# typo that is ubiquitous here on TPF for some reason



## The_Traveler (Jul 27, 2014)

Paid _vs_ payed


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## 480sparky (Jul 27, 2014)

Few people today care about using proper pronunciation, spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.  They just bang on the buttons of their keyboard or smart device and leave it to the reader to sort out what they are trying to say.  And with the next generation so spoon-fed by technology, it will only get worse.

There's a difference between "Helping my Uncle, Jack, off his horse," and "helping my uncle jack off his horse".  Sadly, kids these days don't care.


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## snowbear (Jul 27, 2014)

The list goes on: to/too, lens/lense, there/their . . .

I once read "Grammar is the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you're sh*t."


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## annamaria (Jul 27, 2014)

480sparky said:


> Few people today care about using proper pronunciation, spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.  They just bang on the buttons of their keyboard or smart device and leave it to the reader to sort out what they are trying to say.  And with the next generation so spoon-fed by technology, it will only get worse.  There's a difference between "Helping my Uncle, Jack, off his horse," and "helping my uncle jack off his horse".  Sadly, kids these days don't care.



Sparky I had to laugh, but so true!


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## 480sparky (Jul 27, 2014)

On an electricians' forum, I see a lot who don't know the difference between arc, ark and arch, as well as site, cite and sight.


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## CAP (Jul 27, 2014)

No computer can help you with 9000 level College English writing formats like MLA and APA and CPT...


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## limr (Jul 27, 2014)

snowbear said:


> The list goes on: to/too, lens/lense, there/their . . .
> 
> I once read "Grammar is the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you're sh*t."



lose/loose
its/it's
using apostrophes for plurals

You're right. The list can go on.


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## Derrel (Jul 27, 2014)

Hey, let's eat Grandpa!

Hey, let's eat, Grandpa!

Yes, paid, payed. The proper per se as opposed to per say. The list of common word usage errors is lengthy. One I find interesting is defiantly as opposed to definitely. One I see commonly used is "your welcome". Ack! Not you're welcome, but your welcome. And I do not mean as in, "You have worn our your welcome."

Ahhh...where is James J. Kilpatrick when we need him? Oh, yeah, that's right, he's been worm food for years now.


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## mmaria (Jul 27, 2014)

oh oh oh wait... 

Before this goes any further I just want to know one thing: "Do you forgive me for my grammar?" :blushing:


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## sm4him (Jul 27, 2014)

Much of what I do professionally is editorial work. So I definitely (NOT defiantly) agree with you.

There are myriad examples of the egregious decline in our ability to use grammar correctly; if I get started, I'm afraid I could spend the rest of the day on a rant about it.

Since Lew is specifically talking about one he sees on TPF often, I'll add (in addition to "defiantly"):
*Amateur* is someone who does something for pleasure rather than as a job.
*Armature* has two meanings--neither of them make it a synonym for amateur.


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## sm4him (Jul 27, 2014)

mmaria said:


> oh oh oh wait...
> 
> Before this goes any further I just want to know one thing: "Do you forgive me for my grammar?" :blushing:



I give great allowance to those for whom English is not their first language. English can be a difficult language to learn, and I find that most ESL individuals actually do a remarkable job, because they are typically fairly diligent to do their best (and I would include you in that group). My issues are with those who were born here, raised here, learned the language AND the grammar, but are simply too lazy and disinterested to even attempt being grammatically correct.


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## runnah (Jul 27, 2014)




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## 480sparky (Jul 27, 2014)

_"I could care less!"
_

Really?  Let me know when you do, since most people *couldn't* care less.


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## mmaria (Jul 27, 2014)

sm4him said:


> mmaria said:
> 
> 
> > oh oh oh wait...
> ...



I'm actually very satisfied because everything mentioned above is not something I personally do, I don't make those mistakes they're-their, lose-loose. to-too and similar. Those are really some basics that you simply "learn and know". Even though English isn't my language I do notice those mistakes and I am bothered with them. 

Do I have the right to be bothered by that? No, because I make bigger mistakes. But then again, that really is the problem. Those mistakes are so minor that I can't comprehend how people don't care. 

It's not just about English for me, of course. I'm also sensitive about that kind of grammar mistakes people make in my own language and if I was better in German (English is self taught, German I learned in school), it would be the same. 

Got to add, sorry... I was so pis*ed of on Friday because three people (freshly from College) don't know basics and I had to correct them again before publishing what they wrote and corrected two times before I decided to accept.

