Kreme" or "Dunkin' Donuts." It's only "correct" in that it has become ubiquitous through usage.

[–] bisby@lemmy.world 18 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's only "correct" in that it has become ubiquitous through usage.

What you are describing is called "language"

"You" wasn't always allowed to be singular. Colour vs color. Doughnut can be donut. Etc. Languages evolve over time, and "drive-thru" is in plenty of dictionaries.

Yup, "drive through" is an instruction, "drive-thru" is a noun. So you'll drive through the drive-thru.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Pretty sure thru is to save space.

Yup, esp since it's often written on the pavement.

[–] lseif@sopuli.xyz 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"lite" has a different meaning (or at least connotation) to "light"

[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] USSEthernet@startrek.website 2 points 4 months ago

I can hear the commercial in my head...

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Ohh I thought donut was the American spelling of doughnut.

[–] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yup, doughnut if you're being fancy, donut if it's some trash from the grocery store.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not necessarily. Some hole in the wall serving the best damn breakfast pastries our country has to offer is gonna call it a donut. A donut is a working class doughnut.

Yup, fancy is usually less tasty IMO. I prefer the ghetto donuts at our grocery store to the fancy doughnuts at the fancy bakery.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 months ago

Donut is straight up just another way to spell doughnut, though. It's fully accepted, and not shorthand.

[–] bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

According to Merriam Webster, “thru” is an acceptable, albeit less common, variant of “through”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thru

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 months ago

Dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive. They don't decide if something is "acceptable", just if it is widely used enough to report. If a mistake becomes common, it will enter the dictionary.

[–] kelargo@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Maybe they meant, only drive on Thursday?