"All of A sudden" or "All of THE sudden"?

[lamarley]

I've always said, "All of a sudden," but have noticed recently that some people say, "All of the sudden." Perhaps it's a regional thing?

[Lolly]

"The" just sounds so strange!:lurk5:

[ChristusG]

I've never heard it used with "the."

[athena1277]

"The" just sounds so strange!:lurk5:

 

And yet I see "A" as strange. "THE" sounds so much better. Maybe it is a regional thing? I grew up near New Orleans.

[lamarley]

Ahhh, maybe we're getting somewhere. I live in Louisiana now.

[oasis]

I grew up in Missouri, and we say "all of the sudden"; "all of a sudden" sounds strange to me! :001_smile:

[mrs.m]

I grew up in Missouri, and we say "all of the sudden"; "all of a sudden" sounds strange to me! :001_smile:

 

Are you Southern MO? "all of the sudden" sounds strange to me and I grew up in MO! I noticed there are regional speech differences within the state of MO!

Edited July 22, 2010 by jannylynn
I can't type. :(

[JudoMom]

Both sound right to me, and I think the one I use is based on how fast I'm talking. I'll blame it on being raised in TN by KS natives, and the fact I'm now married to a WI native but living in a western state.

[Ohdanigirl]

I have never noticed ALL of THE sudden, but now that you pointed it out I will probably hear it everywhere.:D

 

Danielle

[Dawn in OH]

Everyone I know says "all of the sudden". We are in Ohio.

[oasis]

Are you Southern MO? "all of the sudden" sound strange to me and I grew up in MO! I noticed there are regional speach differences within the state of MO!

 

I'm around the St. Louis area!

[LaissezFaire]

I was always taught that the correct phrase was, All of A Sudden.

 

I found this:

http://grammartips.homestead.com/sudden.html

[mrs.m]

I'm in Mid-Mo. Which may be the difference?

 

Now I'm going to avoid saying that phrase and just say "Suddenly". ;)

[Lily of the Valley]

Are you Southern MO? "all of the sudden" sound strange to me and I grew up in MO! I noticed there are regional speach differences within the state of MO!

 

I grew up in Northern MO, and I say "all of a sudden".

[Corraleno]

The book Common Errors in English Usage lists "all of a sudden" as correct.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/sudden.html

 

Apparently the phrase dates from at least the 1500s:

In Shakespeare's day the common phrase was of a sudden, the word all being added in the late 1600s.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/idioms/all-of-a-sudden

 

Jackie

Edited July 22, 2010 by Corraleno

[freerange]

All of a sudden here in England.

[oasis]

I've never pondered that phrase before, but I really don't use it. If I happen to have a need to use the phrase in the future, I'll make sure I'm saying it the right way! :D

[Teachin'Mine]

As sudden is an adjective, neither "a" nor "the" makes sense. :lol: It's just an idiom and I'm really surprised to learn that "a" is correct! I assumed it was supposed to be "the" and we've just gotten into a bad habit. Apparently I've gotten into a bad habit. :tongue_smilie:

[Dawn in OH]

After some research, I have found that it seems "all of a sudden" is the correct way to say it, if anyone cares.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

As sudden is an adjective' date=' neither "a" nor "the" makes sense. :lol: It's just an idiom and I'm really surprised to learn that "a" is correct! I assumed it was supposed to be "the" and we've just gotten into a bad habit. Apparently I've gotten into a bad habit. :tongue_smilie:[/quote']

 

Yes but it can be a noun which I think it is in this case:

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sudden

[Kirch]

All of the sudden doesn't even make sense.:confused:

 

Neither does "all of a sudden," really.

[KJsMom]

I don't use that phrase often, but I think I use it both ways. Neither sounds wrong to me. :tongue_smilie:

[Just Robyn]

Here in Iowa I say, "all of a sudden," and I think that's the only way I've heard it said until now.

[HeidiKC]

Are you Southern MO? "all of the sudden" sounds strange to me and I grew up in MO! I noticed there are regional speech differences within the state of MO!

 

:iagree:

 

I have lived in Missouri 40 years and have never in my life heard "All of THE Sudden". Here, there or anywhere!

[Kel & the Kids]

My best friend says "the" and I say "a" and we grew up in the same town, went to the same high school... I always thought it was very strange! I'm glad someone took the initiative to scientifically investigate this issue :D

[Chelle in MO]

Another Missourian checking in! Born/raised in Central MO, past 12 yrs. in St. Louis...I've been pondering this for a few minutes, and I think I say "all of a sudden" when I say it at a normal speed, and "all the sudden" (w/no "of") when I'm speaking quickly.