:hug:: for underlined part


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## limr (Jul 27, 2014)

First of all, maria - you are not only forgiven for your English, but you should also be applauded for your English! 

Second:



480sparky said:


> _"I could care less!"
> _Really?  Let me know when you do, since most people *couldn't* care less.



I don't want to get started on this. It's not a mistake. The criticism of it is nothing more than selective hyper-literalism about language that is simply false.


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## mmaria (Jul 27, 2014)

limr said:


> First of all, maria - you are not only forgiven for your English, but you should also be applauded for your English!


 oh :blushing:

you just say that because you like me  


:hug::


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## Designer (Jul 27, 2014)

mmaria said:


> oh oh oh wait...
> 
> Before this goes any further I just want to know one thing: "Do you forgive me for my grammar?" :blushing:



HA!  Your'e one of us now, so NO!  

:hug::


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## mmaria (Jul 27, 2014)

Designer said:


> mmaria said:
> 
> 
> > oh oh oh wait...
> ...


awwwwwwwwwwwww

This was a really nice end of my evening! :hug::

My Sunday is over... 

I hope I'll have some interesting things in this thread to read tomorrow morning


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## keyseddie (Jul 27, 2014)

As a writer, I would rather lose a toenail than use incorrect grammar or misspell a word. I usually have a thesaurus window open when I write, even for simple emails.


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## KmH (Jul 27, 2014)

People are rapidly loosing writing skills by relying on computers and software.
It can also be said that to many people don't effectively use the software tools available to them. like a spell/grammar checker.

One I see a lot here on the forums is the use of advise when the writer means advice.


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## keyseddie (Jul 27, 2014)

KmH said:


> People are rapidly loosing writing skills rapidly by relying on computers and software.
> 
> One I see a lot here on the forums is the use of advise when the writer means advice.


Did you proofread that first sentence?:mrgreen:
Or even more cringe worthy, advices.


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## Derrel (Jul 27, 2014)

KmH said:


> People are rapidly loosing writing skills by relying on computers and software.
> It can also be said that to many people don't effectively use the software tools available to them. like a spell/grammar checker.
> 
> One I see a lot here on the forums is the use of advise when the writer means advice.



I hope there's a tongue firmly planted in a cheek to justify the multiple mistakes in your post, KmH. ;-)


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## 480sparky (Jul 27, 2014)




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## sm4him (Jul 27, 2014)

keyseddie said:


> As a writer, I would rather lose a toenail than use incorrect grammar or misspell a word. I usually have a thesaurus window open when I write, even for simple emails.



Interesting that you mention this. I actually DID lose a toenail last Thursday night. Stubbed my big toe so hard that the entire nail came off.
Turns out, I would really rather have made an error in my grammar. 
(P.S. I am not making that up. And yes, it hurt. It hurt A LOT (but not alot).


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## Designer (Jul 27, 2014)

mmaria said:


> awwwwwwwwwwwww
> 
> This was a really nice end of my evening! :hug::
> 
> ...



Nighty-night!  Sleep tight!  Don't let the bedbugs bite!


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## petrochemist (Jul 27, 2014)

As this is an international site, imperfect English is only to be expected. 
Things are made more complicated still by Americans misspelling words like 'Colour'


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## limr (Jul 27, 2014)

petrochemist said:


> As this is an international site, imperfect English is only to be expected.
> Things are made more complicated still by Americans misspelling words like 'Colour'



No one is complaining about the errors made by non-native speakers of English. It's the NATIVE speakers who should know better that are making these mistakes.

And no, let's not start with "misspellings" that are simply regional variations. There's no need for that kind of cultural imperialism.


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## cynicaster (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> First of all, maria - you are not only forgiven for your English, but you should also be applauded for your English!
> 
> Second:
> 
> ...



To attribute hatred of I could care less to hyper-literalism seems like an attempt to gloss over an obvious blunder with a fancy-sounding term.   

There is a difference between wittingly using an inversion of literal sense for the sake of sarcasm or cheekiness, and doing the same because youre just too careless (or dense) to hear and repeat a phrase correctly. 

It all comes down to whether you pledge allegiance to prescription or description in language.  If you want to say I could care less then go for itlots of people will tell you its acceptable and lots of people will tell you its not.  But please, dont try to make it sound like we have anything resembling a consensus on this among English usage commentators. 

