Grammar Discussion #1 - Anyway versus Anyways

Anyways is wrong. Don't use it.

Why, you ask, if it's wrong do so many people use it? I wish I knew. Actually, I believe I do know, but let's discuss first why it is wrong.

The word anyway is an adverb. It's meaning? Regardless or in any event, even anyhow (notice no use of the 's' in anyhow). In Merriam-Webster online, the definition is as follows:

1 : ANYWISE (Do any of you use anywise? Oy.)

2 : in any case : ANYHOW

A few appropriate uses of the word:

a. Anyway, though I may sound like a typical mommy, my dogs are the sweetest on the planet.

b. That girl can't hold a tune, but they allowed her to make that woeful vocal attempt anyway.

c. That candidate is clearly a pig, a mysogynist, but he's going to remain on the campaign trail anyway.

- or, as in one of my all-time favorite television shows -

d. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Since the word is an adverb, adding an 's' makes it plural, which is simply not done with adverbs. That might be the best way to remember that you should not say or write 'anyways'. My favorite comment on the usage of anyways is found at this website:

http://grammartips.homestead.com/

It's "Grammar Tips and Usage for the Non-expert" by Tina Blue, who has a PhD in English and lots of experience teaching English writing, grammar and related subjects. To make it easier for you , though I do recommend her website for some humorous discussions on grammar and usage, here is what Tina says:

"This is going to be short and simple. Do not say or write 'anyways' - not ever. The word is 'anyway'. The word 'anyways' is found in some dialects in the United States, but it is not standard English, and it should never be used in any situation where you want to be considered reasonably well educated. That's all there is to it."

Another favorite comment about the use of 'anyways' can be found at www.dailywritingtips.com where the blogger calls 'anyways' a "colloquial corruption of anyway." I have to agree. Therefore, as a colloquial corruption or dialect, the ONLY appropriate time to use it would be when you are writing or speaking dialogue, primarily to emphasize the character's lack of finesse with the language. That's it.

Now, as to why so many people use 'anyways' rather than the correct 'anyway'? I believe much of this is laziness, I really do. However, I will concede that a person who uses the word incorrectly may have heard this used by a parent, though I find it hard to believe that at some point in all the years of schooling that people did not learn the correct usage. Yes, perfectly well-educated people use this word incorrectly. It drives me batty.

As a lesson, let's think about words like anyhow or everywhere. Would you add an 's' to use these words properly? No, you would not. "I know Kevin Spacey was a little too old to play Bobby Darin, but I loved his performance in the movie 'Beyond the Sea' anyhows." You see? It doesn't work. Or "I love Washington, DC ... we walked everywheres." Sounds wrong, right? Well, when someone uses 'anyways', it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. I love my language and it really, really bothers me when people use it incorrectly.

I have attempted this discussion with people in the past; we even had this discussion over the weekend, which is why there is a new blog post about it today. The excuse of a 'living language' and change being inevitable was brought up. I do not deny that the language is alive, and that is good. It's how we add words like 'blog' or get new definitions for words that have been around forever. But 'anyways' was never correct, and never should be.

Of course, the fact that it is used far too often by a top radio personality on National Public Radio or came out of the mouth so many times of the Canadian physicist on a popular sci-fi show who claimed to be the "smartest person in two galaxies" doesn't help me in my argument. Very annoying, that. The fact of its more regular use does not negate the fact that it is incorrect.