<p>In the fin aid forum, I regularly see kids (some of whom are applying to or have gotten in to top-notch schools) saying that they are weary of the costs (of whatever or whatever).</p>
<p>Why do so many write “weary” when they mean “wary” now? I understand that ‘e’ is next to ‘w’ and I mistype all the time, but this is a particularly common mistake that seems to be at epidemic levels now (as in, I see more cases where “weary” is used for “wary” than cases where “wary” is used correctly these days).</p>
<p>I’ve noticed several recent instances on CC of people writing “reign” when they mean “rein”, as in giving someone free rein to do something. It’s a common mistake.</p>
<p>I guess it’s the same thing with weary/wary. Both words sort of make sense in the context so the “wrong” one becomes accepted over time. </p>
<p>At least reign and rein sound the same. I’m a little more forgiving of those (though homophones do really seem to trip people up). “Weary” and “wary” don’t even sound the same, though.</p>
<p>^^ “Loose” and “lose” drive me crazy, too! My previous supervisor, for whom I frequently proofread written work, was a real blowhard who never let me forget that he had both a PhD and an MBA; for some reason, Mr. Brilliant could never grasp the difference between “loose” and “lose.” Every time I corrected it in his work he would argue with me that he was right and I was wrong !</p>
<p>Loser vs Looser really bothers me, because it’s always some jerk on the internet calling somebody else a “looser,” Other than that, I’m pretty tolerant.</p>
<p>I post from my iPhone without my reading glasses, so my posts are riddled with errors. Plus, the editing function rarely works on my iPhone. I’ll take this opportunity to apologize to those I’ve annoyed. I think people know the correct forms but the informal context leads to unintentional errors. Seems fine to me in this context. </p>
<p>Oh, good–I was hoping to start a grammar thread, and now I don’t have to. Or “have too,” as people now say (usually along with something along the lines of “I had a great time to!”).</p>
<p>Advise/advice is a trending misuse too. Along with my favorite that shows up on political topics–MAROON when people mean “moron.” Calling someone a maroon is even worse than saying he or she is a looser!</p>
<p>And then there’s “comprised of” - which is NEVER correct, but is used here (and elsewhere, of course) even by grads of top 20 schools, including one who considers herself the ultimate arbiter of what is in good taste and what’s not…</p>
There are MANY grammatical and spelling errors I see often that drive me nuts.</p>