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GregLee · 03-22-2011, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879

The one thing I really do dislike, however, is when people use a double negative.

You should try to get over that, since it's parochial. It's entirely a matter of convention which differs from language to language and dialect to dialect as to whether a single logical negation is reflected in just one or in several morphologically negative forms.

haha · 03-22-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879

I'm rarely bothered by grammer. The one thing I really do dislike, however, is when people use a double negative. An example would be last week when my helper said: "I aint doin' nuthin tonight". I said "so that means your doing something,right?" She just gave me a dirty look.

See my post # 51 above.

Ha

Westernskies · 03-22-2011, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

I'll admit that "grow corn" does not offend me as much as "grow the economy". Perhaps it is for the reason you describe. In any event, it is just a personal dislike of mine.

Why would you be offended by a growing economy?

ls99 · 03-23-2011, 07:32 AM

In the Wallymart parking lot I saw on a car's front tag, (PA only issues rear license tags) this vanity tag.

"If you aint a Steeler's fan, you aint $hit"
(I modified the letter "S" for the profanity police)

So I ask teenage driver of that car: If you are a Steelers fan what does that make you?

Got a blank stare.

I drove home smiling the whole way.

PS... is there "aint" in the dictionary?

TromboneAl · 03-23-2011, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879

I'm rarely bothered by grammer. The one thing I really do dislike, however, is when people use a double negative. An example would be last week when my helper said: "I aint doin' nuthin tonight". I said "so that means your doing something,right?" She just gave me a dirty look.

Yes, double negatives are the perfect example, because it's not really a grammar issue, it's a logical issue, or just a common sense issue.

"Me is going fishing" may sound terrible, but it's wrong only because of an arbitrary grammar rule. "I didn't eat nothing" is wrong independent of any rules, and I don't understand why people say it.

BTW, I was wrong about "I have to go slow." I looked it up, and found that "slow" can be an adverb:

USAGE NOTE Slow may sometimes be used instead of slowly when it comes after the verb: We drove the car slow. In formal writing slowly is generally preferred. Slow is often used in speech and informal writing, especially when brevity and forcefulness are sought: Drive slow! Slow is also the established idiom

One reason I got into grammar was that the company I worked for in the 80s produced an educational game called "The Grammar Examiner."

On the back of the package, one of the user review blurbs spelled "grammar" as "grammer." So we had to manually strategically place a sticker over that on every package.

haha · 03-23-2011, 09:00 AM

That so many ERs are fascinated by grammar is interesting. Similar to our quasi-erotic relationship with spreadsheets.

Does anyone think that the personality that seeks and achieves ER is even remotely normal?

Ha

Retire2013 · 03-23-2011, 10:07 AM

It bothers me when "impact" is used as a verb.

toofrugalformycat · 03-23-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha

That so many ERs are fascinated by grammar is interesting. Similar to our quasi-erotic relationship with spreadsheets.

Does anyone think that the personality that seeks and achieves ER is even remotely normal?

Ha

If we were normal we would be normal-retired or average-retired.

haha · 03-23-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat

If we were normal we would be normal-retired or average-retired.

Oh, I definitely agree with you on this.

It is nevertheless fascinating to see how thoroughgoing and wide-ranging the differences are.

Ha

RetiredGypsy · 03-23-2011, 11:49 AM

"We turn to _____, an expert."

I'm not falling for it. Post up a resume and credentials, and an on-the-job video or photo first, and then maybe I'll think about listening to them.

TromboneAl · 03-23-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retire2014

It bothers me when "impact" is used as a verb.

I don't like it when "disconnect" is used as a noun.

RetiredGypsy · 03-23-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

I don't like it when "disconnect" is used as a noun.

But what about as a split infinitive?

Nords · 03-23-2011, 11:56 AM

You grammar police must have a terrible time with pidgin & other creoles.

My mother-in-law has a degree in English and is a former elementary school teacher. When she was living on Oahu, anytime she encountered pidgin her brain interpreted it as "ignorant, deaf person". She'd start to speak slower, with greater enunciation, and at a higher volume. Eventually she'd get frustrated and give up, returning another day hoping to encounter someone who would "speak propah English".

She never made the connection between her reaction to hearing pidgin and the resulting lack of customer service. Of course she noticed that she only got bad customer service from people speaking pidgin, but she never figured out why. As far as she could tell an entire island was dumb & deaf, including her granddaughter.

She's much happier now living near the DC Beltway. That is, as long as she doesn't encounter anyone from "Bal'mer"...

BigNick · 03-23-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat

I could care less (s/b I could not)

Ah! You should have a look here.

TromboneAl · 03-23-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigNick

Ah! You should have a look here.

Funny.

It reminds me of this thing:

Guy 1: I would like to sleep with Claudia Schiffer.
Guy 2: Yeah, I bet you would.

To which Guy 1 should reply, "Yes, I just said that I would."

Nords · 03-23-2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

Funny.
It reminds me of this thing:
Guy 1: I would like to sleep with Claudia Schiffer.
Guy 2: Yeah, I bet you would.
To which Guy 1 should reply, "Yes, I just said that I would."

Reminds me of a Jeff Foxworthy routine...
"Waaaal, I'll tell you what!"
"What?"
"I just did!"

ls99 · 03-23-2011, 05:04 PM

All this talk about verbs, nouns an' split infinitives sounds like y'all are talking feringi.

Aruba50 · 03-24-2011, 06:09 AM

Another common expression that really gets under my skin is "had gotten" as in "I knew that my brother had gotten into difficulties as a young man". I am pretty sure that technically it is not improper but to me, it always sounds very awkward. I cannot come up with a situation where the more succinct "got" would not due the trick.