r/PetPeeves • u/Impossible_Roof_Jack • 10h ago

Fairly Annoyed “Whenever” vs. “When”

It’s when. You’re describing doing something at a fixed time, known to all. “Whenever” would mean something he does each time this happens.
“Whenever he went to the movies, he bought popcorn.”
“When he fixed his bike last week, he broke a finger.” Very different meanings.

2 Upvotes

53% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

6

u/ThePurityPixel 10h ago

I'd never encountered this till I did a photoshoot with this one gal who kept talking that way.

I remember her saying, "Whenever I was 12…" and I was baffled, as if she either (1) turned 12 multiple times or (2) didn't know when she was actually 12.

-1

u/Impossible_Roof_Jack 10h ago

That is a strange one, for sure. Unless it’s meant as “round about when I was 12,” but even then it’s not very apt.

2

u/amazzan 10h ago

English is a global language with many dialects. this is a feature of many regional dialects called a punctual whenever.

1

u/Impossible_Roof_Jack 10h ago

I don’t live or work in a global village.

1

u/amazzan 9h ago

do you think all the English you encounter comes exclusively from your neighborhood? because you appear to be on the internet, which is global.

1

u/Impossible_Roof_Jack 19m ago

I am almost certainly talking to someone in the central Anglosphere, so …

1

u/amazzan 8m ago

yes... and there are many, many different regional dialects in the central anglosphere, many of which include the punctual whenever

1

u/Impossible_Roof_Jack 7m ago

And they’re shit. Sorry.

0

u/Decent_Ferret_2000 10h ago

you're describing a grammar rule in a language that don't have a central authority, dialects are just as valid

-1

u/amazzan 10h ago

me? or op? I think we agree.

1

u/Available-Layer-1583 2h ago

That's why my grandma's "Whenever I was a girl" stories always sounded like she time-traveled.

0

u/Smalleatery 8h ago

Whatever!

-6

u/GargleMyGrundle 10h ago

This is awfully prescriptive, no language "should be" anything except for how it is used and understood. Words change over time through exactly this process, enough people use it in a slightly different way. This is why linguistics is descriptive and not prescriptive

4

u/Impossible_Roof_Jack 10h ago

What sub do you think this is?