For the record, count me among those who would sooner die than be caught uttering the phrase I could care less in situations where the exact opposite is the intended meaning.


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## The_Traveler (Jul 28, 2014)

Never expect someone educated as a linguist to be prescriptive about language. My experience is that they expect language to change and want to be around to see it and figure out why.  It gives them something to do.
- and they might even try to speed the process along by labeling those who like language to, if not stay as it was, to mean what it says; 'selective hyper-literalism' is the occasional unwillingness to recognize an idiom for what it is.

When I read something that makes sense only when spoken with an ironic tone, I realize the idiom and recognize the idiot speaking.


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## Designer (Jul 28, 2014)

Many of the errors we have been discussing ( and others) are used regularly by the talking heads on TV.  Those people are getting paid to read the news, so you'd think they might consider themselves professional speakers, and as such would exhibit some professional pride in doing their jobs well.


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## cynicaster (Jul 28, 2014)

Designer said:


> Many of the errors we have been discussing ( and others) are used regularly by the talking heads on TV.  Those people are getting paid to read the news, so you'd think they might consider themselves professional speakers, and as such would exhibit some professional pride in doing their jobs well.



Three words: "begs the question".


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## runnah (Jul 28, 2014)

Grammar is just an elitist tool to keep the common man down!


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## The_Traveler (Jul 28, 2014)

runnah said:


> Grammar is just an elitist tool to keep the common man down!



well,  it's not working well enough


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## JacaRanda (Jul 28, 2014)

Where does the photographer that had horrible books, horrible teachers, horrible schools, horrible parents and a horrible environment fit in?  Born and raised in America.

Use TPF for grammar and photography lessons?


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## runnah (Jul 28, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> runnah said:
> 
> 
> > Grammar is just an elitist tool to keep the common man down!
> ...



What we lack in grammar we make up for in numbers.


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

cynicaster said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > Many of the errors we have been discussing ( and others) are used regularly by the talking heads on TV.  Those people are getting paid to read the news, so you'd think they might consider themselves professional speakers, and as such would exhibit some professional pride in doing their jobs well.
> ...



Ugh, that drives me crazy! Everyone uses this phrase wrong. They think it means "raise the question."

The other thing that bothers me is: "If I would have told him to move, Uncle Harold would not have ruined my shot." This is wrong, The "would have" form belongs in the independent clause, not the conditional dependent clause. "If I HAD TOLD him to move, Uncle Harold would not have ruined my shot." Let's not even get into "would of"...


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## mmaria (Jul 28, 2014)

I hope I get this right: 

I like this thread. I hope I'll learn something. Thank you!


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

cynicaster said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> > First of all, maria - you are not only forgiven for your English, but you should also be applauded for your English!
> ...



No, the term actually _means_ something. It means that people decide that language is supposed to be completely logical and mean every single thing that it says, nothing more, nothing less. But of course, they only claim this for certain phrases that happen to bug them. Does anyone have problems with idiom such as _at the end of the day? Step up to the plate? Raining cats and dogs? _It took me _forever_? Other than them being overused cliches, does anyone suddenly get their panties up in a bunch and say, "But you're not _literally_ stepping up to the plate, so I think it's totally wrong and idiotic to say that!" And yet, everyone is up in arms about a colloquialism that they have decided is "wrong" because *gasp* _it doesn't mean exactly what it says! It's illogical! Unclean! _

The fact is that language doesn't work in a logical fashion. Grammar rules and *especially *usage patterns do not always follow neat, predictable, rigid rules.



> There is a difference between wittingly using an inversion of literal sense *for the sake of sarcasm or cheekiness*, and doing the same because you&#8217;re just too careless (or dense) to hear and repeat a phrase correctly.



Where do you think it comes from? "What, I could care less?"



> It all comes down to whether you pledge allegiance to prescription or description in language.  If you want to say &#8220;I could care less&#8221; then go for it&#8212;lots of people will tell you it&#8217;s acceptable and lots of people will tell you it&#8217;s not.  But please, don&#8217;t try to make it sound like we have anything resembling a consensus on this among English usage commentators.



Never said there was a consensus. I just said that it's not accurate to say that the phrase is wrong. It might not fit into a limited number of English grammatical rules that have become the canon that is "Standard English" but it's not a sign of ignorance or laziness when people do not use Standard English.



