The Grammar Police Thread

[FutureChocolateMLK]

I can’t even read half the responses because I’m about to break out in hives.

“I SEEN” as opposed to “I saw.” My SIL does this all the time and I cringe. Every. Single. Time.

My mom says “I haven’t ate yet.” My response is always, “You mean you haven’t eaten yet?”

Another is when someone says they’re “itching” something. Nope, you are in fact SCRATCHING an itch.

Could care less vs. couldn’t care less.

An ongoing joke in my family is when someone says “same difference.” It is maddening. They know I loathe it, and they continue to say it. And laugh. The only logical way this makes sense is if you are comparing two items and they, in fact, have the same property that makes them unique from something else. This does not apply when you are making a general statement about something being SIMILAR. Blows my mind.

General mispronunciation of words. A coworker of mine genuinely thought vicinity started with an “f.” Also, affidavit was pronounced “alpha.”

Per se and per say is yet another.

When someone says they are “weary” of something, meaning they are hesitant. Nope, you mean wary or leery. You can’t mix the two. It is not a puggle and/or a Brangelina.

Rant over. I need a Valium.

*If I posted something either grammatically incorrect or misspelled, I apologize. It’s because I read through 3 pages of nonsense prior to posting and my brain is crying.

 

[Matata]

An acquaintance of mine says "famoth" instead of fathom followed closely by the sound of my grinding molars.

 

[VRBeauty]

I’m pretty tolerant of grammar errors on spite of having a quite loud inner pedant. Part of that comes from the fact I’m from an immigrant family, and English is my second language. I was only six when we moved to the US so I picked up English with no problem, but my poor mother - how she struggled! It affected her self-confidence for a long time. I suspect watching that helped make me more tolerant of grammatical foibles, even though my career always involved a lot of writing and editing that made me very sensitive to incorrect usage.

My biggest pet peeve is redundancies. Like “also she was very nit-picky, too.” Or, “it’s the exact same thing.” Bite my tongue time for sure!

 

[GliderPoss]

Fun fact: we have a delightful military name for these: Dargonisms
n/
1. An affectionate name for a Sergeant or Warrant Officer with smug ignorance of art, literature and intellectual pursuits.
2. A proudly anti-intellectual senior soldier who provides humour to junior officers in their mannersims and eccentric takes on simple phrases.

adj/

A Dargon can be identified by a phone clipped to belt, Holden racing shirt, tucked t-shirt, joggers & jeans, ICB tattoo, offensive stickers on car and general butchery of the English language. Usually (unfortunately) Australian....

Example: Addressing a group of soldiers: SGT Bloggs says -
"Its not rocket surgery men, form up alphabetically by height!"
"I pacificly told you..."
"Irregardless of the time men..."
"For all intensive purposes"

Mispronouncing common words like hors d'oeuvre, pinot gris wine, espresso etc... I hear it allllll the time. Oh and adding "but" to the end of sentences. WHY GOD WHYYYYYY?

 

[lissyflo]

"I pacificly told you..."

This one is like nails on a blackboard to me!

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

How often do we hear "all the sudden"? This is one I've been hearing everywhere for the past two or three years. Apparently no one reads anymore.

 

[missy]

How often do we hear "all the sudden"? This is one I've been hearing everywhere for the past two or three years. Apparently no one reads anymore.

Interesting. I don't remember hearing that term before. Now I bet I will hear it everywhere but I will let you know if I do.

 

[AGBF]

I can’t even read half the responses because I’m about to break out in hives.

“I SEEN” as opposed to “I saw.” My SIL does this all the time and I cringe. Every. Single. Time.

My mom says “I haven’t ate yet.” My response is always, “You mean you haven’t eaten yet?”

Another is when someone says they’re “itching” something. Nope, you are in fact SCRATCHING an itch.

Could care less vs. couldn’t care less.

An ongoing joke in my family is when someone says “same difference.” It is maddening. They know I loathe it, and they continue to say it. And laugh. The only logical way this makes sense is if you are comparing two items and they, in fact, have the same property that makes them unique from something else. This does not apply when you are making a general statement about something being SIMILAR. Blows my mind.

General mispronunciation of words. A coworker of mine genuinely thought vicinity started with an “f.” Also, affidavit was pronounced “alpha.”

Per se and per say is yet another.

When someone says they are “weary” of something, meaning they are hesitant. Nope, you mean wary or leery. You can’t mix the two. It is not a puggle and/or a Brangelina.

Rant over. I need a Valium.

*If I posted something either grammatically incorrect or misspelled, I apologize. It’s because I read through 3 pages of nonsense prior to posting and my brain is crying.

I just saw this list. It reminded me of one other error that bothers me. (I really hadn't tried to make a list of things that bothered me for this thread, although I have for some past threads; I have just been bouncing off other people's postings.) I dislike it when people misuse "averse" and "adverse". One is averse to going into a dark tunnel where there might be spiders. One encounters adverse conditions while climbing Mount Everest.

