"Whoa as me" had to have been a mere typo.  "Wa la" is fairly egregious, I don't think I've ever seen that.  Usually it winds up being "viola."  But these things aren't indicative of stupidity PER SAY but are at the very least symptoms of lack of education, laziness, ECK CETERA.  It's easy to jump to conclusions and assume that someone's a LOOSER just because of a few careless mistakes, but for all INTENSIVE PURPOSES it may be best to let these things slide.  THERE only human.  YOUR only human TO.

Isn't it IRONIC?

I was thinking that they (whoa and woe) are both actual words, and was using "typo" to mean more of a mind slip than a finger slip.  Sometimes we type the wrong word even when we know better.  I suppose I was trying to be kind.

But now that I think about it -- don't the kids nowadays use "whoa" as an adjective, as in, "Wow, that's like WHOA"?  ("Like" being an intensifier in this case.)  In which case "whoa as me" might well have been completely intentional, and possibly even meaningful, depending on the context.  But I'm probably being too kind again.

Ha! "Wa la?" I don't know if I've ever seen that one but it's pretty amazing.  Glad I'm not the only one who flinched at that "whoa as me". Some other favorites of mine are "mean either" and "for all intensive purposes." Also when people say "literally" when they actually mean "figuratively". As in "My eyes literally popped out of my head!" *twitch*

But, come on, don't make this an American thing. I've traveled plenty in Britain and have personally observed that Americans are not the only ones capable of saying/writing embarrassingly illiterate things.

hehe, just caught that "whoa ass me" theory. It may indeed be a stretch but you might have just coined a new phrase, AHG.

ha- that ain't nothin'. I had a guy once write to me at 7 a.m. asking if I would come over and fist him, then pee on him.

Ad "definAtely" to the list. Please.

I will giggle all day about "sweater meat"....

Alas, a great many people on the other side of the pond are just as semi-literate as they are over here. Of course it's a matter of education.

"It'd be nice to think that the 'lower classes' in England speak with a refinement and articulation that is way beyond what we've got here". Actually it's probably about the same.

However the French are head and shoulders above both our countries - having a very strong, highly disciplined public education system. It's no coincidence most people also have that beautiful classic cursive handwriting.

I've seen the phonetic Wha-la used sardonically (or wha-lar - National Lampoon's European Vacation) and I love to throw it in now and then to mitigate my general pompousness.

"Trouser Meat" is a common English phrase (best pronounced in a working class accent "trowzer-mee". "Sweater meat" is a fine addition to the rich cannon of the English language.

One thing that does bug me, is people butchering idioms and simple expressions. Particularly jarring is:

"I could care less"

No you fuckwit! COULDN'T!! I COULDN'T care less!! Otherwise you WOULD care less. Ughhh!!

By the way Airy, two particularly well educated, literate and pedantic (English) friends are launching a website soon that concentrates on the minutiae of words, grammar etc... I'll send you the info.  

Thank you, Nick, that started sometime in the 70's and has held on like a cyborg pitbull since.

 I've encountered 'shivalry/'shiveree is not dead' a couple of times, yikes.

 Oh yeah, and 'taking things for granite.'

Ah, the "rich cannon of the English language."  It has such a full-bodied and resounding kaboom!

Sorry, Nick, couldn't resist.

Oops!  

That was MARBLE?  I took it for granite!

"You hardly care for me, " she said.

"It could be worse," I said.

"How?" she asked.

"Well," I said, "I could care less."

"Spitting image" is one of my favorites.  Makes me want to hock up a loogie.

"Irregardless."  Would that be synonymous with "regardful"?

All bear/bare confusion: the right to bare arms, grin and bare it (though that one presents intriguing possibilities).

"Clearly":  If it's so clear from context, you don't need to say it is clear; if it's not clear from context, saying it's clear doesn't add anything.

"Needless to say": Ditto.

Use of "they/their" as a singular, neuter pronoun (unless you're British):  "Management said they are not going to lay off any workers."  "Management" is singular, and the second clause should begin "it is."  If you're not from the Commonwealth and would say "Management are not laying anyone off," keep it singular throughout.

Needless to say, I'll think of more of these throughout the day.

Right, "spit 'n' image" is correct, not "spitting image," which is about what I was complaining.  The people who say or write the latter would never say "rocking roll" instead of the correct "rock 'n' roll."