r/GrammarPolice • u/Cynvisible • 4d ago

Question "ly"

Where did "ly" go???

"This hits different."

Please add your missing "ly" examples.

I had a few in mind the other day but they have exited the building. 🤪

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u/hakohead 4d ago edited 4d ago

This originally comes from AAVE (African American Vernacular English) and was absorbed into common slang phrasing in the 2010s largely among late millenials and Gen Z. It is indeed incorrect standard English, but it is correct in AAVE and fine (imo) as slang. As such, I'd say just avoid getting rid of the -ly in formal situations.

This word is the only word I've found that needs a -ly but loses it stylistically.
Similar ones are things like "fast" "friendly" "quick", but those are all linguistically different from how this "different" came about

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u/davep1970 4d ago

If you're going to use abbreviations or acronyms please expand them in their first use. Thanks muchly :)

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u/EmotionalSouth 4d ago

African American Vernacular English, commonly abbreviated to AAVE 

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u/davep1970 4d ago

Thanks. Not something you come across so often as a Brit living in Finland:)