What is your pet peeve of the day?

[braumeister]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma

What Is the Oxford Comma (or Serial Comma)?

End the Debate: Why the Oxford Comma (or Serial Comma) is so Cool!

Do We Need The Oxford Comma? Here Are 9 Hilarious Real-World Examples

 

[W2R]

My pet peeve of the day might just be a local New Orleans issue. But anyway, here it is:

I have ordered most items online for several years with no issues.

But, ever since the pandemic began here, 8 months ago, whatever I order online is about half likely to vanish before it is ever delivered. Then I have to go through a lengthy process of trying to get my money back, if that is even possible. Sure, I can understand that a lot more people have been ordering online than before, so maybe delivery services were overwhelmed at first. But it's been 8 months, for Pete's sake, and with present unemployment figures there can't be any problem in hiring extra workers as needed.

My last order arrived at the USPS in New Orleans last Sunday. It was supposed to be delivered every day since. Today the delivery has been re-scheduled to next Monday. I find it hard to believe that it would take 8 days to transport an item five miles, especially since it is no bigger or heavier than a pack of cards. I would give this item a 98% chance of never arriving. My hypothesis is that the supposed delayed delivery date is just an excuse to delay in returning my money, including $7.99 for shipping.

 

[Chuckanut]

Please explain.
I did not learn English or the American version of it in school. My english teacher was Mr. Magoo.

What is the specific difference?

In the first example I had lunch with four other people. Two were strippers and the other two were Adolf and Joseph.

In the second example I had lunch with two people. They were two strippers (who were named) Adolph and Joseph.

 

[RunningBum]

People who won't use an Oxford comma and wonder why their message was mininterpreted

I had lunch with two strippers, Adolf and Joseph.

or

I had lunch with two strippers, Adolf, and Joseph.

Please explain.
I did not learn English or the American version of it in school. My english teacher was Mr. Magoo.

What is the specific difference?

First example means that there were two lunch guests. One was called Adolf, the other was called Joseph.

Second example means that there were 4 lunch guests. Two of them were strippers. Also Adolf and Joseph were there, two more people.

In the first example I had lunch with four other people. Two were strippers and the other two were Adolf and Joseph.

In the second example I had lunch with two people. They were two strippers (who were named) Adolph and Joseph.

Well, that's not confusing!

I'm with Peter's interpretation.

 

[jollystomper]

Well, that's not confusing!

I'm with Peter's interpretation.

I agree, Peter is correct.


In either case, quite an interesting lunch...

 

[Walt34]

In either case, quite an interesting lunch...

Yes, someone was "the odd man out". Unless... oh, nevermind.

 

[Nemo2]

Yes, someone was "the odd man out". Unless... oh, nevermind.

Perhaps all five were odd men....out for lunch, that is?

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Perhaps all five were odd men....out for lunch, that is?

Or, dare I say, "Out to lunch"??

 

[Nemo2]

Or, dare I say, "Out to lunch"??

Touché.

 

[ls99]

Well, that's not confusing!

I'm with Peter's interpretation.

OK, clear, kind of sort of.


Hanging out (with) strippers, maybe male, or do they identify as females. This english language can be a minefield. Now for the english majors, should the word english in the previous sentence be capitalized, if so why?


Seems the votes are for Peter's interpretation.

 

[Chuckanut]

I agree, Peter is correct.


In either case, quite an interesting lunch...

Even more interesting if I told you Adolf's and Josephs' last names.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

New buzzword 'undermining' used in politics in media. Anyone who is 'undermining' anything is a bad person, apparently, no matter what it is.

I have seen an inordinate use of the word "malfeasance" by the media. I assume most of them don't use a thesaurus or do they all just love using the same language?

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

OK, clear, kind of sort of.


Hanging out (with) strippers, maybe male, or do they identify as females. This english language can be a minefield. Now for the english majors, should the word english in the previous sentence be capitalized, if so why?


Seems the votes are for Peter's interpretation.

I am not an English major, but, yes, it should be capitalized.

