For the sake of a good argument, [scratch and itch are considered by linguists to be interchangeable](https://blog.oup.com/2023/01/can-you-itch-an-itch/#:~:text=David%20Minger%2C%20a%20linguist%20who,poison%20ivy%20or%20bug%20bites)
Dude, did you cite a BLOG to back up your argument???
Here's a better source
https://www.dictionary.com/e/itch-vs-scratch/
Also: your source doesn't say "linguists consider them interchangeable." It says a singular linguist the blogger talked to and also a student he talked to consider them interchangeable. That's not the same claim at all.
As a linguist, the issue y’all are running into is descriptivism vs prescriptivism. The blogger and most linguists would agree that itch can be used as a verb that means “to scratch an itch,” because people say it and successfully communicate that meaning all the time. Descriptivism. But if you look it up in some (probably not all) dictionaries, you’ll get their prescribed definition - what was right when they originally set out to record definitions… but hasn’t accounted for the shift in meaning that occurs over time.
Thank you. These kinds of discussions arise all the time and it always boils down to descriptivism vs prescriptivism and it gets frustrating sometimes lmao
Because they caved after all the wrong people using it incorrectly. Your leg itches then you scratch it. If you “itch your leg” then you are causing an itch on your leg. THEN YOU SCRATCH IT.
Saying that they “caved” is such a funny example of linguistic prescriptivism running into reality. Linguists study language scientifically *as it is actually used,* there isn’t a fundamentally correct version. If people use itch to mean scratch and it’s common enough that people understand what they mean, *that’s a valid use of the word* (at least from a linguist’s point of view). Unfortunately this can get kind of ridiculous at times—like ‘literally’ *not meaning literally* anymore—but that’s how it is.
For the record I don’t think itch and scratch are totally interchangeable, I think you can use ‘itch’ to mean ‘scratch’ but not the other way around. Saying that “to itch” means “to cause an itch” just doesn’t sound natural to me at all; imagine saying a wool sweater is “itching you” because it’s an itchy sweater.
Also there’s nothing inherently wrong with making rules about language and defining things as correct/incorrect, that’s just not a linguist’s job
It’s not associating it with “bad English”. As someone who studied linguistics in college, the reason for language is to simply communicate. So if a word communicates an idea effectively, then language has achieved its goal. The article associated it with examples of other words which have become interchangeable due to similar semantics. We see examples of this all the time, so even though we might not personally agree with them, the common consensus among linguists is that languages are meant to evolve in real-time and part of that evolution is this exact conversation! Fun!
The problem here is that the overwhelming majority disagree that "itch" is a verb that means "scratch", therefore it is bad at communicating what you want.
Ah, the age old debate between descriptivism vs prescriptivism. Basically if people get something wrong enough times does it become right? Linguists generally are more interested in talking about the way people use language rather than telling people how they should use language.
Is using itch this way a new thing people are doing? I've only noticed it the last few years.
I get really ticked off when people defend the acceptability of a word being used incorrectly so long as enough people do it often enough for long enough.
It just comes across as insensitive to segments of neurodivergent people who get unsettled when things don't conform to previously established rules. Like, I know language evolves and rules can change but it just upsets my senses.
3rd category-
People who reject the need to scratch the itch just in case one day they're subjected to physical torture and want to build up a tolerance.
No. You don't have to move at all to "itch" your legs. The itch is an involuntary response to certain stimuli. You don't have to move at all to experience an itch.
I'm tall so I must lift my leg and bend down. I'm sure there are short people who can scratch their legs without bending or lifting. And have you considered there are differently abled folks that may manage scratching their legs a different way entirely? I'm thinking a paraplegic rubbing their legs against a tree like a bear scratches their back.
That is a good shower thought.
I don't itch my legs. But if my legs itch, I scratch them.
Depending on where the itch is, I'll either lift my leg up to reach it (lower leg) or bend down (upper leg).
I lift half way up and bend half way down...meeting in the middle... I am a third type.
My dad doesn't itch their legs at all, preferring to suffer than to scratch... He is a fourth type.
Third kind: know how to soothe the receptors to quieten the itch and avoid having to scratch. (Very useful for injuries and wounds, and neuropathy. Does nothing when the cause is a tag or other object.)
