Is 'praytell' a word or not?

Question

I've heard people use the word 'praytell' many times. However, I recently went to look it up and nada. Is it even a word, and if so, what's the book definition?Regards

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I've heard people use the word 'praytell' many times. However, I recently went to look it up and nada. Is it even a word, and if so, what's the book definition?[/nq]
What you're hearing may well be "pray tell," which is a standard English phrase. Here's a more detailed analysis, if it matters:

The Standard Answer to questions about whether something is a word is "Of course it is. People use it. You see it. You hear it. You understand it. What's the problem?" This goes only so far the answer obviously fits something like "pig" a lot better than it does something like "gnxl." The real problem is that it all depends on what the meaning of the word "word" is.
A better way to look at the question is to consider how people react to the supposed word. Reactions vary widely. Consider such "words" as "irregardless," "alot," "alright," "intensional," "seperate," "snuck," and "***." They're all words, but reactions to each of them vary widely. A common reaction among participants in this newgroup to at least some of them (and many more not listed) is "Okay, it's a word. But it's not Standard English, and you'd be better off not using it."
Google suggests that "praytell" is a simple compression of "pray tell," an imperative phrase whose meaning is well known,(1) and a cousin to "alot," "thankyou" and "noone." It's hardly standard at the moment zero listings on onelook.com and a mere 50,900 on Google, as against 1,110,000 for "pray tell" (searching with quotation marks). Standard advice in such situations is to wince upon seeing it if you wish (but otherwise not react unless it's in something written by a child or pupil of yours), eschew it in your own usage, and wait to see if it enters the standard language.
Which I, at least, hope it won't.
(1) Just in case: "Please tell me." Or "Please explain."

Bob Lieblich
Who still winces at "alright"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I've heard people use the word 'praytell' many times. However, I recently went to look it up and nada. Is it even a word, and if so, what's the book definition? Regards[/nq]
I agree with what Bob said, and would only add that you will sometimes hear it shortened to "pray" ("And what is that supposed to mean, pray( tell)?") and that it is usually an sign that the speaker is being snotty. I control my impatience at your bumbling idiocy to ask you, with undeserved and somewhat old-fashioned politeness, to tell me what you're on about.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I've heard people use the word 'praytell' many times. However, I recently went to look it up and nada. Is it even a word, and if so, what's the book definition?[/nq]
1. It is two words, "pray tell."
2. In English idiom, the one word pray is an old-fashioned equivalent of please as in:
"Pray undo this button."
"Since the firm may go bankrupt next week,
pray tell the board what you propose."

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Bob Lieblich Who still winces at "alright"[/nq]
Blue always knew.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]How about "alot"?[/nq]
[nq:1]Make it stop! Make it stop! I'll talk! I'll talk![/nq]
in credible

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[nq:2]Make it stop! Make it stop! I'll talk! I'll talk![/nq]
[nq:1]in credible[/nq]
The endorphins are starting to kick in...

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place I am a pineapple * http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]in credible[/nq]
[nq:1]The endorphins are starting to kick in...[/nq]
I think you are talking about the indolphins. They are out atsea now.
Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The endorphins are starting to kick in...[/nq]
[nq:1]I think you are talking about the indolphins. They are out atsea now.[/nq]
And whatever they are doing, they do it swimmingly.

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place I am a pineapple * http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/

Is 'praytell' a word or not?

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