Why? Well, first of all, English is capitalized in all contexts. It is the adjectival form of a proper noun, in this case, the name of a country (England).

In your second sentence, you say "english major": the names of academic disciplines are generally capitalized in English, even if not a proper noun. Thus, one would write that "He studied sociology in the Sociology Department before becoming a Psychology major."

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

New buzzword 'undermining' used in politics in media. Anyone who is 'undermining' anything is a bad person, apparently, no matter what it is.

Of course, there are some things that, if you undermine them, that does make you a bad person.

 

[Nemo2]

In your second sentence, you say "english major"

I loved Ballard Berkeley as the '(English) Major' Gowen on Fawlty Towers.

 

[John Galt III]

I have seen an inordinate use of the word "malfeasance" by the media. I assume most of them don't use a thesaurus or do they all just love using the same language?

How about 'debunked' as a misused word? As soon as anyone disagrees with a proposition, the proposition is labeled 'debunked', and will be referred to as the 'debunked proposition x'. No supporting evidence needed, apparently.

 

[ls99]

I am not an English major, but, yes, it should be capitalized.

Why? Well, first of all, English is capitalized in all contexts. It is the adjectival form of a proper noun, in this case, the name of a country (England).

In your second sentence, you say "english major": the names of academic disciplines are generally capitalized in English, even if not a proper noun. Thus, one would write that "He studied sociology in the Sociology Department before becoming a Psychology major."

Thanks.

Neither Mr. Magoo nor the Wiley Coyote taught grammar.

 

[Chuckanut]

Thanks.

Neither Mr. Magoo nor the Wiley Coyote taught grammar.

I am studying Italian on my own. Their grammar seems even more complicated than English. But, maybe it's only my ignorance speaking.

 

[John Galt III]

Editorial opinion expressed as factual news. News headline 'Person A alleges misconduct' becomes news headline 'Person A falsely alleges misconduct'.

 

[Gumby]

Editorial opinion expressed as factual news. News headline 'Person A alleges misconduct' becomes news headline 'Person A falsely alleges misconduct'.

It's not editorializing if the facts are known. Consider this headline "Gumby falsely alleges that the earth is flat."

 

[John Galt III]

It's not editorializing if the facts are known. Consider this headline "Gumby falsely alleges that the earth is flat."

Thanks, but your point is moot, of course.

 

[Chuckanut]

It's not editorializing if the facts are known. Consider this headline "Gumby falsely alleges that the earth is flat."

Actually, I would rather it simply said "Gumby alleges that the earth is flat". I think I can make up my own mind as to Gumby's honesty. Or his sense of humor.

The problem with your exception, IMHO, is that too many people KNOW that what they believe to be true is a fact. But, it's not. Dunning-Kruger strikes again. Or maybe it's Cognitive Dissonance, or maybe a combination of both.

I won't go into the details of the discussion, but an acquaintance of mine KNOWS that Yosemite was not a National Park when San Francisco dammed the Hetch Hetchy Valley for water. But, it was.

 

[Nemo2]

Thanks, but your point is moot, of course.

Or, as I've seen from time to time, "It's a mute point".

 

[Gumby]

Actually, I would rather it simply said "Gumby alleges that the earth is flat". I think I can make up my own mind as to Gumby's honesty. Or his sense of humor. ....

Well, let's change the hypothetical a little. Suppose I claim to have been awarded the Medal of Honor for my heroics as an Army Green Beret in Vietnam. Not an assertion that many could judge to be true or false. Now suppose that you are the reporter and you have checked. You find out that: 1) I was never in the Army; 2) I am too young to have been in Vietnam; and 3) there is no record of me among the official list of recipients of the Medal of Honor. You would be quite correct to write that "Gumby falsely claimed to have been awarded the Medal of Honor", and that would be fact, not editorializing. It would also be a service to your readers, who could not be expected to know that fact.

 

[travelover]

YouTube ads. They suddenly became ubiquitous and now even the most mundane DIY video has at least one stupid advertisement embedded.