Sneaked or Snuck?

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NancyNGA

Well-known Member
Location
Georgia
Which do you use?

I use sneaked. Don't know why. Snuck just sounds funny to me. :confused:

Here's what The Grammarist says
　
"...In American news publications, sneaked is marginally more common than snuck, and in Canada snuck actually appears twice as often as sneaked. The two words are neck and neck in Australian and New Zealand publications, and in British publications sneaked is about twice as common as snuck. These figures are based on unscientific research, but it’s safe to say British writers shun snuck to a greater degree than the rest of us."

I like the phrase above, "shun snuck." :cool:

(I'm not claiming The Grammarist is the final authority, though.:))
 

Based on careful scientific studies conducted amongst Northern American Hillbilly Tribes "snuck" might perhaps be classified as past tense. Then again "he done sneaked" could be past tense as well. Then we could complicate it even further with " He done sneaked into the wood shed only to find the minister's daughter had snuck into the barn instead".

Yessir, I graduated with honors in literature...n' still failed grammar three times;)
 
My grammar is not perfect, or are my sentence structures. I sometimes begin a sentence with a conjunction and may end a sentence with a preposition. I know better. The reason I do this is because this is how I talk. My words sometime may be misplaced and on occasion, I may use the wrong word. I just hope the grammar police don't catch up with me!
 

Oh Gosh, I hope no one was assuming I was being a grammar policeman. I hate grammar police, and grammar police threads. The article says either one is OK. Just thought it was funny. Sorry.
 
I think I've used both, sneaked mostly but I'm sure I've snuck some in now and then. :) Swim, swam and swum is a similar one. Both swam and swum sound funny to me, but I guess both are correct if used properly in a sentence?

He swam yesterday.
He had swum the English Channel several times.
 
SB, you just reminded me of my Mom. Anyone who is familiar with the Amish country knows what I'm talking about here. Mom taught at what was an exclusive school at the time. She held herself to crisp enunciation. But when she was at home and got rattled...out would come "You red up this room while I do the warsh!"...her students wouldn't recognize her:p
 
Snuck is commonly used by everyone that I know. Sneaked sounds, somehow, incorrect for the past tense!

And while we're on the subject. What about 'brung' as the past tense for bring? As opposed to 'brought'. Another one frequently used.
 
Not a word I frequently use but it would be sneaked for me, I don't imagine ever saying snuck (or brung)
 
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Too much X there?
 
Goldfynche said:
Snuck is commonly used by everyone that I know. Sneaked sounds, somehow, incorrect for the past tense!

And while we're on the subject. What about 'brung' as the past tense for bring? As opposed to 'brought'. Another one frequently used.
Click to expand...

I'd never use brung as the past tense of bring -- I don't even hear that, except from very uneducated people or street slang.
 
I'm mostly a "he sneaked" person but have been know to use "I snuck" on occasion. My late wife, who was from West Virginia, used to make fun of me when I would revert to my boyhood Southern Ohio vernacular and instead of saying "It used to be" I'd say "It used to was...". Yes, I have a Master's degree
 
I use sneaked and snuck depending on the sentence

She snuck out the door.

He sneaked a peek at the sleeping baby.
 

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