I do find it rather amusing to hear someone say, "I was thinking in my head."

I am left wondering if there are times when they think in someone else's head. Or, perhaps they do their thinking from another part of their anatomy.

Simply stating "I was thinking" is sufficient.

-- ROBERT MATCHETT, Zelienople

My single most irritating word usage has to do with the letter "L." So many people in southwestern Pennsylvania tend to drop them.

As in "Pennsyvania." Our former governor and current governor both pronounce it that way.

I grew up in the small Fayette County town of Connellsville. For reasons I cannot fathom, nearly everyone who lives there -- and even the radio announcers! -- say "Connesville." Some weather people on local TV are also guilty.

Let's hear it for the "L"!

-- MARY ELABARGER, Bethel Park

I am concerned with the media's tendency to label any scandal with the suffix "-gate."

It won't be long before some survey finds that 90 percent of high school seniors believe that "Watergate" refers to some scandal that involved the Department of Water and Power.

-- RICHARD WOLFE, Castle Shannon

Ever noticed the increasing usage of "is-is"? It drives me to distraction, and it is getting more and more use in spoken communication.

For example: "The reason they do that is -- is that they simply don't know any better."

What's wrong with, "The reason they do that is that they simply don't know any better"?

-- PAUL PATTERSON, Scott

Not that anyone -- at least anyone in front of me at the supermarket line -- pays attention ... but it's "10 Items or FEWER" not "10 Items or Less"!

-- JEFFREY V. MARTIN, German Township, Fayette County

A query for our local newscasters and the early morning traffic reporters:

What exactly is "real time travel time"?

I am not aware of ever hearing "unreal" travel time, or "fake" travel time, so why do they need to use the phrase "real time travel time?" Why would they ever give us anything but the "real time travel time," as they believe it to be?

And another thing: The most useless TV segue going is one reporter leading in to the next reporter's story -- and the second reporter saying, "That's right, [name]" and then repeating the story line!

Why is it necessary to validate the previous reporter's lead line on the story by use of the verbally useless and irritating, "That's right, Andrew" or "That's right, Sally" etc.?

Now if from time to time, we heard "NO, that's not right, Biff," then perhaps justification of the unnecessary verbally useless "that's right" would be understandable. But until then, spare us, please.

-- AL VACCARO, Sewickley

I would like to educate all you people out there who don't know how to pronounce the name of the dog that hails from China called the Shih Tzu.

One hint: Don't pronounce the "T."

The correct way to say the name of the breed is: Sheed-zoo. This is the first pronunciation given in my dictionary.

If you must pronounce the "T," precede it with the sound of a long "E." (Sheet-soo is the second pronunciation.)

I feel so much better having gotten this off my chest.

-- LOIS G. LYONS, West Mifflin