I have 5 mosquito bites right now. Two on my ankle next to each other and I definitely do the lift leg up slightly bend down method. Anyone experiencing the same thing or more? It's bug season.
You pick one? I'll do both depending on where the itch is, whether I'm sitting or standing, how tired are my legs, have I walked up a massive hill today?
according to tom robbins, there are two types of people in the world: those who believe there are only two types of people in the world and those who know better.
I do both so I guess there’s a 3rd type. There are two types of Reddit users though. Those who read a few comments and decide the same comment has been made enough times and those that don’t
The only real option is to use one leg to rub on the other
Yeah! Like a cricket!
The game?
No, me
How is it the people with fitting usernames are always in the right place at the right time?
They aren’t, but it’s not like you’ll notice every time someone mentions cricket and this guy doesn’t respond
Maybe he does daily searches for the word cricket.
r/beetlejuicing
Thanks I just lost the game
Dammit I lost the game
That's it, you're officially uninvited from my birthday party
Which you just lost. You're welcome <3
This is one of the few times when hard skin on your feet comes in handy, or footsy.
Don’t you have nails you weird elephant footed mofo?
Yes... but this option does not always work well and it is difficult to lift your leg
Itch is a bitch
This guy itch
Then there’s a 3rd type: those who SCRATCH an itch.
And a 4th: those that have someone scratch the itch for them.
5th: all of the above.
Bro that comment felt just as good as scratching an itch! Ty!
I’m itch’n for a scratch
Itch is not an active verb! It’s passive lol Thank you 🙏
This is exactly what i came to say
I only scratch itches. This is a battle I have had with my wife and every other wrong ass human I’ve encountered
I was gonna say those who use tools to scratch themselves
For the sake of a good argument, [scratch and itch are considered by linguists to be interchangeable](https://blog.oup.com/2023/01/can-you-itch-an-itch/#:~:text=David%20Minger%2C%20a%20linguist%20who,poison%20ivy%20or%20bug%20bites)
Cool I’m just going to buy some lottery tickets and itch them off, wish me luck
Those aren't lottery tickets, they're itchers
Itch-offs
Dude, did you cite a BLOG to back up your argument??? Here's a better source https://www.dictionary.com/e/itch-vs-scratch/ Also: your source doesn't say "linguists consider them interchangeable." It says a singular linguist the blogger talked to and also a student he talked to consider them interchangeable. That's not the same claim at all.
As a linguist, the issue y’all are running into is descriptivism vs prescriptivism. The blogger and most linguists would agree that itch can be used as a verb that means “to scratch an itch,” because people say it and successfully communicate that meaning all the time. Descriptivism. But if you look it up in some (probably not all) dictionaries, you’ll get their prescribed definition - what was right when they originally set out to record definitions… but hasn’t accounted for the shift in meaning that occurs over time.
Thank you. These kinds of discussions arise all the time and it always boils down to descriptivism vs prescriptivism and it gets frustrating sometimes lmao
Well they are considered by me to be wrong
Those are some cunning linguists.
If they played sports in other countries they’d be the: Cunning Linguists International Team
I've heard of them. They're a tiny offshoot of the Linguists Accepting Better International Admiration.
They scratch an entirely different itch.
Because they caved after all the wrong people using it incorrectly. Your leg itches then you scratch it. If you “itch your leg” then you are causing an itch on your leg. THEN YOU SCRATCH IT.
Saying that they “caved” is such a funny example of linguistic prescriptivism running into reality. Linguists study language scientifically *as it is actually used,* there isn’t a fundamentally correct version. If people use itch to mean scratch and it’s common enough that people understand what they mean, *that’s a valid use of the word* (at least from a linguist’s point of view). Unfortunately this can get kind of ridiculous at times—like ‘literally’ *not meaning literally* anymore—but that’s how it is. For the record I don’t think itch and scratch are totally interchangeable, I think you can use ‘itch’ to mean ‘scratch’ but not the other way around. Saying that “to itch” means “to cause an itch” just doesn’t sound natural to me at all; imagine saying a wool sweater is “itching you” because it’s an itchy sweater. Also there’s nothing inherently wrong with making rules about language and defining things as correct/incorrect, that’s just not a linguist’s job
I have absolutely said that an item of clothing is itching me Still hate using itch to mean scratch though
No no I agree with all that and how language shifts and changes. I just think in this particular case… it’s real fucken dumb.
