In the project I'm currently assigned to I have to take an extra bus everyday to get to our client. Yesterday, I noticed something different about the bus: a TV, with a channel called "Bus TV". One of the things in that channel is a small episode of something like "Good Portuguese". There's also something like this on the main Portuguese channel, in the morning (I know this because include usually turns the TV on in the morning). One thing that I wonder is... WHY? Why on Earth are people who apparently don't know propper Portuguese grammar or don't know how to build a TV show allowed to do things like this? Example 1: On the regular TV, the question was if the correct way was to write "despensa" or "dispensa". They proceed to ask a bunch of people on the street, and then they tell you the right answer: "despensa". Sure, a "despensa" is a place where you store food and all that, but... "dispensa" is a form of the verb "dispensar" ("to excuse"), so it is also a valid Portuguese word. Nevertheless, they claim "despensa" to be right and thus, by exclusion, "dispensa" to be wrong. Example 2: On the same TV show, they ask whether the correct form of writing is "refugar" or "refogar". They claim the correct form is "refugar". Very well, OK, but... "refogar" also exists! I was so confused that I even checked with two dictionaries, and right I am! Both words exist! "Refugar" refers to rejecting something, while "refogar" refers to something cooking related which I won't explain in English. Take my word for it, OK? Again, two answers are correct. What's the point of the TV show, I ask? Example 3: On the so called Bus TV: is the correct form of writing "mini-reportagem" or "minirreportagem"? ("reportagem" is kind of a news piece, and I believe you can guess what "mini" means) Personally, I thought the first answer would make more sense... According to them, the correct answer is the second one... I haven't checked this with anyone, but here comes the fun part: They proceed to explain why... Their reason? "The correct form is 'minirreportagem' because the first 'r' states that another consonant follows."
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... That's not right...
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... That's not even wrong...
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... WHY? Why on Earth???