 

[stracci2000]

Many people who make the grammar mistakes mentioned above are those who do not actively read.
As an avid reader, I feel that when you see a word or phrase in print, it clarifies the correct spelling and usage.

 

[AGBF]

I do feel that I may be a slightly hypocritical grammar pedant, as I do not always use correct grammar in my spoken language. I have a fairly strong regional accent, which does not always lend itself to correct grammar unless I am concentrating. For context, I don't know if you've ever read the redwall books, my accent is a milder version of how the moles speak. As I previously stated I work in science so I find it important to use written language precisely in order to properly convey information. I try to speak better in a professional context

I do not know the redwall books. Please tell me more. I am from the United States.

Deb/AGBF

 

[clumberlove]

I do not know the redwall books. Please tell me more. I am from the United States.

Deb/AGBF

This might give you an idea

 

[JPie]

I don’t think this is a grammatical error, but I intensely dislike it when people start a sentence with “as well.” I’m used to seeing it at the end of a sentence and it seems to be a recent trend to use it in the beginning when “in addition” would serve just as well.

Also, I know stylistically that it is acceptable to place periods and commas either inside or outside parentheses, but I much prefer them inside.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

Interesting. I don't remember hearing that term before. Now I bet I will hear it everywhere but I will let you know if I do.

Another one I hear all the time and bugs me is "on accident". While it is incorrect usage, cursory research reflects that its use is SO ubiquitous that it has become acceptable and commonplace for those born after 1995.

The problem with so many of these errors, like my biggest peeve "bit" vs. "bitten", is that they are used all over written and oral media, and then people who are listening and less critical of grammar think that usage is correct and perpetuate the problem. I don't see a fix coming along soon, but I do think it's going to get worse.

 

[VRBeauty]

Many people who make the grammar mistakes mentioned above are those who do not actively read.
As an avid reader, I feel that when you see a word or phrase in print, it clarifies the correct spelling and usage.

Yes, yes, and yes! I believe that for most of us, grammar is not so much something learned as it is something absorbed, or “picked up.” My high school debate teacher used to tell us to read the Wall Street Journal to improve our writing and phrasing.

 

[monarch64]

"I feel badly that..." instead of "I feel bad that..." I see and hear this all the time, often from those who are well-spoken and educated, yet it is incorrect.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/do-you-feel-bad-or-feel-badly

Also:

 

[AGBF]

Also, I know stylistically that it is acceptable to place periods and commas either inside or outside parentheses, but I much prefer them inside.

Hi, JPie-

I believe that there are some places in which it is correct only to place a period inside parentheses and some places in which it is correct only to place a period outside of parentheses. You may be right that there are other places where there is a choice and placing a period (or comma) either inside or outside parentheses is correct. I wouldn't mind seeing an example of this. I may be unaware that there are times when one has a choice, and I would love to improve my grammar!

Deb

 

[missy]

Hi, JPie-

I believe that there are some places in which it is correct only to place a period inside parentheses and some places in which it is correct only to place a period outside of parentheses. You may be right that there are other places where there is a choice and placing a period (or comma) either inside or outside parentheses is correct. I wouldn't mind seeing an example of this. I may be unaware that there are times when one has a choice, and I would love to improve my grammar!

Deb

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/periods-and-parentheses

If only part of the sentence is parenthetical, then you put the final punctuation outside of the parenthesis: I enjoy breakfast (sometimes). If the entire sentence is parenthetical, then you put the punctuation inside the parenthesis. ... Place the period logically when parentheses are involved.

https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/parentheses.html

Dealing With Parentheses and Punctuation
Here are my rules for dealing with parentheses:

1. If a parenthetical comment is not a full sentence, treat it as you would a comment between commas.
2. If a parenthetical comment is a full sentence, treat it as such:
   • Capitalize the first word
   • End it with a stop (period, question mark, or exclamation mark).
3. If a full sentence parenthetical comment appears at the end of a sentence, it probably belongs outside the sentence.

But if you ever get confused about whether you need a period or other stop outside a parenthesis, ask yourself, “Is this the end of the sentence?” Remove the parenthetical comment if necessary. It should be obvious then. After you properly end your sentence, then you can put your parenthetical comment back with or without its own stop.

 

[AGBF]

"I feel badly that..." instead of "I feel bad that..." I see and hear this all the time, often from those who are well-spoken and educated, yet it is incorrect.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/do-you-feel-bad-or-feel-badly

Also:

Thank you for this, Monnie. I would like to add that "hopefully" is misused by may people. If someone thinks hopefully, that person is optimistic; he believes that life will probably turn out well. If one begins a sentence with "hopefully" and then goes on to say "I will be home soon" it means that he will be home soon in an optimistic mood. It is awkwardly worded, however.

 

[monarch64]

Hi, JPie-

I believe that there are some places in which it is correct only to place a period inside parentheses and some places in which it is correct only to place a period outside of parentheses. You may be right that there are other places where there is a choice and placing a period (or comma) either inside or outside parentheses is correct. I wouldn't mind seeing an example of this. I may be unaware that there are times when one has a choice, and I would love to improve my grammar!