> For the record, count me among those who would sooner die than be caught uttering the phrase &#8220;I could care less&#8221; in situations where the exact opposite is the intended meaning.



Knock yourself out. (Don't worry, I don't mean that literally.)


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## JacaRanda (Jul 28, 2014)

Oh oh oh oh.  I don't see it on TPF, but what about 'also too' or 'also to'?  I hear it often, so often, that I wonder if it's correct.


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## astroNikon (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> cynicaster said:
> 
> 
> > Designer said:
> ...



would of .... could of .. should of ..

as least I didn't type "to many" whilst heralding the simplicity of software tools.  :mrgreen:


fyi ... the english language in the U.S. is so scattered .. there's southern, bostonian, texan, georgian, californian valley girl .. ugh ... too many.  Or is that "to many"?


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## 480sparky (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> cynicaster said:
> 
> 
> > limr said:
> ...



Well, since the language apparently has no rules, I have no idea what you're trying to say.  You could mean one thing, but you could mean another.  I don't know, it's hard to tell since there's no rules.

That said.............where's the bacon?


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## cynicaster (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> No, the term actually _means_ something. It means that people decide that language is supposed to be completely logical and mean every single thing that it says, nothing more, nothing less. But of course, they only claim this for certain phrases that happen to bug them. Does anyone have problems with idiom such as _at the end of the day? Step up to the plate? Raining cats and dogs? _It took me _forever_? Other than them being overused cliches, does anyone suddenly get their panties up in a bunch and say, "But you're not _literally_ stepping up to the plate, so I think it's totally wrong and idiotic to say that!" And yet, everyone is up in arms about a colloquialism that they have decided is "wrong" because *gasp* _it doesn't mean exactly what it says! It's illogical! Unclean! _


_

_Obviously you know your English, so I'm surprised you're trying to use these other examples to lend legitimacy to "I could care less".  Yes, they are all "non-literal" sayings that enjoy general acceptance, but they are also deliberately coined phrases that happened to catch on.  Not so with "I could care less", which is quite clearly a misspoken phrase that somehow picked up steam (probably because it's easier to say than the phrase it bastardizes).  



> The fact is that language doesn't work in a logical fashion. Grammar rules and *especially *usage patterns do not always follow neat, predictable, rigid rules.



I agree 100%, but just because non-literal sayings _can_ be valid does not mean that  we must accept all of them as valid.  Some things fly and some don't.   Lots of people are of the opinion that "I could care less" doesn't fly, and for very good reason.  

Agree to disagree, I guess.


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

cynicaster said:


> Agree to disagree, I guess.



I'm going to leave it at that.

Edited: Okay, I lied.

Idiomatic expressions are not deliberate in the way you suggest. It's not like some committee sits down and writes new idiomatic expressions. They can arise from many different situations, some more deliberate like metaphors, but others because yes, someone misheard or misspoke, or just made some **** up that makes no sense at all but people like it, understand the reference, and keep using it.

Some idiomatic expressions just bother people, though, and those are the target of scorn whereas other just-as-cringe-worthy expressions are left alone. Some have a stigma attached almost immediately and it never quite goes away.

From http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm



> In these cases people have tried to apply logic, and it has failed them. Attempts to be logical about _I could care less_ also fail. Taken literally, if one could care less, then one must care at least a little, which is obviously the opposite of what is meant. It is so clearly logical nonsense that to condemn it for being so (as some commentators have done) misses the point. The intent is obviously sarcastic &#8212; the speaker is really saying, &#8220;As if there was something in the world that I care less about&#8221;.
> 
> However, this doesn&#8217;t explain how it came about in the first place. Something caused the negative to vanish even while the original form of the expression was still very much in vogue and available for comparison. Stephen Pinker, in_The Language Instinct_, points out that the pattern of intonation in the two versions is very different.
> 
> ...



There are plenty of illogical phrases in any language, English is no exception; some just have a social stigma attached to them and this is clearly one of them. That's not going to change, nor do I expect it to change. But linguistically, there's nothing about _could care less _that distinguishes it from any other illogical idiomatic expression. And yet, there's no outcry about "Tell me about it!" which functionally means _exactly the opposite of what it says._

Yes, I'm generally a descriptivist. That doesn't mean that I don't have my grammar pet peeves. I obviously do because I just complained about some of them in this very thread. It just means that I understand that like it or not, language is going to change. That's because it is inherently a human construct and it is tied to behavior and cognition, and humans are fickle little bastards.


