Peeves

[Zatoichi]

Somebody on NPR the other day -- not an interviewee but one of the official radio for smart people people -- referred to "staunching" a flow of blood.

You stanch a flow.
You are a staunch supporter.

You run a gantlet.
You throw down a gauntlet.

Christmas is imminent.
The Dalai Lama is eminent.

Which common misuses drive you right up the wall?

[Smartypants]

Zatoichi, you might like this Web site, started by Barbara Wallraff, long-time editor at the Atlantic Monthly and author of the Atlantic's language columns, "Word Court" and "Word Fugitives.":

http://www.freethepeeves.com/

[Brynn]

^ love that column - thanks for the site.

I grit my teeth at the confusion between "your" and "you're." Even if it's inadvertant instead of just aggressively stupid.

[Marcus Bales]

Originally Posted by Brynn

^ love that column - thanks for the site.

I grit my teeth at the confusion between "your" and "you're." Even if it's inadvertant instead of just aggressively stupid.

Or even inadvertent.

And all such complaints are subject to McKean's Law: The more intensely such a language goof is denounced, the more likely it is that there will be one in the denunciation.

These little typo-like errors are insignificant. What may be significant is a pattern of such errors. We all make judgments based on such things, of course, but we all also make them. The "gotcha" mentality is not conducive to civility at this level. Certainly, though, a pattern of misuse can indicate a good deal about the educational and social realms in which the speaker/writer lives. It's the pattern, though, not the occasional misuse, that is important.

[trisherina]

I'm a reformed prescriptivist. In the time it takes to get all worked up over usage, it becomes accepted. I can hear "nauseous" used for "nauseated" now and not even flinch. Things like "definatly" are kind of amusing, because they seem to somehow be a product of net communication. I never saw "definatly" until a few years ago, and now a day scarcely goes by without spotting it.

Still, a basic understanding of how to use the apostrophe, like you're vs. your, and its vs. it's should have been absorbed in elementary school. I mean, "Rocco loves pizza's!" is just bizarre.

[Frieda]

i went to language school.. my english teacher used to throw stuff at us when we did things like that wrong.. he made us write it on the blackboard 20 times.. brrrrrr!

forgot most of it though

[Brynn]

[quote=Marcus Bales]Or even inadvertent.

blush blush

I started to go get my dictionary for that word but was lazy, over-confident and in a hurry. I'd love to find an easier way to check stuff without burrowing under piles of candy wrappers and school newsletters that the kids leave on my desk to find a dictionary that's actually under someone's bed.

Hey, I finally learned how to spell "judgment" without an "e" which thrills me to no end.

I hate it when people say "more funner" instead of "much more fun."

Oh, and "cue-pon" instead of "coo-pon" makes me cringe.

[Jack Flanders]

Many people around here say "drawling" instead of "drawing." This word comes up a lot in my profession. Even my husband will say it after all these years. And when I correct them, they look at me as if I'm the stupid one!! DRIVES ME FRICKIN' CRAZY!!!!!

[Coffee]

Why is it that "shipping and logistic" companies always have the slowest muuuthu farking service? You'd think they would be efficient at loading and unloading freight...it's supposed to be their Specialty duh. Is this some kind of Teamsters Union always on Union Break kinda thing?

[Hyakujo's Fox]

Why must it be implausible, EVEN TO ME, that I simply haven't had time to catch up with someone over a period of several months?

[monkeyknifightz]

I'm sorry to say it people, I love everyone, I wish you the best, but I rarely want to acknowledge or talk to you most of the time. So it peeves me when you expect me to say something and never have any peace and quiet.

[xfox]

So you can't like everything.