Wrongly used words - a pet hate

Applause from Herzog

The problem with SL: Too many uptight and anal people.

People aren't writing books when they text chat. They usually need to say something very quickly. Most people text chat exactly like they would casually speak and that leads to the misuse of words.

I will often misspell words in order to more accurately describe what I'm saying. If I am joking around or being light-hearted, I'll use words like anit or spell words out in a slang or verbally dialectic way (lovin' instead of loving).

However, I do not misuse words like then and than or their and there. I don't correct other people when they do it because normally they've made a simple mistake. They've typed too fast and hit enter before they could review what was written. I don't give these people hard time.

I think people who were raised on "proper English" often have a harder time distinguishing what other less educated or those who use slang by choice are trying to say. Those people who often speak in common parlance are better able to understand each other through the use of common speech patterns.

While I feel sorry for non-native speakers, it's not Americans who screw up the English language and I'm down right sick of you Euros always blaming Americans. You lot from across the pond can also be very bad with your use of the English language.

EDIT: Too many god damn pet peeves in this thread. People, get a life.

Yebbut, Plato didn't speak English.
Undoubtedly it is 'benefit of the doubt', though.

My pet peeve is your and you're. Your denoting 'belonging to you', whereas you're is an abbreviation of 'you are'. Thus: "You're correct Mr Plato. Your royalty cheque is in the post."

Someone's already mentioned the 'could care less' one. That makes NO sense.

--
Aes

Thanks, Kaimi. This is related to the frustration I have with the incorrect usage of "I" and "me." (I hope I didn't miss any posts about this.)

"I" - subject
"me" - object

"The paper had to be signed by Joseph and I." WRONG
"The paper had to be signed by Joseph and me." CORRECT

"a doubt" would mean one doubt out of many possible doubts. But doubt doesn't really work that way. Doubt is a less/more not a fewer/more. So you don't give a person leniency based on "one" doubt of a collective, you give them leniency based on the existence of *the* sum total doubt (singular). So it's "benefit of the doubt".

Conversely, the phrase "I have my doubts" is just horrible for the same reason.

Downright is one word, Pablo. Please desist from screwing with the Queen's English.

I apologize if this has been said already, but I was up late and had to be up early for a DJ shift. But surprise, surprise! The grid is down and I suddenly have free time and can barely see from waking up! I should probably go back to bed, but I'm on a crusade here.

Pet peeve, directed AT English native speakers and writers: misuse of apostrophes. Here's your lesson for the day:
If you are using a possessive (ie: that thing is MINE, HIS, or HERS) the apostrophe can be used. Example: That whatsamahoozits is Fred's thingie.

If you are not using a possessive, but rather a plural, don't use an apostrophe. Example: Those motorcycles on the track nearly ran me down! (This sentence should not read "Those motorcycle's on the track. . .)

You see the difference?

Another thing: Its and it's. Here's where English gets a little weird. Its is a possessive. Example: That turtle flipped off its own back by nudging the ground with its nose.

It's is a contraction meaning It Is. Example: It's now 7:42am and I am late for my DJ gig.

And please, for the love of God, learn proper use of plurals. If you have a word that ends in Y and you want to pluralize it, you add an IES at the end, and not a Y'S.

Example: I have fifty bunny's should actually read I have fifty bunnIES.

A little thought going into what you write goes a long way toward effective communication.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Johnny, your friendly neighborhood Grammar Nazi and Club DJ.

do not mistake sarcasm for complicity.

We British are da ones wot 'nvented yer aktal H'english lan-guuuage so wot we say is krekt, right!

Actually that's not really true as English is largely derived from Old Frisian and to a lesser extent, Norman French! Before those appeared with the Saxon and Norman invasions, Brithonic, a fore-runner of Welsh, was spoken throughout much of England by the mainly Celtic people who'd lived here since they invaded a few centuries before the Romans did.

Thank you.



I must admit that during the course of a fast conversation I make lots of typos and hope to be forgiven. But it is kind of fun to have a place to express some exasperation at the way people do misuse the language.

And the language spoken in the UK today is probably not identical to that spoken at the time that U.S. language began evolving into whatever it is today.

I'm sorry, you want the "Deviant" Thread. That's three aisles over.

Agreed. Once we used to say 'gotten' as became the norm in America, but now we say 'got'.

QFT. He who is railing against uptight people needs to Lighten Up.

*quirk brow* I nevah claimed was a direct quote, ya'll. And yes, I was answering my own question here. I know it's correct, but something about that phrase has always bothered me and looks wrong to my eye.

Then again, so does "apparently" and "judgment." Does anyone else have words or phrases that occasionally look weird to them, or is it just my neurotype? ^^

It's naming that anatomical parts of the car (sorry, automobile) that gets Brits and Americans into the biggest pickle!

speaking of plural...
Those whatamahoozits are Fred's things.

and -2 for using "thingie" like it's a word.

And some rare nouns do use an apostrophe in plural. Mostly when the noun is an acronym which has achieved the ubiquity of a word. "I have several CD's and DVD's all over my floor" is correct. Also, "the 80's" is correct.

I remember the one that my mom used to beg me to stop saying, "Where are you at?" It should be "Where are you?" period. But adding the at is so common around here that it's hard to resist acquiring the habit.

my brain refuses to accept that the word is not spelled "neccessarily".

would this be complaining about the complainer complaining about complainers complaining???

That sentence caused a matter-antimatter reaction. Please try again. ^^

I am always banging my head on the desk when I see there and their misused. Their car is nice. Lets go over there to look at it.

My problem is the regional terms. I get laughed at when I say "a sweater coat" or "dummie nipple". Another phase used here is "I joked you" instead of "I am joking"

lol, yes. of course that one would be 4AM before coffee

Oh chill. It's the AMERICANS that screw up most of the words shown in this thread. I live in Texas. Let's not pick on any particular nationality or group for this. Everyone botches grammar occasionally.

And it's just a fun little thread that actually is educational in the process.

The phrase we would use up here would be.."Cop a Mope".