Funny/annoying grammatical mistakes and odd neologisms

[TromboneAl]

I didn't read all the posts, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned.

When did it become proper punctuation to put a comma just before the word "and" when finishing a list of items in a sentence ? (for example - I like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.)

I thought the reason to use "and" was to signify the end of the list.

I clearly remember being taught that the comma there was OK but optional.

 

[haha]

Beginning the answer to a question with the word "so". You only hear this on NPR radio stations.

Young software people seem to begin every other sentence with "so.." I first noticed this maybe 15 years ago. I think it functions as a connector word for them.

I always thought of "ramping up" as a special case of "increasing."

If you increase the output per hour of the production line, that might be instantaneous or it might be over time depending on what needs to be done. If you ramp up the output per hour of the production line, that implies an increase/unit of time over time.

There you go -it implies a more or less steady rate increase.

I am not annoyed by changes in word and sentence usage over time. I think it is interesting, and I sometimes try to understand what it might say about the social context of communication.

Ha

 

[Nuiloa]

Recent ad: "this special as-seen-only-on-tv hook will let you hang your pictures perfect"

Or my secretary"s " I used it to file it correct"

Ly.... people.... ly

 

[cj]

OMG, there was a guy (yes, a software guy) that I used to work with, and every sentence out of his mouth started with "so..."

 

[ls99]

So I saw this ad on Craigslist: Navy blue pee coat for sale.

 

[REWahoo]

So I saw this ad on Craigslist: Navy blue pee coat for sale.

I wonder if it belongs to the lady with this tattoo...

 

[braumeister]

I didn't read all the posts, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned.

When did it become proper punctuation to put a comma just before the word "and" when finishing a list of items in a sentence ? (for example - I like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.)

I thought the reason to use "and" was to signify the end of the list.

Not exactly to the point (the difference between British and American usage of the serial comma), this at least gives me a chance to use one of my favorite James Thurber quotes. My apologies if this was posted here before (I didn't read all the posts either):

Commas are like so many upturned chairs unhelpfully hurled down the wide-open corridor of readability.

 

[audreyh1]

OMG, there was a guy (yes, a software guy) that I used to work with, and every sentence out of his mouth started with "so..."

I knew an older guy who started every paragraph with "So, ...." and they weren't questions! It was just his way of changing the subject.

 

[Amethyst]

You "ramp up" just before you "roll out." Nothing is ever presented or offered, any more; it is always rolled out. Even stuff that doesn't actually roll.

Amethyst

I always thought of "ramping up" as a special case of "increasing."

 

[Bestwifeever]

I've noticed a lot of people on "reality" shows, from Amazing Race to Apprentice to Bachelor to Biggest Loser, use "I's" instead of "my" when they say things like:

"My daughter and I's first trip to Washington...."

 

[TromboneAl]

So I saw this ad on Craigslist: Navy blue pee coat for sale.

...slight urine smell.

 

[TromboneAl]

I wonder if it belongs to the lady with this tattoo...

She's proud of her diabetes.

 

[Chuckanut]

I assume you have all read the book about Panda's - Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.

A panda goes into a café, orders a sandwich, eats it, takes out a revolver, fires it into the air, and goes out. When the waiter calls to ask what is going on, the panda plunks a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table and growls: "Look me up." The waiter finds the entry: "PANDA. Large, black-and-white, bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

 

[TromboneAl]

I just heard someone on TV saying the very common "I couldn't hear nothing." Why does this double negative thing persist? I guess it will be passed from generation to generation forever.

 

[audreyh1]

I just heard someone on TV saying the very common "I couldn't hear nothing." Why does this double negative thing persist? I guess it will be passed from generation to generation forever.

It works in Spanish! In Spanish adding more negatives just enhances the negation. Therefore: "no podía oír nada" = "I couldn't hear nothing." Of course a smart translator will translate this to English as "I couldn't hear anything."

Just in case you wanted to know!

Audrey

 

[Nemo2]

I assume you have all read the book about Panda's - Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.

A panda goes into a café, orders a sandwich, eats it, takes out a revolver, fires it into the air, and goes out. When the waiter calls to ask what is going on, the panda plunks a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table and growls: "Look me up." The waiter finds the entry: "PANDA. Large, black-and-white, bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

From the Australian - The Ocker, (sometimes the Wombat), eats, roots and leaves.

('Rooting' being the OZ vernacular for sexual congress.)

 

[BigNick]

walla instead of voila

"Et viola" (written) instead of "Et voilà". I always imagine someone dramatically producing a string instrument from under their coat.

 

[ERD50]

I always thought of "ramping up" as a special case of "increasing."

Correct. I always picture a graph of whatever you are measuring versus time - it looks like a ramp, hence the term.

I just heard someone on TV saying the very common "I couldn't hear nothing." Why does this double negative thing persist? I guess it will be passed from generation to generation forever.

Maybe he has tinnitus? In that case, it would seem to be perfectly accurate and correct grammar to say "I can't hear nothing", because "I always hear something".

Now that I said that, I guess it makes sense that if you are in a loud environment, and it is drowning out what you want to hear, to say "I couldn't hear nothing."

-ERD50

 

[ls99]

I wonder if it belongs to the lady with this tattoo...

That is one way to spell relief

 

[Nemo2]

It's not, necessarily, just a metal:

Lead vs. Led - Writing.Com

 

[seraphim]

Hmmm - this thread reminds me of a newspaper misprint I read when I was about 17 (hope it's not off-topic here):

"WANTED - Men and women for pubic contact postions"

Every teenage boy I knew tried to apply...

 

[MikeD]

She's proud of her diabetes.

When I was first dating my now wife back in college, her friends used to call me that for that exact reason... I was a type 1 diabetic at the time.

Mike D.

 

[Meadbh]

Saw a pic of an elephant safari in India....which led me to check out this link:

Elephant Back Safari

Once in, I started laughing and reading aloud to my wife.....this was just one of my favorites:

That was hilarious........and now I want to go!

 

[seraphim]

Lol

.http://www.ecoindia.com/trips/elephant-back-safari-india.html

"...peeping into wildlife, offering a new and unique experience."

Yea, especially if the wildlife experiences flatulence while you're peeping into it!

 

[GrayHare]

"beware the eyes of March"