this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2024
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[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 103 points 10 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 10 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 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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 10 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 10 months ago (5 children)
[–] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 15 points 10 months ago

All my homies call them aerodromes.

[–] CoggyMcFee@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

I’m down for that

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 1 points 10 months ago

Or we could go with train-port.

[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm gonna take a ride in a aero

[–] sawdustprophet@midwest.social 5 points 10 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 10 months ago

How about a nite-lite?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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 10 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.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago

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

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Pretty sure thru is to save space.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

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

[–] lseif@sopuli.xyz 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] pendingdeletion@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] USSEthernet@startrek.website 2 points 10 months ago

I can hear the commercial in my head...

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Ohh I thought donut was the American spelling of doughnut.

[–] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 0 points 10 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 10 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.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

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 10 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 10 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 10 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 10 months ago

Maybe they meant, only drive on Thursday?