When did “ly” adverbs die? This drives me nuts and the perpetrators include a very wide range of folks, including national news anchors, reporters, news media, etc.
I went to 4 different school systems in different parts of the state. I remember all my teachers correcting us, both in speech and in writing. They hammered home tons of rules of grammar. It’s like no one was awake for those 13 years. No one seems to care now…at all…including teachers…in students’ speech OR writing. Based on their own speech and writing, I’m pretty sure my kids’ teachers didn’t even know. Is this true across the country?
I love these threads. Knowing some of you are bothered by these things is comforting. I have found my people
Something that has been bugging me for years - when did the past tense of plead turn to pleaded instead of pled? It’s nearly universal in print or broadcast news. “The Senator pleaded guilty today…”.
I always want to holler back at the newscaster “Was his crime that he speeded?”
Ok, I just googled and discovered that I’m wrong here. Knocking on wood that I never have to actually recount that I pleaded one way or the other.
Today D texted me a photo of a sign in the break room at the bookstore where she works while attending grad school: “Pull up the knobs once you finish so water don’t keep running. Thanks.” Someone had crossed out the “don’t” and replaced it with “doesn’t” and inserted “the” before “water”. I asked who made the correction, thinking maybe it was D. Her answer: “Someone with basic intelligence?” She’s as nuts as I am about grammar, usage, and punctuation. (You have no idea how much we argued about the Oxford comma before I finally capitulated.) We both could only hope that one of the many students working there hadn’t made the original sign.
I think we tend to get over invested in whatever rules we mastered in school and become very rigid about adhering to them even as the language evolves. John McWhorter, a Linguistics professor at Columbia, has a podcast called Lexicon Valley. His October piece “Against Strunk and White” knocks down a few rules I’ve always taken as gospel. I’m still trying to overcome my “Bah! Humbug!” reaction.
I am one of those who goes crazy over less and few (started many years ago when I worked with somebody who often corrected me when I misused them.) The 15 items signs on express lanes in supermarkets are usually the biggest offenders. I always wonder when I sing “One less bell to answer” in the Dionne Warwick song.
I also hate the misuse of literally - it literally makes my head hurt (OK maybe not).
I often find myself typing a homophone for the word I really want (such as there, their, etc.) I think this must be an issue with the brain to finger connection. I try to carefully proofread everything I type to avoid those mistakes.
“I often find myself typing a homophone for the word I really want (such as there, their, etc.) I think this must be an issue with the brain to finger connection. I try to carefully proofread everything I type to avoid those mistakes.”
For me, it has become more common as I get older which is making me a little paranoid about diminishing mental functioning. :-S
Yeah but in your scenario " you’re welcome" is kind of odd too: As in:
Partner one: Thank you for the wonderful physical experience we shared last night
Partner two: You’re welcome.
Partner one: um ok :
Better here: my pleasure.
Not a huge fan of " your welcome" in many circumstances
Depending on the scenario the responses I like best are
To waiter in restaurant when meal is brought: Thank you
Waiter : (in kind voice) Of course. (To me this makes mores sense. This is their job so in a way YW makes no more sense than no problem.)
To stranger who has just carried your very heavy suitcase down the stairs: Thank you so much
Stranger : No problem (to me this is kinder than YW which to me implies that it was a problem but I’m still willing to do it)
Mine is: “a couple” instead of “a couple of.” For instance, “I saw a couple boys” instead of “I saw a couple of boys.” I agree that the use of “right?” after every few sentences drives me nuts. Also, the editing in even major newspapers these days is atrocious. It’s good to find some kindred souls here. My graduate students get upset when I take off points for spelling and grammar, even though I tell them upfront it is a pet peeve of mine and not to rely solely on Spellcheck.
“After we strip the old finish from the dresser, we’ll paint it out.” This expression has been around for at least a decade yet still grates on me. Doesn’t anyone just “paint” any more?
I always have a hard time when people - particularly the clients our organization serves - come up and say
“Can I axe you somethin’?”
I want to say “the pile of wood” but instead I kindly reply “How may I help you?”
@maya54 - I like “you’re welcome” better than “your welcome” especially in an email reply. I prefer it to what I’ve been hearing more and more of lately, which is “No worries”. But I agree with your post.
-A colloquialism common in my area that sets my teeth on edge: “the work needs completed” or “the road needs improved” rather than “the road needs improvement” or “the road needs to be improved.” I often read it in the local newspaper (and not just in the letters to the editor section…)
-“Might could” used together. My mother (hailing from the deep South) used to say this frequently and it drove me crazy, especially as she was a teacher.