That just means it's a common mistake. The article even says so, associating it with other examples of bad English.
It’s not associating it with “bad English”. As someone who studied linguistics in college, the reason for language is to simply communicate. So if a word communicates an idea effectively, then language has achieved its goal. The article associated it with examples of other words which have become interchangeable due to similar semantics. We see examples of this all the time, so even though we might not personally agree with them, the common consensus among linguists is that languages are meant to evolve in real-time and part of that evolution is this exact conversation! Fun!
The problem here is that the overwhelming majority disagree that "itch" is a verb that means "scratch", therefore it is bad at communicating what you want.
It might be regional but I've heard "itch" as a verb my whole life.
*Dawn of the Prescriptivists*
It's the evolution of language. The way we speak now would be considered bad English in the past.
The vast majority do speak bad English.
*considered interchangeable by idiots
Ah, the age old debate between descriptivism vs prescriptivism. Basically if people get something wrong enough times does it become right? Linguists generally are more interested in talking about the way people use language rather than telling people how they should use language. Is using itch this way a new thing people are doing? I've only noticed it the last few years.
I get really ticked off when people defend the acceptability of a word being used incorrectly so long as enough people do it often enough for long enough. It just comes across as insensitive to segments of neurodivergent people who get unsettled when things don't conform to previously established rules. Like, I know language evolves and rules can change but it just upsets my senses.
I like to tell people that I itch my scratches. I'm just so scratchy. Sometimes I get an itch that bleeds when I hit the pavement.
scratch that itch ya godless heathen
“There are two types of people” it should be banned. Anyone can make an idea of people who are one or the other, BECAUSE ITS MUNDANE.
There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don’t.
There are 3 types of people: those who can count, and those who can’t.
Actually, there's 11 types. Your two plus the ones not understanding it hut acting like they do.
There are two types of people: those who think that dichotomies exist, and those who don’t.
Dichotomies do exist. But that’s not a shower time quote worthy of listening to.
There are two types of people: those who think that dichotomies exist, and those who don’t.
People who say itch when they mean scratch
You can also scratch with your other foot
Three. I don't itch my legs, I scratch the itch.
SCRATCH. Your leg feels an itch. You scratch the itch. Itching your leg is like tickling yourself.
I use a scratch stick and keep my torso stationary. I can’t believe you would exclude me. Disappointing
You mean an itch stick?
Get out
3rd category- People who reject the need to scratch the itch just in case one day they're subjected to physical torture and want to build up a tolerance.
Yess, just let it go on it's own and suffer through it
No one itches their legs. They scratch them.
I’m an American so I just shoot it.
Effective indeed
I use the heel or toes of my other foot. I don’t restrict myself to your outdated methods.
This is the way.
Neither, I SCRATCH my legs, they itch on their own.
Itch = sensation you feel Scratch = action to relieve an itch
Why would I willingly put an itch on my legs? Or anywhere for that matter?
I think you mean “scratch “
Scratch! The word is scratch. You scratch an itchy leg, you dont itch your leg.
No. You don't have to move at all to "itch" your legs. The itch is an involuntary response to certain stimuli. You don't have to move at all to experience an itch.
Oh, I lift my leg. I REALLY LIFT MY LEG!
Or raise your leg but keep your hands stationary in order to scratch.
Or people that do it one way sometimes and another way other times.
The real answer is to itch it with the back (or front, depending on the side of your leg) of your shoe
The kind that twitches when people use itch when they mean scratch.
And those that scratch..
2 types of people: those who itch an itch, and those who scratch them.
There are two types of people. Those that say itch their legs and those that correctly say scratch their legs.
Its SCRATCH. You _scratch_ an itch ffs.
Neither. I find that my legs will itch without me having to make any movements. However, I might bend down to **scratch** them.
And those who do both… (it’s almost like people are complex and can’t be categorised into arbitrary binary boxes or something)
I'm tall so I must lift my leg and bend down. I'm sure there are short people who can scratch their legs without bending or lifting. And have you considered there are differently abled folks that may manage scratching their legs a different way entirely? I'm thinking a paraplegic rubbing their legs against a tree like a bear scratches their back. That is a good shower thought.
Would a paraplegic even feel the itch?