Deb

If the words inside parentheses form a sentence, the period stays inside. If the words do not form a complete sentence, the period (or other punctuation) goes outside. Examples in the link below:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/periods-and-parentheses

 

[monarch64]

Thank you for this, Monnie. I would like to add that "hopefully" is misused by may people. If someone thinks hopefully, that person is optimistic; he believes that life will probably turn out well. If one begins a sentence with "hopefully" and then goes on to say "I will be home soon" it means that he will be home soon in an optimistic mood. It is awkwardly worded, however.

The proper use of "hopefully" has never crossed my mind! Your explanation makes total sense, though. I learn so many things from PS. I have always preferred "I am hopeful" instead of "hopefully," but never thought about or knew why the former was correct. What @stracci2000 and @VRBeauty said about picking up grammar skills from reading is so true. I doubt if I could still diagram a sentence, but I know proper structure when I see or compose it, mainly because I have been an avid reader all my life. I write a lot of website content, and use Grammarly to compensate for any editorial shortcomings on my part. Without it, I fear my inner hillbilly might come out and give me away as That Midwesterner who says "ope!" all the time. At first, I thought it might make me lazy, but that has not been the case. In fact, it's a lot like a piano teacher seated next to you who raps your knuckles with a ruler when you make a mistake (only less painful).

 

[JPie]

Hi, JPie-

I believe that there are some places in which it is correct only to place a period inside parentheses and some places in which it is correct only to place a period outside of parentheses. You may be right that there are other places where there is a choice and placing a period (or comma) either inside or outside parentheses is correct. I wouldn't mind seeing an example of this. I may be unaware that there are times when one has a choice, and I would love to improve my grammar!

Deb

I was not thinking clearly when I wrote my post! @missy and @monarch64 have parentheses covered, and I realize now that I was thinking of quotation marks.

 

[missy]

I was not thinking clearly when I wrote my post! @missy and @monarch64 have parentheses covered, and I realize now that I was thinking of quotation marks.

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-to-use-quotation-marks

The most common question people ask about quotation marks is whether periods and commas go inside or outside, and the answer depends on where your audience lives because in American English we always put periods and commas inside quotation marks, but in British English periods and commas can go inside or outside.

 

[JPie]

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-to-use-quotation-marks

I do not agree with the Brits on this!

 

[AGBF]

I always remember how to use "hopefully" from the ending of "Nights of Cabiria", an old Italian film by Federico Fellini. I had no idea that "Sweet Charity", a Broadway show and modern movie, was based on that Fellini film until recently when I went to look up the phrase I remembered from the Fellini film.

Both films feature protagonists who are good hearted, cheerful streetwalkers who wind up left alone at the end of the films. I remembered that the Fellini film (and I read that "Sweet Charity") has "...and she lived hopefully ever after" written on the screen at the end of the movie. It was very upbeat.

Deb

 

[missy]

I do not agree with the Brits on this!

 

[missy]

"Turn Key Ready"

Deja Vu all over again"

Redundancy drives me nuts.

 

[yennyfire]

Another one I hear all the time and bugs me is "on accident". While it is incorrect usage, cursory research reflects that its use is SO ubiquitous that it has become acceptable and commonplace for those born after 1995.

The problem with so many of these errors, like my biggest peeve "bit" vs. "bitten", is that they are used all over written and oral media, and then people who are listening and less critical of grammar think that usage is correct and perpetuate the problem. I don't see a fix coming along soon, but I do think it's going to get worse.

YES! It’s horrific! My now 14 yo son started saying “on accident” a couple of years ago and I corrected him constantly. He finally got it right after a year or so. I agree that the problem is only going to get worse as people perpetuate incorrect grammar on social media/oral media and that’s what children hear. I find myself sometimes feeling self conscious using correct grammar because I feel like people think *I’m* the one who’s wrong (ex. When I say “come see Mary and me”, I am sure people think that I’m incorrect and it should be “come see Mary and myself”)...it drives me batty!!!

 

[JPie]

(ex. When I say “come see Mary and me”, I am sure people think that I’m incorrect and it should be “come see Mary and myself”)...it drives me batty!!!

It'd be just as aggravating if they think it should be, "Come see Mary and I."

 

[OoohShiny]

YES! It’s horrific! My now 14 yo son started saying “on accident” a couple of years ago and I corrected him constantly. He finally got it right after a year or so. I agree that the problem is only going to get worse as people perpetuate incorrect grammar on social media/oral media and that’s what children hear. I find myself sometimes feeling self conscious using correct grammar because I feel like people think *I’m* the one who’s wrong (ex. When I say “come see Mary and me”, I am sure people think that I’m incorrect and it should be “come see Mary and myself”)...it drives me batty!!!

I feel like a proper geek when I use 'one' instead of 'you' - no-one else seems to use it in general conversation, either spoken or written, and it seems everyone just uses 'you' when they should be referring to people in general rather than any particular individual!

 

[yennyfire]

It'd be just as aggravating if they think it should be, "Come see Mary and I."

Oh yes! Yes, it would!