Grammar and the Peeves that Pet It

Kirstie_H

Yes, and I wish we could skip the teething pains stage, but alas... it's like when anything technical changes. For example, every time Windows comes out with a new system, people hate it and want the old system. Eventually, that "new" system becomes the "old" system that people want to go back to. We'll all survive, and hopefully have some fun along the way.

Michaell

I've seen this forum over the years, but only yesterday did I decide to read through it.

From it, I decided to order "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" from Amazon (will arrive tomorrow).

I'm not a grammar wonk like some here, but I do try to be mindful of using the proper words and punctuation.

I admit I am a fan of parenthetical comments (see paragraph 2 above), and I've never had a problem with semi-colons and ellipses.

I learned early on in my professional career to avoid contractions - as a technical support person for computer software back in the late 80's and early 90's, the only method we had of dealing with our international clients was through fax machines. One of our customers was the Singaporean equivalent to the FBI, and when I used contractions in my faxes to them, they would respond with non comprehension.

One recent development I've seen within my company is the use of the prefix "re" being used with words it wasn't meant to be used with.

"We need to relook at this proposal", for example. Yikes!

stever

"A debate that has largely been settled in the US – since its inception in 1890, the US Board on Geographic Names has in most cases removed apostrophes – in Britain, it’s a perennial one.

Although punctuation is now safe in Cambridge, to many observers the brouhaha has bared a threat that looms greater than any single street sign: The English-speaking world is becoming laxer, and lazier about its language in a whirl of texts and 140-character tweets. Companies are dropping apostrophes to look “sleeker” on the web and students no longer know how to use a semi-colon."

An apoplexy over apostrophes in Cambridge, England (csmonitor.com)

fintail

That's probably being led by people who are tired of looking dumb. I see a lot of those who claim to be experienced and educated using an apostrophe to denote a plural word. It doesn't look good.

cdnpinhead

@fintail said:

It doesn't look good.

This is most certainly true. That said, the miniscule fraction of the American public that knows anything about grammar, punctuation and spelling is mostly indifferent, driven heavily by 140 characters and the notion that anyone who cares about this stuff is a, well, pick your poison: dinasour, irrelevant twit, scold, etc.

fintail

These days, not wanting to look like an idiot makes one something of a Luddite. I have no doubt my writing isn't grammatically perfect - but at least I can spell and use apostrophes.

Kirstie_H

@cdnpinhead said:
This is most certainly true. That said, the miniscule fraction of the American public that knows anything about grammar, punctuation and spelling is mostly indifferent, driven heavily by 140 characters and the notion that anyone who cares about this stuff is a, well, pick your poison: dinasour, irrelevant twit, scold, etc.

I think the term is "Grammar [non-permissible content removed]". It's a two-phase plan: first, you correct poor grammar/punctuation (or simply insist that you use it correctly yourself); then comes the inevitable genocide. Logical transition.

@fintail: agreed. It's become unfashionable in some circles to be or strive to be and present yourself as intelligent.

uplanderguy

I think being a good speller is in no small part due to having been an avid reader in one's youth. One rarely saw typos in newspapers or magazines then; in blogs they're almost commonplace today.

My spelling pet peeve: It's not 'judgement', it's 'judgment'.

One might find the former in the dictionary, but it'll be after 'judgment', and if with an 'e' was the preferred spelling, it'd be in the dictionary first. It isn't. You'll never see it in a professional book or paper spelled with an 'e' in the middle.

fintail

The blog world is something unto itself, and not in a good way. It has a lot of users who post from a mobile device, and the shorthand related to those seems to be a terminal disease. I suspect some kids these days have problems when they are in college and try to write papers.

Claires

@fintail said:
The blog world is something unto itself, and not in a good way. It has a lot of users who post from a mobile device, and the shorthand related to those seems to be a terminal disease. I suspect some kids these days have problems when they are in college and try to write papers.

I teach grad students at a local university. A few years back, administration actually floated the idea that the faculty should accept papers containing texting expressions, like "ur" and "pls". Their "thinking" was that these were rapidly becoming accepted as standard usage, and that students' ability to convey understanding of the course trumped their ability to write in standard English. The gnashing of teeth was so loud that the suggestion was shelved pretty quickly, but I'm not so sure it won't come up again.

fintail

Administration - just like so many of their counterparts in private sector management, they don't seem to have a clue about the real world. It may be standard usage for young people casually chatting on their phones, but if you use it when producing any business communication, you might not go far. I don't even use "ur" and "pls" when texting - it bugs me.

@Claire@Edmunds said:

stever

Buy from this dealer for piece of mind.

'Piece/Peace' typo on Gorman McCracken Volkswagen-Mazda's billboard leads to literacy donation (UPI)

fezo

I hope you gave the a peace of your mind.....

I was so proud of my wife who is nowhere near the grammar nut that I am. She came back from a store and noted that the sign for the express lane said10 items or fewer. I don't think I've ever seen that is a store. Maybe there's hope.

Vinrider

Friend of mine always uses the phrase "upper epsilon" and it makes me physically recoil in disgust.