Funny/annoying grammatical mistakes and odd neologisms

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOBOT Sitting in the "mezzoline". Not amusing: the rampant use of the apostrophe to indicate a non-possessive plural, e.g. " 2 sausage biscuit's/99c".

I think this is one of the perversions that is becoming standard, such that if you don't use it you are considered ignorant.

Ha

[freebird5825]

...a local bistro had this one a few months back...

"SPECIAL - Mescaline Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette"

on their white markup board.

I talked to the owner, and told her that while Jerry Garcia may have approved, she might want to change that to "Mesclun". it took her a minute to register. she ran right over to wipe the board off and redo the spelling. we had a good laugh over that one.

[kaneohe]

My high school principle is not of high moral principals.

[omni550]

I am also amazed at how many people say the highway "medium" when they mean "median".

The spoken addition of "r" as in "Warshington" and "warsh the dishes" harkens from the W. Virginia area, I've been told.

In Michigan, they pronounce the word "asphalt" as "ash-fault".

I'm so used to hearing "that's a mute point" that I'm starting to wonder if that's the correct usage?

omni

[Khan]

People saying 'tax return' when they are referring to a 'tax refund'.

[TromboneAl]

"The reason is because..." -- Used more often than not.

"That peaked my interest"

"My bike has peddles, and breaks, and handel bars" -- seen all of these

"That's a double-edged sword" when the person meant "That would kill two birds with one stone."

"Very unique" heard daily on our local news.

"In process" instead of "in progress"

"on sight" instead of "on site"

[Khan]

'refer back'
'return back'
'revert back'

Around here people pronounce peripheral as 'per if e al'

As mentioned in another thread: 'unthawed'.

[Grep]

Oh, please don't get me started! As a professor, I live for that rare student that actually knows how to speak and write English well. I'd be happy to get "very unique," etc. Instead, I usually get something like "yo prof cn u get 4 me a leet job?"

"No one who says 'nucular' allowed through the gates."

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grep Instead, I usually get something like "yo prof cn u get 4 me a leet job?"

that's not poor grammar; that's colloquialism.


"Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (1 members and 1 guests)"

[harley]

I bet the people who don't want a nukular reactor near their homes will be calling their Real-a-tor soon.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grep Oh, please don't get me started! As a professor, I live for that rare student that actually knows how to speak and write English well. I'd be happy to get "very unique," etc. Instead, I usually get something like "yo prof cn u get 4 me a leet job?" "

um......what is "a leet job" ?

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan People saying 'tax return' when they are referring to a 'tax refund'.

People saying 'tax refund', when they are referring to getting their voluntary overpayment returned to them w/o interest.

I understand they/their/there and your/you're - if I do make a mistake it is just that, not a misunderstanding of the correct form to use. But I am absolutely terrible when it comes to possessives and all those apostrophe rules. I just need to buckle down, and get the rules in my head, but I usually am more interested in what I'm writing at the time than where/when to use the apostrophe or just an "s" or an "s"-apostrophe.

I also have trouble with effect/affect. I often substitute 'impact'

And worse yet would be the ones that I don't know I'm having trouble with (was that one?).

I'm sure I drive some people nuts with those - sorry.


And it is correct to say:

The group of people who do this-or-that.... but not

The group of people that do this-or-that... < that is wrong?, right?

-ERD50

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I bet the people who don't want a nukular reactor near their homes will be calling their Real-a-tor soon.

I think the Real-a-tor comes from making the jump from the sound of Real-E-state - to Real-a-tor. It does seem like they should flow the same. I remember thinking they were both strange terms when I was a kid - is other stuff 'fake'. What makes 'Real-Estate" any more 'real' than say, an automobile? Come to think of it - it *is* weird, I'm just accustomed to it now.

-ERD50

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 what is "a leet job" ?

Urban Dictionary: leet

Quote:

A derivitave (lolololol) of the 80's software piracy scene. Originally "elite" was used to show status on a BBS. Commonly the people who cracked the software, or had sysop access on a board would be referred to as Elite. Later it became common to just use "leet."

my loling (the fun never stops)

[slouch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazygood4nothinbum on second thought, i can just use yer for either as in "yer gonna regret saying that" or "is that yers?"

... I hate you

[ladelfina]

today I just came across "pouring" for 'poring' (over a report, etc.)

Quote:

I think this is one of the perversions that is becoming standard, such that if you don't use it you are considered ignorant.

My sister, who lived for quite a while in LA, has defended the "there/their" and "your/you're" exchanges as a "normal" CA or LA thing (?)

---
Here's another courtesy of Sarah Palin (not to turn this SoapBox-y but it jumped out at me as she used it a few times in the Hannity interview): "verbage".

"It was an unfair attack on the senator's verbage" (!)

[kaudrey]

ERD50 - this one made me laugh:

I also have trouble with effect/affect. I often substitute 'impact'

I had a teacher in high school who said "teeth are impacted, other things are "affected", and it stuck. 20 years later, I never use the word impacted.

My pet peeve, in addition to the already mentioned "I could care less" is "irregardless". Unfortunately, I think it is becoming more acceptable, but it makes my skin crawl.

[lucija]

I keep seeing "its" in place of "it's" (in emails, etc.) - it drives me crazy.

[ladelfina]

One mnemonic trick for those might be to think that "a" comes before "e", and something has to "affect" before an "effect" is produced..

--
'nother Palin quote just for ERD50 & kaudrey:

Quote:

“Well, you know, first, Fannie and Freddie, different because quasi-government agencies there where government had to step in because the adverse impacts all across our nation, especially with homeowners, is just too impacting…”

I don't think all neologisms are bad.. I really liked GWB's "misunderestimate". Sometimes more/new words are better because they express some small difference that just wasn't possible to express with only "misunderstand" or "underestimate".

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaudrey ERD50 - this one made me laugh: I also have trouble with effect/affect. I often substitute 'impact' I had a teacher in high school who said "teeth are impacted, other things are "affected", and it stuck. 20 years later, I never use the word impacted. My pet peeve, in addition to the already mentioned "I could care less" is "irregardless". Unfortunately, I think it is becoming more acceptable, but it makes my skin crawl.

When I see (or hear) that abomination, my brain turns off and I stop reading (or listening). It's a double negative.