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

480sparky said:


> Well, since the language apparently has no rules, I have no idea what you're trying to say.  You could mean one thing, but you could mean another.  I don't know, it's hard to tell since there's no rules.
> 
> That said.............where's the bacon?



So, in other words, TL;DR?


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## 480sparky (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Well, since the language apparently has no rules, I have no idea what you're trying to say.  You could mean one thing, but you could mean another.  I don't know, it's hard to tell since there's no rules.
> ...



Maybe... I'm not sure.


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

480sparky said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> > 480sparky said:
> ...



Don't worry your pretty little head. Just go make me a sammich :mrgreen:


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## runnah (Jul 28, 2014)

Well I feel that since this forum is a place for fun and not a resume or essay I think a few errors should be tolerated.


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

runnah said:


> Well I feel that since this forum is a place for fun and not a resume or essay I think a few errors should be tolerated.



I agree. The errors that bother me here are unfortunately the same ones that I see in a lot of academic writing where they should _not_ be tolerated   But your point is quite correct: it is important to remember context.

(Edited: Though I will say that I do wish some would pay just a little bit more attention to things that can affect the clarity of their writing. Punctuation for example. It can be difficult to follow someone's ideas if they write an entire paragraph and never use any punctuation. I don't have anyone specific in mind, but I have seen a few posts like that and I just won't read them. Would it kill people to throw in a few sentence breaks once in a while?  )


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## runnah (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> I agree. The errors that bother me here are unfortunately the same ones that I see in a lot of academic writing where they should not be tolerated   But your point is quite correct: it is important to remember context.



Well and it's hard, unless you are writing every day your skills can slip. For my job I never have to write anything more complicated than an email.


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## snerd (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm two scared too say something.   

:er:


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

runnah said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> > I agree. The errors that bother me here are unfortunately the same ones that I see in a lot of academic writing where they should not be tolerated   But your point is quite correct: it is important to remember context.
> ...



Yeah, I get that. I'm talking about students, however, who are writing tons of essays each week, not just for me but for other professors. You'd think they would be in the swing of things  I meant that I will correct errors in my students' work because in THAT context, there is less tolerance and the errors annoy me when I _specifically tell them _to please correct x, y, and x" and they don't. But here? I might wince once in a while, but I'm certainly not going to go all grammar nazi on anyone because as long as it doesn't interfere with the message, then it's not as important. 

(And believe me, I'm more forgiving than a lot of other professors. One of my former students - non-native speaker, mind you, and quite good - who got a paper back from one of her other professors a few semesters after she left my class. History, sociology, something like that. She had a few mistakes but it was nothing egregious. What did he write on the paper? "This isn't English!" I wanted to shove the paper down his throat.)


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

snerd said:


> I'm two scared too say something.
> 
> :er:



Shhhh, it's okay I'll protect ya


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## JacaRanda (Jul 28, 2014)

snerd said:


> I'm two scared too say something.
> 
> :er:



:lmao::study::study:

I am guilty of just being lazy at times, in combination with simply being too tired to give a ratsasss (where is he?).  However, I do feel like a fool when I catch my mistakes; most often right after I click.....doggonit!


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## 480sparky (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> snerd said:
> 
> 
> > I'm two scared too say something.
> ...





Or maybe not.  We don't know. :er:


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## limr (Jul 28, 2014)

JacaRanda said:


> snerd said:
> 
> 
> > I'm two scared too say something.
> ...



9 times out of ten, the reason why I edit my posts is because of some silly mistake I just caught after posting.

And yeah, where's ratssass? HE would make me a sammich!


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## snerd (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm torn. I'm a grammar nazi too. But I'm also beginning to realize that language "does" change. I don't like it............ I like hard and fast rules when it comes to how we communicate. I was taught how to speak and write by the rules applicable at that time. (No smart-ass remarks by you whipper-snappers about the stone-age here!) But whatever prevails, I pretty much like all of you guys and gals.

ETA: I'm always editing my posts too. I usually see something wrong when I read it after posting. Like i  the reply above........... that should probably be "whichever" prevails, huh?


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## runnah (Jul 28, 2014)

snerd said:


> I'm torn. I'm a grammar nazi too. But I'm also beginning to realize that language "does" change. I don't like it............ I like hard and fast rules when it comes to how we communicate. I was taught how to speak and write by the rules applicable at that time. (No smart-ass remarks by you whipper-snappers about the stone-age here!) But whatever prevails, I pretty much like all of you guys and gals.  ETA: I'm always editing my posts too. I usually see something wrong when I read it after posting. Like i  the reply above........... that should probably be "whichever" prevails, huh?



