Idea Vs. Ideal

As an English teacher in the South....I always instruct my students to use "idea" as a noun....and to use "ideal" as an adjective. I was taught that "idea" meant a thought and "ideal" meant a perfect situation. This is one of my pet peeves. However; I cannot tolerate when individuals say salmon incorrectly!!! The "l" is SILENT!

So, daniel owens - what's YOUR excuse for being on here?

Dittos, Warsaw Will! That was an ideal idea, to respond thus.

We humans are intellectual, you say i.e. having the capacity to understand, from Latin 'intellego' = understand from Latin 'leg-, lect-' = read, and Latin "inter" meaning between, or among. That's true enough. That is what makes our species home sapiens, or 'wise man', after all: we have the ability to understand things, and read between the lines to help do so. In other words to put two and two together. Dialectica.
But you say that you hares prefer to use the term 'ROTFLMSFAO or should it be ROTFFLOFSAO? where we humans use 'STUPID'. Well, if you say so; I'll have to take your word for it, as am not keen to join you in your burrow to verify your assertion, which seems a harmless enough one. I do not know the Latin of these words you say you prefer, as, from what you say, and the fact that they are wholly unpronounceable, they are in hare-speak. The Romans did not converse with hares, but they put them on the menu, where they had no need for a vocabulary, being totally skinned. (The hares, that is, not the Romans. Usually.)
The Latin roots of 'stupid' are stupeo, stupesco, stupidus, stupefacio, stupor, stupiditas, all having meanings to do with 'senseless, stunned (as you lot are in the headlights of an oncoming car), astounded, amazed, stupid and dull.
I have not replied to a cunicular correspondent before. Have you got Wi-Fi in your burrow? Until now I thought you lot just emitted shrill shrieks when alarmed. Certainly the tone of your remarks suggests a shrill shriek, or squeal. Happy hopping, when March comes round.

Now, if you describe us members of homo sapiens sapiens as 'intellectual', how do you describe your own species, caniculus incultus? Meanwhile I have forgotten what this discussion was meant to be about.

@Brus - ROFLMAO = Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off - not so much hare-speak as web-speak. No, I didn't know either, but I do have Google. I think we can imagine what the extra S and F might be. Incidentally, hares don't live in burrows but in 'forms', depressions of flattened grass.

My husband says ideal all the time. And I always ask tell him what do you deal? And then I ask him if he means idea. And that ideal does not mean the same thing as idea.

Seems to me there are probably many cases in which either word would be correct, depending on the meaning intended.
For example:
When it came to human flight,Leo was driven by his ideals. (his lofty aims, his asperation towards perfection)
When it came to human flight,Leo was driven by his ideas. (the creations in his mind, his unformed plans)
And so on. That's my view, could well be wrong.

I've heard so many people use Ideal for Idea, I began to doubt myself,and looked it up,

I work with someone who says ideal instead of idea. She is very educated and smart but she has odd pronunciations for a few words. She is aware of it and says it's a regional thing. (She's from Central Ohio and most Central Ohio people don't pronounce it that way though).

My grandma pronounced it idear and was from a New York Jewish community.

"ideal" can be found in "As Bill Sees it" pg 172 'This Matter of Honesty' Stated as "Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be." Or, as another stated, it means as another has stated, it means something that is perfect or close to perfection" This makes sense then.

Apparently this was extracted from "Letter, 1966"
I am currently trying to find its meaning. I gather it is another way to right 'idea?'

I think I have an understanding of ideal now. Thanks guys (and gals.)

sumbee,

I’ve lived in Southern Indiana all my life and rarely do I hear the word ideal used in place of idea from an area resident. I have, however, heard it quite frequently in a small pocket of
Bullitt County, Ky in which the northern area is considered Louisville. Just saying.

Well I suppose I did need a proofreader as I meant to address my comment to sumshee not sumbee

If you know what they mean, get over it. We’ve all butchered the English language before. I have a great idea, stop acting like you’re so perfect!

If you know what they mean, get over it. We’ve all butchered the English language before. I have a great idea, stop acting like you’re so perfect. I ain’t got time for this. Lol

The fact that President Obama and VP Harris says this for “idea” is scary and Obama is a good speaker. Not sure why people think it’s the correct word. Ideal mean situation is as perfect as it can get. Idea is just a thought (a light bulb).

My solution to a problem has to be ideal or I would not offer my opinion.