What's Your No. 1 Grammar Pet Peeve?

@hawkeye10,

What rule number is it that deems it wrong to use text language here at A2K, Hawkeye?

@JTT,

Quote:

There's nothing wrong with four of the five "grammar problems" you've laid out above.

So, the implication here is that there IS something wrong with one of the four. (You have yet to answer which one.) If so, then I can only ask WHY is there something wrong with that one? Apparently it deviates from some norm or rule or "prescriptive" that you DO find valid.
Seems to me that your choice of which rules are valid and which are not, is completely arbitrary. You spout all these quotations, with the same dogmatic zeal as a religious fundamentalist quoting scripture; as if it's already a given that your listeners view them with the same authority as you do, and as if only a hopeless dolt could fail to agree with you. And yet you claim not to be condescending. What you don't seem to understand it that nobody is here to try to reconstruct the English language, nor prevent anybody from using it any way they like. We're just here to have fun.

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@rydinearth,

rydinearth, it's been great to read your posts here.

Please continue to post here (on this thread and at A2K generally).

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

I agree wholeheartedly with you, ehBeth. Please do continue to post here on any and all topics, Rydinearth.

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@rydinearth,

Quote:

So, the implication here is that there IS something wrong with one of the four. (You have yet to answer which one.)

I did reply to this one, Rydinearth.

Quote:

If so, then I can only ask WHY is there something wrong with that one? Apparently it deviates from some norm or rule or "prescriptive" that you DO find valid. Seems to me that your choice of which rules are valid and which are not, is completely arbitrary

Please read the following:

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001843.html

Quote:

We're just here to have fun.

I don't consider it fun, advisable or smart to poke fun at others based on spurious notions, Rydinearth.

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@JTT,

Quote:

What rule number is it that deems it wrong to use text language here at A2K, Hawkeye?

who said anything about rules??? I said that I don't like it. What that means is that I am not likely to read text code, it takes too long for me to decode it into english.

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@JTT,

Quote:

Quote:

So, the implication here is that there IS something wrong with one of the four. (You have yet to answer which one.)

I did reply to this one, Rydinearth.

You're right. I stand corrected. I hadn't noticed your response when I posted. And yes, that was a typo. I meant it to read "All of the sudden...".

Quote:

I don't consider it fun, advisable or smart to poke fun at others based on spurious notions, Rydinearth.

I don't remember poking fun at anyone in particular. I'm poking fun at common usages in general that I consider incorrect.
And quite frankly, I find your notions a bit "spurious" myself. Just because there are some authors out there who place no value on these rules, doesn't mean the rest of us have to throw them out as well. If you feel that it cripples your writing style or your freedom as a human being to have to say "She gave the coin to Jane and me." instead of "She gave the coin to Jane and I.", then write it (or say it) however you want. Nobody's stopping you. It's a free country. I'm sure the writers you quote would be very pleased. But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to sit by in silent respect of your rather imperious sounding pronouncements, especially when this kind of "fun poking" is the whole purpose of this forum in the first place.

1 Reply

@rydinearth,

Quote:

But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to sit by in silent respect of your rather imperious sounding pronouncements,

Certainly, you don't, Rydinearth, but you need more than that silly bit of proof provided by one of your grade school teachers. If you'll note, that's all that you've offered. First comes the grand pronouncement about such and such an abuse of the language, then dead silence, save for what's really a ridiculous claim, ie. the one that follows.

Quote:

... especially when this kind of "fun poking" is the whole purpose of this forum in the first place.

My claims aren't imperious. They are backed up by rigorous study and testing. You should note that prescriptions are backed up by nothing more than foot stomping and shouting about the imminent decline of the language.

Are you making the claim that BrE, CdE, AuE, NzE [I suspect you're American, correct me if I'm wrong] are all loaded with examples of incorrect English just because they differ in some respects from AmE?

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@JTT,

Quote:

I agree wholeheartedly with you, ehBeth. Please do continue to post here on any and all topics, Rydinearth.

In retrospect, I feel I should have accepted what amounted to a proferred olive branch. This little flame war between us has gone on for far too long, and doesn't really accomplish anything. What say we return to the topic, and enjoy this little forum in the spirit in which it was intended?

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@rydinearth,

You're free to take whatever path you want, Rydinearth and I wish you well.

BTW, that's a neat name you have.

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@JTT,

Quote:

BTW, that's a neat name you have.

Why, thank you, JTT. I came up with that name in the late 1990's, when there were rumors that the world would end at the end of the millenium. I began to realize how fragile is this little blue dot we live on, and how a single meteor strike could render meaningless all of the struggles of humanity since the beginning of recorded time. I began to feel as if I'm just another rider on this tiny, fragile spaceship we call earth. And the name stuck. Thank you for your vigorous feedback. The banter has been enjoyable. :-)

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@rydinearth,

Now can we go back to listing peeves and not having to argue about them?

I am peeved by people who completely ignore the meaning of a word - I knew somewone who said "that was immaculate" when he meant "that was awesome" -confusing two opposites, like literal and virtual.

You?

Edit: Sorry, rydinearth. I think it was JTT who stirred this up in the first place. Anyhow, thanks to you both for being civil.

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"We've just had one disaster after the next."
After the next???

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@rydinearth,

omg i hate in wen pepys say

momentoes instead of mementoes

and squash instead of quash

uno who ur

but do i

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@solipsister,

omg i soooo know what you mean

totally grosses me out

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@Craven de Kere,

remember, it's the thought that counts--at least, that's what I'm the opinion of!

1 Reply

@atoms55,

Quote:

at least, that's what I'm the opinion of!

Thats my pet peeve.

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@farmerman,

I am passive-aggressive. When I mention the word 'their' to people, just to be undetectably obstinate I'm actually thinking 'there'.

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@Craven de Kere,

this is not a peeve, however
is there anywhere else in the world apart from Australia where people regularly end a sentence with "but" ?
for example
"it was a cold day---- I didn't wear a jumper but"

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@geegee 3,

Not rare in America either, though this is the way we would write it:

"it was a cold day---- I didn't wear a jumper but. . . ." .

That way, we show that we know we didn't finish the sentence. It is kind of annoying, isn't it. When people leave too many unfinished sentences hanging around, we begin to wonder it they just start thoughts, and kind of wander off.

1 Reply

What's Your No. 1 Grammar Pet Peeve?

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