Well when you have to use a hammer and chisel to write you tend to get thing right the first time.


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## snerd (Jul 28, 2014)

runnah said:


> snerd said:
> 
> 
> > I'm torn. I'm a grammar nazi too. But I'm also beginning to realize that language "does" change. I don't like it............ I like hard and fast rules when it comes to how we communicate. I was taught how to speak and write by the rules applicable at that time. (No smart-ass remarks by you whipper-snappers about the stone-age here!) But whatever prevails, I pretty much like all of you guys and gals.  ETA: I'm always editing my posts too. I usually see something wrong when I read it after posting. Like i  the reply above........... that should probably be "whichever" prevails, huh?
> ...



Geezers get a pass. You'll note I specified whipper-snappers.


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## The_Traveler (Jul 28, 2014)

limr said:


> Ugh, that drives me crazy! Everyone uses this phrase wrong. They think it means "raise the question."
> 
> The other thing that bothers me is: "If I would have told him to move,  Uncle Harold would not have ruined my shot." This is wrong, The "would  have" form belongs in the independent clause, not the conditional  dependent clause. "If I HAD TOLD him to move, Uncle Harold would not  have ruined my shot." Let's not even get into "would of"...






limr said:


> No, the term actually _means_ something. It means that people decide that language is supposed to be completely logical and mean every single thing that it says, nothing more, nothing less. But of course, they only claim this for certain phrases that happen to bug them. Does anyone have problems with idiom such as _at the end of the day? Step up to the plate? Raining cats and dogs? _It took me _forever_? Other than them being overused cliches, does anyone suddenly get their panties up in a bunch and say, "But you're not _literally_ stepping up to the plate, so I think it's totally wrong and idiotic to say that!" And yet, everyone is up in arms about a colloquialism that they have decided is "wrong" because *gasp* _it doesn't mean exactly what it says! It's illogical! Unclean! _
> 
> The fact is that language doesn't work in a logical fashion. Grammar rules and *especially *usage patterns do not always follow neat, predictable, rigid rules.


 





> It all comes down to whether you pledge allegiance to prescription or description in language.  If you want to say &#8220;I could care less&#8221; then go for it&#8212;lots of people will tell you it&#8217;s acceptable and lots of people will tell you it&#8217;s not.  But please, don&#8217;t try to make it sound like we have anything resembling a consensus on this among English usage commentators.





limr said:


> Never said there was a consensus. *I just said that it's not accurate to say that the phrase is wrong. It might not fit into a limited number of English grammatical rules that have become the canon that is "Standard English"* but it's not a sign of ignorance or laziness when people do not use Standard English.



Selective something?


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## Derrel (Jul 28, 2014)

I am a lousy by-sight typist, and some of the letters are wearing off on this keyboard, and I have ever worsening vision as middle age advances on me yearly, but even worse, my eyesight fluctuates, depending on my blood-sugar levels, day to day, and even throughout the day on far too many days, so I make a lot of silly typos basically because I cannot SEE what the f*** I am doing when I type. I have five different eyeglass prescriptions, one of which I will wear, depending on the day. Some days I wake up and I can see pretty well...other days it's like, whoa...gonna' be wearing the black-frame nerd glasses with the 5 year-old 'scrip lenses this morning...

My kid once asked me, "Why do you have this big cigar box with all these pairs of glasses in it,Dad? Mom only has one pair!"


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## pgriz (Jul 28, 2014)

There are many ways to arrive at bad grammer in a language which is one's mother tongue:  laziness, ignorance, lack of education (not the same as ignorance), lack of caring, and various neurological conditions that mess up the brain's word processing.  There are also large fingers on tiny keyboards, premature "enter", and apps without spelling/thesaurus help.  And if you're a lazy, unschooled, uncaring, dyslexic with big fingers and spastic entry technique, you have my profound sympathy.  