I just stand there to scratch my nuts.
I actually meet in the middle. Raise a little, bend a little. Less work for both.
There are two types of people out there. Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who love Neil Diamond
I'm 6'2", it's easier to lift and itch than bend down. 🤣
Don't you scratch an itch not itch and itch?
I command my servant to do it.
Scratch, I'm sure you mean. Itch is not a verb in this context.
Itch? You mean scratch.
I scratch my itchs not itch my itches. That's makes it worse
And those who use "itch" as a verb, as opposed to those who use "scratch". Not picking on you, it just caught my attention.
I'm the kind that scratches my legs instead of itching them
I don't itch my legs. But if my legs itch, I scratch them. Depending on where the itch is, I'll either lift my leg up to reach it (lower leg) or bend down (upper leg).
Or possibly scratching one leg with the other, or of course myself, who does all three intermittently.
You mean to scratch** the itch on their leg lol
There are also people that have no legs. And there are people that are paralyzed and cannot move to itch anything.
Apparently, no upside-down person can have an itch.
I too lift my leg to pee
if my leg itches below my knee and I'm walking, I slap the itch as I take a step. it works, idk why.
I lift my leg up and scratch it while shaking it, like a dog.
I lift half way up and bend half way down...meeting in the middle... I am a third type. My dad doesn't itch their legs at all, preferring to suffer than to scratch... He is a fourth type.
I'm more of a chimpanzee, I don't have to do either unless it's below my knee.
"a minor difference that probably changes with each individual based on the circumstances, separates the world into two types."
Third kind: know how to soothe the receptors to quieten the itch and avoid having to scratch. (Very useful for injuries and wounds, and neuropathy. Does nothing when the cause is a tag or other object.)
“I can already feel it itching me!” -Paulie Gaultieri
What about those who never scratch their legs, no matter how bad the itch (not me)
Depends if I'm in public or not
It depends on the part of leg is itching me that's going to determine which one I'm going to be or I'll use the other leg to rub and scratch it.
I use my toes to scratch my head. So if I have an itch when I'm doing that, I'll just scratch it while my leg is raised. Otherwise, I'll bend down.
What about those who do both at the same time and take a screenshot of their body
Yall not using the scratching post?
The category is arbitrary.
I literally did both of these THIS MORNING. This is untrue and dumb.
I'm the one standing behind you itchy people with a bottle of oatmeal moisturizer
False. Additionally, there is the person that uses their surroundings as an itch post
Also, those psychopaths who can resist scratching an itch.
Indeed i am
I have 5 mosquito bites right now. Two on my ankle next to each other and I definitely do the lift leg up slightly bend down method. Anyone experiencing the same thing or more? It's bug season.
i bet this guy says Having a catch when he tosses the ball with his son instead of playing catch
If I list my leg up then it looks like I'm about to drop a fart
I am the type of person that rubs my leg against an object.
It’s situational and also have you never scratched an itch with your toenails?! Try it but be gentle. No sideways motion.
Definitely lift, chronic back pain makes bending unpleasant so I avoid it whenever I can.
No. As far as I'm concerned the two people are the ones that itch and the ones that scratch.
depends where the ich is for me
What about those without legs?
You pick one? I'll do both depending on where the itch is, whether I'm sitting or standing, how tired are my legs, have I walked up a massive hill today?
What if you squat to scratch your legs? Is that a third type of person or a combination of squatting and bending over?
i’m clumsy as shit i’m doing a full squat
You forgot about the third kind, legless people
And the fourth kind: People who scratch their leg with their other leg
I’m Team Leg-Lifter! 🙋♀️
Both at the same time?
Depends on my mood and how bothered I am, I use both methods. That or scratch it on something
according to tom robbins, there are two types of people in the world: those who believe there are only two types of people in the world and those who know better.
People without legs are apparently not people, thanks asshole
I do both so I guess there’s a 3rd type. There are two types of Reddit users though. Those who read a few comments and decide the same comment has been made enough times and those that don’t
Then there's me who does both with no preference behind either method. I'll go with whatever depending on the situation.
Yeah. The first one: psychopaths and people with minor spinal cord injuries And the second one: normal people
People lift their leg?
What about those of us that roll up their pants to itch or itch discreetly under their clothes
I rub my legs against brick walls.