Try And VS Try To

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what the hell is up with people? or is it a canadian thing?
you know the ones, they say "try and catch me" or "I'm going to try and climb this ladder" when they should be saying "try TO"
I mean, what the fuckity-fuck does TRY AND mean?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:29 (twenty-three years ago)

You can say either. Or either. I personally use them interchangably. Some days I say one, and then the other.

Or at least and try and do so.

Basicaly, it doesn't fukin mater.

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:36 (twenty-three years ago)

but the syntax does not compute! "try and do something," so now they're two separate events, no?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:38 (twenty-three years ago)

it means the same thing. 'and' and 'to' in this case are simply means by which 'try' is used as an adverb and chained to the verb it modifies. The same goes for 'attempt' in this structure except that I don't think you're likely to hear anyone say 'attempt and' anything.

it's not a Canadian thing at all.'Fill your boots' is a Canadian thing.

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:39 (twenty-three years ago)

So by yr logic I can say "I wanted and jump higher than the other guy."

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:42 (twenty-three years ago)

It's Idiomatic.

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:43 (twenty-three years ago)

It sure is.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:43 (twenty-three years ago)

It's not logic, Horace, it's idiom. When I say "It's raining," you can ask me what "it" is, and I might try to cover and say "the sky," but the truth is I'm just saying "it's raining" because it's something people say.

http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxtryand.html talks a little about try and/try to, and makes brief mention of the possible difference in meaning between the two.

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:44 (twenty-three years ago)

'and' is a conjunction.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Which means it's not wrong. A significant portion of the language we use is based on arbitary inherited 'rules'.

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:45 (twenty-three years ago)

It's comedy, Horace, you should try it sometime.

Zing, or something

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:46 (twenty-three years ago)

So by yr logic I can say "I wanted and jump higher than the other guy."

Not only can you say that, Horace — I must insist that you do henceforth.

(Millar's example by the way is a great one - and does "try to stop me" ever actually mean "make an effort to stop me"? To the contrary, it means "any effort to stop me is pointless, and the truth of this is so evident to me that I feel compelled to encourage you to make your best effort to do, even though I know that you won't" and more besides. I am fond of "try and" rather than "try to," it's got more of a playground feel to it. Language = jazz, it's all about the swing)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:52 (twenty-three years ago)

"best effort to do so" I mean

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Sepatown!

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Try is a verb Millar. "Try and" is not correct really but I'm all for the jazz of the language. It's a changeable thing. Unless you're turning in a paper to me. 20 points off.

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I think I like it when used as imperative, like "Try and catch me, flatfoot!" or "Try and make yourself dizzy, dude"

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

'Try and' is informal and to be avoided in written English.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 28 March 2003 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

try and have a think about that one

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 28 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

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