On the other hand, strict adherence to the rules (formulas), tends to displace the attention to the content by that of form, and diminishes the liberating effects of deliberate mis-spelling and clever grammatical anarchy - if it ain't dis, then it be dat.  Sometimes, there's nothing as apropos as an invented word - witness Derrel's use of "embiggen" in one of his posts on seeing images in full size.  Keeping in mind that "English" is a fermenting amalgam of multiple languages and cultural traditions and references, flavoured by regional idiosyncracies, and undergoing very powerful pressures from technology (kwim anyone?). it's rather amazing that we can still all kinda communicate.

"English" is also a language which is evolving faster than many other languages.  Of the languages that I'm familiar with, the non-English ones often borrow english terms to express what is not yet common currency in THAT language, or at least, doesn't have the same connotations.  Je vous souhaite un bon weekend.  It is, however a two-way street, as English seems to pick up "foreign" terms with the same abandon that snow-balls have for growing as they roll down a snowy hill.  

Who can figure out which languages contributed which words in the text below?

If you live in the boondocks, then probably your bungalow does not have a sauna for you to soak your stress away.  You may have, however, a nice balcony on which you can gaze at your yacht, or if low on lucre, then a kayak or a dingy.  Perhaps your contemplation will be aided by a little tea with lemon, or perhaps something stronger and alcoholic &#8211; a pina colada, or sake, or gin.


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## snerd (Jul 28, 2014)

Derrel said:


> ........... My kid once asked me, "Why do you have this big cigar box with all these pairs of glasses in it,Dad? Mom only has one pair!"



My grandson was watching me shave awhile back. He asked me why I shaved my ears. I said what, doesn't everybody?!


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## pgriz (Jul 28, 2014)

snerd said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > ........... My kid once asked me, "Why do you have this big cigar box with all these pairs of glasses in it,Dad? Mom only has one pair!"
> ...



He may have a point if you ONLY shaved your ears....  :mrgreen:


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## astroNikon (Jul 28, 2014)

snerd said:


> I'm two scared too say something.
> 
> :er:


I two


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## mmaria (Jul 29, 2014)

pgriz said:


> "English" is also a language which is evolving faster than many other languages.  Of the languages that I'm familiar with, the non-English ones often borrow english terms to express what is not yet common currency in THAT language, or at least, doesn't have the same connotations.  Je vous souhaite un bon weekend.  It is, however a two-way street, as English seems to pick up "foreign" terms with the same abandon that snow-balls have for growing as they roll down a snowy hill.


I know I know, this isn't about English, so just skip it.

My language has been changing tremendously in the past 15 years, due some really unpleasant political happenings- blah blah blah (is that proper English?) and it's a pain to watch those silly changes.
I don't know why I was always so interested in language, if I didn't then these changes wouldn't bothering me that much. But using a new, completely silly word instead of something we had used for centuries is.... just stupid! And it's not about just a word or two. They changed some major grammar rules also. 

It was funny to watch TV anchors presenting news during the first few years... No one could get used to those changes that quickly. They were publishing books with a new word in title, and then, the second edition of that same book would be with the old word because it wasn't accepted by public... and so on...

Any kind of language will evolve and change, it's a fact, but what's happening with my language is a crime. They produced three languages out of one, which has been pretty good btw.


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## Designer (Jul 29, 2014)

mmaria said:


> .. using a new, completely silly word instead of something we had used for centuries is.... just stupid! And it's not about just a word or two. They changed some major grammar rules also.



Man!  I HATE when that happens!


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## The_Traveler (Jul 29, 2014)

mmaria said:


> My language has been changing tremendously in the past 15 years, due some really unpleasant political happenings- blah blah blah (is that proper English?) and it's a pain to watch those silly changes.
> I don't know why I was always so interested in language, if I didn't then these changes wouldn't bothering me that much. But using a new, completely silly word instead of something we had used for centuries is.... just stupid! And it's not about just a word or two. They changed some major grammar rules also.
> 
> It was funny to watch TV anchors presenting news during the first few years... No one could get used to those changes that quickly. They were publishing books with a new word in title, and then, the second edition of that same book would be with the old word because it wasn't accepted by public... and so on...
> ...



some examples would be really interesting.


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## Designer (Jul 29, 2014)

The_Traveler said:


> some examples would be really interesting.



Yeah!  Come to think of it, I don't recall your ever having disclosed your country or your first language.  I wonder why that is?


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## mmaria (Jul 29, 2014)

Designer said:


> The_Traveler said:
> 
> 
> > some examples would be really interesting.
> ...


 it's unnecessary info and complicated subject.

When I have enough time and figure out how to say a few things in the most simple way I'll pm you.


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