 

How's that for weird?

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Iowa here...and I too have only ever heard it said "all of a sudden", but I have seen it typed (on various message boards) as "all of the sudden" a LOT! And....it's always driven me crazy :)

[crl]

Here in PA, we say "all of THE sudden". I had no idea that anyone said it differently or that it wasn't a real phrase to be used in everyday life.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I grew up in CO and now live in IL - in both places I hear "all of a sudden" I don't think I 've heard it any other way.

 

Hmm...maybe I don't get out enough.

[Ester Maria]

When I learned English as a foreign language, it was all of A sudden. They compared it to a similar Italian phrase where an indefinite article is used as well.

I'm not sure, but I think that - unless I actively think about it - I say with A, but write both. Now you got me confused. Lol.

[Rich with Kids]

Yikes! My answer would be neither. I just realized I say "All the sudden". I grew up in Missouri and transplated to Texas when I was 8.

[JenniferB]

"Suddenly,"

[kalanamak]

Suddenly....

[MamaT]

I've never heard it used with "the."

 

Me either.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Everyone I know says "all of the sudden". We are in Ohio.

 

Ditto!

[angela in ohio]

Suddenly

[SilverMoon]

Neither. Suddenly. :)

[Parrothead]

To me "all of THE sudden" doesn't make sense.

[Guest odoli]

...THE sudden is the original. So if you want to change it, you cannot do so just by hollering that it's not logical or does not sound right; a LOT of things in the English language are weird.

[Chris in VA]

THE.

Grew up in Ohio, parents from England and Connecticut.

 

Wow--such a small thing, but what feels right, feels right! :D

[Gooblink]

I was always taught that the correct phrase was, All of A Sudden.

 

I found this:

http://grammartips.homestead.com/sudden.html

 

As the writer points out, it's an idiom, shpaed by usage. She says it may change some day, but that day has not occurred (in 2002).

 

I think it has, in fact, occurred in my neck of the woods.

 

:)

 

Honestly, I say suddenly, if I say it at all.

[Sputterduck]

I grew up in California and have actually never heard anyone in my life say "all of a sudden".

[Mabelen]

I learned it "all of A sudden" when I was studying English as a foreign language in Spain. That's the form also used in England.

 

I don't think I've noticed any one using "the" either in Maryland or California irl although I have seen it used in online boards.

 

I have this totally unproven theory when I see regional differences like this in the US that depart from the standard form. My theory is that they could be due to foreign language interference. I picture Dutch or German or Polish or Italian or any other immigrants learning English. In areas with high concentrations of one language immigrant group the non standard form could easily then become the standard...

 

To the poster who mentioned that "the" was the original form, would you mind to share how you came to this conclusion?

[Rich with Kids]

I say all the sudden. Hopefully no one has noticed...:D

[muffinmom]

Think how you've seen it in print. I've never seen in a legit publication "all of THE sudden."

[GraciebytheBay]

Funny, I just started noticing that too. I have heard "All the sudden" without the of. Sounds so strange to me!

[Mrs Mungo]

The book Common Errors in English Usage lists "all of a sudden" as correct.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/sudden.html

 

Apparently the phrase dates from at least the 1500s:

 

http://www.yourdictionary.com/idioms/all-of-a-sudden

 

Jackie

 

...THE sudden is the original. So if you want to change it, you cannot do so just by hollering that it's not logical or does not sound right; a LOT of things in the English language are weird.

 

And you base this hypothesis/assertion based upon what?

 

I quoted the other post as an example of how people have been offering proof for their POV.

[Daisy]

I grew up in California and have actually never heard anyone in my life say "all of a sudden".

 

I currently live in CA. I agree. I NEVER hear this phrase.

 

But I grew up in AL, NJ, and KY and don't remember hearing it either. It must not have been something my family used.

[momof4pks]

I say "all of a sudden". I grew up in the Kansas City area, on the Kansas side, and I've lived in Montana, Florida, Texas, and now Maine. I've never heard it said any other way in all the places I've lived. Very interesting!

 

But speaking of seeing people write things a different way and finding it annoying...it drives me crazy when I see "one in the same" instead of "one and the same".... :lol:

 

Kristen

[nono]

Wouldn't it depend on whether the speaker was specifying a particular sudden or just a general one? :)