1. Forum
  2. USENET
  3. alt.english.usage

  • U or A

    From Steve Hayes@hayesstw@telkomsa.net to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sat Apr 25 20:43:34 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?
    --
    Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
    Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
    Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
    E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Phil@phil@anonymous.invalid to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sat Apr 25 20:30:36 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    On 25/04/2026 19:43, Steve Hayes wrote:
    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?




    It shrank in the wash
    It has shrunk in the wash

    It stank something awful
    It has stunk at times, but it's OK now

    The last is frankly a bit contrived. I wouldn't really use the past
    perfect of 'stink' much.

    It stank at times, but it's OK now.

    I wouldn't be at all suprised to hear 'it stunk' though.
    --
    Phil B

    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Blueshirt@blueshirt@indigo.news to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sat Apr 25 20:10:39 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    Steve Hayes wrote:

    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Shrunk

    Stunk or Stank?

    Stank

    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From athel.cb@gmail.com@user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sat Apr 25 20:16:56 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage


    "Blueshirt" <blueshirt@indigo.news> posted:

    Steve Hayes wrote:

    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Shrunk

    Stunk or Stank?

    Stank


    Yes, but Phil's longer answer covers my own view very well.
    --
    athel

    Living in Marseilles for 39 years; mainly in England before that,
    with long periods in Singapore, California, Chile and Canada
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pluted Pup@plutedpup@outlook.com to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sat Apr 25 13:23:10 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    On 4/25/26 12:30 PM, Phil wrote:
    On 25/04/2026 19:43, Steve Hayes wrote:
    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?




    It shrank in the wash
    It has shrunk in the wash

    either, as in

    it shrunk in the wash
    it shrank in the wash


    It stank something awful
    It has stunk at times, but it's OK now

    ditto, as in

    It stank
    It stunk


    The last is frankly a bit contrived. I wouldn't really use the past perfect of 'stink' much.

    It stank at times, but it's OK now.

    I wouldn't be at all suprised to hear 'it stunk' though.

    I have no idea if this is an americanism or not.


    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Ross Clark@benlizro@ihug.co.nz to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sun Apr 26 08:49:16 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    On 26/04/2026 7:30 a.m., Phil wrote:
    On 25/04/2026 19:43, Steve Hayes wrote:
    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?




    It shrank in the wash
    It has shrunk in the wash

    It stank something awful
    It has stunk at times, but it's OK now

    The last is frankly a bit contrived. I wouldn't really use the past
    perfect of 'stink' much.

    It stank at times, but it's OK now.

    I wouldn't be at all suprised to hear 'it stunk' though.


    I agree with all that. It's the same pattern as "sink" (as well as
    "sing", "swim", etc.). But with all of these there is a tendency for the
    -u- form to encroach on the -a-; so some people will say "it stunk/shrunk/stunk", even "he sung", "he swum", though those strike me
    as more starkly non-standard.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Peter Moylan@peter@pmoylan.org to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Sun Apr 26 08:51:32 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    On 26/04/26 04:43, Steve Hayes wrote:

    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?

    Both, depending on tense. These verbs follow the bring/brang/brung pattern.
    --
    Peter Moylan peter@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
    Newcastle, NSW
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Anton Shepelev@anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Tue Apr 28 18:53:07 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    Steve Hayes:

    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?

    Strank or Strunk?
    Strunk or White?
    --
    () ascii ribbon campaign -- against html e-mail
    /\ www.asciiribbon.org -- against proprietary attachments
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@toylet.toylet@gmail.com to alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage on Thu Apr 30 10:27:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.english.usage

    On 4/26/2026 2:43 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
    Which are you more likely to use?

    Shrunk or Shrank?

    Stunk or Stank?
    A good question for A.I.? :)
    --

    @~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
    / v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
    /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2