Thread: to loose -- an error or what?

I often see "loose" in sentences like "loosing my mind" "I don't want to loose you" "The sun looses its fire" and so on... As you see, it must be "lose"? And "losing my mind" "I don't want to lose you".

Lingvo says it must be "lose", dictionary.com (EN-EN dic) tells me the same. But anyway...
What's the matter with these two words? Who is right and who is wrong?

It is supposed to be 'lose', unless this is another one of those weird UK things.

To lose : потерять

there is no verb: "to loose", loose is an adjective and means свободный

Yes, Vincent, you are right. Its not just a UK thing either. It's probably a common spelling mistake. I have sometimes seen 'loose' used in a verb-like fashion although it sounds strange. "loose the hounds of war!" or something like that.



P.S. just so you're clear: loose sounds like лус, lose sounds like луз.

Thank you, guys! And I also saw "you're a looser".

there is no verb: "to loose", loose is an adjective and means свободный

I have sometimes seen 'loose' used in a verb-like fashion although it sounds strange. "loose the hounds of war!" or something like that.

Lingvo says it is a verb also.

Loose
3. 1) а) освобождать; спускать с цепи, выпускать из клетки и т. п. ; ослаблять, делать просторнее Loose the hounds. — Выпусти собак. They loosed the prisoners' bonds and set them free. — Они развязали веревки, связывавшие руки заключенных, и выпустили их. б) развязывать; отвязывать; распаковывать to loose a knot — развязать узел в) распускать (волосы) г) открывать (задвижку) • Syn: untie , unbind , unfasten , loosen , undo , free 3., set free , release 2., let go , liberate , unbridle , unshackle , unchain , unleash , unmanacle , unhandcuff

a. Usually people say they "loose" something because they are ignorant.
b. There IS a verb "to loose" but it's not very common -- typically you can assume that someone using it is incorrectly spelling "lose"
c. Usually if someone wants to sat "to loose smth", they use some form of "loosen" it seems to me -- "he loosened his grip on the steering wheel." Typically you'd use loose to say something like "he got loose/the dog was loose." "Loose" is a state, "Loosening" is a process it seems to me.
d. Anyone calling someone a "looser" is a "loser" himself who "lost" out on his grammar exams by adhering too "loosely" to a study schedule.

Thanks, Бармалей! It seems like english speakers make mistakes in writing as well as we do (sometimes)!

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Thanks, Бармалей! It seems like english speakers make mistakes in writing as well as we do (sometimes)!

You're too optimistic thinking people are literate all over the world.

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Thanks, Бармалей! It seems like english speakers make mistakes in writing as well as we do (sometimes)!

Ещё бы! Конечно, делают! А ты думал, они все - профессоры?

ПрофессорА.

Вот видишь, Винсент - если даже Я делаю ошибки, что уж говорить об инглиш-спикерах

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Thanks, Бармалей! It seems like english speakers make mistakes in writing as well as we do (sometimes)!

Yep. They do -- this is one of the most common mistakes by native-speakers that you will encounter. It's like it's/its, there/they're/their, two/to/too, etc.

Another one is do and due. I have seen in the most formal of writings "Do to circumstances beyond our control...".

Another one is do and due. I have seen in the most formal of writings "Do to circumstances beyond our control...".

Lol, now that requires some degree of stupidity!

'The sun looses its fire' is a perfectly literate sentence.

'Loose' is a perfectly good verb.

I confused once loose with lousy

Originally Posted by scotcher

'The sun looses its fire' is a perfectly literate sentence.

'Loose' is a perfectly good verb.

I knew a brit would say that!!!

It has nothing to do with being a Brit, it has to do with being literate

v. loosed, loos·ing, loos·es
v. tr.
To let loose; release: loosed the dogs.
To make loose; undo: loosed his belt.
To cast loose; detach: hikers loosing their packs at camp.
To let fly; discharge: loosed an arrow.
To release pressure or obligation from; absolve: loosed her from the responsibility.
To make less strict; relax: a leader's strong authority that was loosed by easy times.

v. intr.
To become loose.
To discharge a missile; fire.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Originally Posted by Layne

Another one is do and due. I have seen in the most formal of writings "Do to circumstances beyond our control...".

In the south-east (standard) English accent, Due is pronounced the same as Jew.

That's why "I've paid my dues" can be amusing.

It is due to the British pronouciation of the "oo" sound with an initial "y" in mant circumnstances.

E.g. Tuesday = Tyoosday (Тьюздэй). However most people say Choosday (Чуздэй) , but the Ch- sound is easier to say that the Ty-.

Similar the voiced version of Ty-, Dy-, as in Due (Дью), in most poeples speech is "Joo" (Джу). Similarly Dune is pronounced the same as June.

When U is long, "oo", after most letters is it pronounced 'yoo'. BrEng is more regular that AmEng. E.g. in AmEng you say "Yoonited" (United) but Tube is "toob".

There are words where Americans do the same. E.g. Muse is Мьюз

This is why in Russian it is Нью-Йорк and not Ну-Йорк. BrEng pronunciation of New is "Nyoo"

All of these would sound very strange to me (especially choosday) except the 'oo' vs. 'yoo', I frequently use both pronunciations. In my area it seems to vary from one person to another. This reminds me of a TV commercial for picante sauce where some cowboys say "Nooooo York city!?"