Handy Forum Words

[REWahoo]

Craigslist is often a hoot grammar-wise.

+1

Of coarse theyres a thread on that: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/seen-on-craigslist-37598.html#post691664

 

[freebird5825]

Can we make up words ?

 

[MRG]

Thought that's what compilers were for, syntax checking. Apologies to all for my poor grammar.
MRG

 

[ERD50]

Maybe so, but why would someone resist learning a few simple things that may make a difference in many areas of life?

Ha

It's not simple for everyone. Look at the link to the principal/principle subject - it goes on for two pages!

I've never had any trouble with they, their, and there, or to, too, and two, but people far above my pay grade routinely made that mistake. If I've made a mistake on those, it was a typo, not a lack of understanding of the proper usage.

But on the other hand, I do struggle with lots of others. I actually did look it up when posting to a recent 'Risk Averse' thread, at least my thinking was right, I just needed to verify it.

I've finally taught myself lose/loose with that 'loose rope' thinking. I know 'your principal is your pal', but after that? And I've got a mental block on possessives - just too many nonsensical rules (two would be two too many to me ). I've got ' -its- ' as possessive and ' -it's- ' as a contraction of ' -it is- ' , but after that it's a muddle to me.

So I try not to shake my head when others make mistakes that I think are simple, I'm sure the tables are turned on me with other words/phrases.

But I do get angry at the source. How did we end up developing a language with so many words pronounced the same with the same or similar spellings, that mean very different things? Would it really be that hard to keep things unique? We could start with the alphabet, why do we have a soft 'c' and an 's'? A hard 'c'and a 'k'? And on and on.

I really have to work on affect/effect. I can get it most times, but it's hard for me.

People's brains are wired differently, I don't think we can assume this is just laziness, or carelessness. Though it probably is in many cases.

-ERD50

 

[robnplunder]

Can we make up words ?

Shure.

 

[Gumby]

But I do get angry at the source. How did we end up developing a language with so many words pronounced the same with the same or similar spellings, that mean very different things? Would it really be that hard to keep things unique? We could start with the alphabet, why do we have a soft 'c' and an 's'? A hard 'c'and a 'k'? And on and on.

I think we should all speak Italian. It would greatly simplify things.

 

[chilkoot]

Did this turn into a thread on grammatical pet peeves?
If so, I nominate "few". Apparently not many people are aware of its existence so they incorrectly use "less" in it's place.

 

[ERD50]

I think we should all speak Italian. It would greatly simplify things.

I don't know enough Italian to know how this simplifies things. Do they have far fewer of these similar sounding words, and more rule based grammar (I understand that English is pretty tough in this regard)?

I could live without puns!

But then there's all that gender stuff for in-animate objects, I never got that. Isn't the whole LBGT thing going to get super confusing for the language?

-ERD50

 

[Gumby]

In Italian, the same letter or combination of letters is always pronounced the same way. The concept of a spelling bee would be foreign to them; if you can say a word, you can spell it. The rules of grammar (including verb conjugations) are also much more regular than English. There are very few homophones.

 

[MichaelB]

I think we should all speak Italian. It would greatly simplify things.

But if that led to us all driving like Italians it [-]would[/-] might make things worse

 

[marko]

Actually got this email once: " I won't be into work today, I fell of my hoarse and I'm vary soar"

 

[Rpharmer]

CD's ($$$) vs CD's (he's singing their blues).
An IRA vs the IRA... or Uncle Ira, who loves his CD's (both kinds).

Maybe not dyslexia, but when I was a child, I could never remember right from left. I kept asking "why isn't it left from right?" Mother pointed out that I have a little mole on my left hand, and I learned to look at it to know which way to turn. (And to stop asking why so much) To this day, if I'm driving and the passenger suddenly shouts "Turn left!" I reflexively glance at that mole as I make the turn -- and think of her. It's goofy, but it makes me smile.

 

[14thMed]

Add my 2 scents here moot vs mute worked with a guy that never could figure out the difference

 

[braumeister]

Mother pointed out that I have a little mole on my left hand, and I learned to look at it to know which way to turn.

A similar device has long been used to help some new army recruits learn to march on the same foot as the rest of their group. You have them hold a pebble in their right hand, and a blade of grass in their left hand. When the drill instructor tries to keep them all in step, the normal commands are "Left, right, left, right." The hapless stumbling recruit is taught to hear it as "Leaf, rock, leaf, rock."

I know, but I've actually seen this done, and it works!

 

[Gumby]

My young wife told me that when she was in kindergarten, the teacher was trying to teach them which hand was their right hand so they could say the flag pledge. The teacher said to the class "It's the one closest to the door" (of the classroom). For some time after that, whenever my wife was asked to do something with her right hand, she looked for the nearest door.

 

[HFWR]

Actually got this email once: " I won't be into work today, I fell of my hoarse and I'm vary soar"

I'm not really into w*rk either...

 

[frayne]

Their, there now people, nothing too get two excited, about, so, just, move on.

 

[Bestwifeever]

"More than," not "Over." "Off," not "Off of." I notice these but remember there will always an exception, so an appeal to the grammar court might be in order if you are pulled over for misuse.

"One of the ones" was on my radar for awhile just because I think it sounds funny but there really isn't anything wrong with it. Even Emily Dickinson used it: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/One_of_the_ones_that_Midas_touched

 

[Bestwifeever]

I think we should all speak Italian. It would greatly simplify things.

I wish we could pronounce things consistently. Spanish has it all over English for that.

 

[HFWR]

One I heard recently: "I hate it more than life itself"...

 

[travelover]

Actually got this email once: " I won't be into work today, I fell of my hoarse and I'm vary soar"

Musta come down with a colt.

 

[MichaelB]

Musta come down with a colt.

I was on my morning walk the other day and as usual, some bike riders were sharing the sidewalk with me instead of using the bike paths made for their use. My customary response is to point at the bike lane and step to one side. In this case the riders were a middle aged couple, and one yelled "wat, yawannaus toget kilt?"

 

[aja8888]

I do a lot of technical writing at work (part time now) and have found myself mixing up words like "there" and "their" subconsciously now. I usually find the errors during a proof read, but I can't figure out why this is going on more frequently. Maybe it's age?

I'm also transposing numbers more frequently too.

 

[imoldernu]

Take heart. The problem has been solved.

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[Nemo2]

Musta come down with a colt.