A special message for language pedants (AKA Grammar Nazis).
By
Agonus,
Posted on: 2010-10-28 07:19 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
I've got to admit, i have a pet peeve of sorts, which is kinda silly for me to have... being a lover of ellipses.
But i get a bit steamed when people keep on confusing your and you're.
"is this youre car?" some even manage the "is this you're car?"
and the typical "your a idiot!" (not even an idiot... just a idiot 
)
And what saddens me further, is the fact most of these people have English as their native language.
I'm Norwegian, my English is far from perfect, but even I know when to use Your and when to use You're.
Does this make me pedantic? 
i don't generally mind misspellings, as i do them often myself, for some reason my fingers will write the correct word, but have the letters in the incorrect order... self becoming slef.
I obviously know the correct spelling, i just have a tendency of noticing the typos after I've posted it.
But grammar nazis.. do these strike down on purposely misspelled words?
there's the intarwebs, or intarmawebs, kinda like slang in a way?
There's words used in daily conversation, that won't be found in a dictionary, are these "lesser" words?
Will lightning strike us from above, as punishment from the Gods of dictionaries?
Will there be Grammar Nazi raiding parties, kicking in our doors to re-educate us?
will said troops be armed with crossbows patterned with crossword puzzles?
will the bolts in said crossbows have the letter A as a arrow tip? or is a V better suited? maybe a W for double the pain? a U would be too dull.
Will Ken finally get Barbie in the next episode?
Quote:
No, it makes you a person with a basic understanding of English possessive pronouns and contractions. It also goes to show how little thought some native speakers put into learning their language. I blame Microsoft's grammar checking thingamabob in Word. It's not even all that good, but it still made people lazy.|
Originally Posted by Hemily
I've got to admit, i have a pet peeve of sorts, which is kinda silly for me to have... being a lover of ellipses.
But i get a bit steamed when people keep on confusing your and you're. "is this youre car?" some even manage the "is this you're car?" and the typical "your a idiot!" (not even an idiot... just a idiot )And what saddens me further, is the fact most of these people have English as their native language. I'm Norwegian, my English is far from perfect, but even I know when to use Your and when to use You're. Does this make me pedantic? |
Also, I would like to state that two of my favorite words are xenophobic and d*uchebag. Not because of their definitions (though I find that d*ouchebag is my favorite, all purpose insult), but because of the aural texture and the way they feel as they roll forth from the mouth and brain when you say or think them. There's a sort of...wonderful elegance concealed behind the crassness of their respective meanings.
Goodbye, I guess.
@Lord_Nightblade in Champions/Star Trek Online
nightblade7295@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch
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Gosh darn the Pusher!
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Originally Posted by Ironik
Hoyt Axton (the dad from Gremlins) was also a songwriter who wrote some great songs.
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I was reading Superman: Earth One because of that other thread and found this bit to be funny and completely apropos for this conversation:
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.
-np
I see myself as witty, urbane, highly talented, hugely successful with a keen sense of style. Plus of course my own special brand of modesty.
Virtue: Automatic Lenin | The Pink Guy | Superpowered | Guardia | Guardia Prime | Ultrapowered
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Me speak gooder English then what you does.
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Originally Posted by NinjaPirate
Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.
-np |
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
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So are you advocating dumbing yourself and your communication style down so the rest of the neophytes can understand you?| I'm an excellent writer and know most of the rules of languages, definitions of words, and how to make most of what I say accurate grammatically, but why do so? More often than not someone is going to misunderstand you, not know the definition of a word, or think the the structure of a sentence is wrong because it's outside the normal structure that most of the English speaking world uses even though it is not the only structure acceptable. |
We should be forcing the bottom to come up, not the other way around. The education system has it all backwards these days.
Structure and phrase might be accepted, but that doesn't make them correct. If there is no one to remind folks that, for example, Qwik is not the right way to spell quick, and EZ is not how you spell easy, then the English language dies a little more. What's left is something different.
Loose --> not tight.
Lose --> Did not win, misplace, cannot find, subtract.
One extra 'o' makes a big difference.
No, White Hot Flash. I think that though English allows for one to express various layers within their words it becomes worthless and meritless if those layers go missing. It doesn't matter how quick you can turn a sentence to mean something else or how much you can accurately read into the intentions of someone by the words that they choose if when you communicate you are never understood. The score for the most beautiful song in the universe is worthless to someone who can't read it or only has a very poor ability to comprehend and compose it no matter if they seek to hear the most beautiful song. To them that song could never be it and the writer of that song has gone unheard and thus failed.
As simple and obvious as it sounds it means nothing to make noise without meaning and that is lost on people.
I hardly believe that verbosity, articulation, or even creativity is all that important when it comes to language, but rather how well one can express to people their thoughts and comprehend others'. No matter the temerity or tenacity one has for words it is, indeed, the thought that counts in the end. ^.^
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I'm aware of the rules of engagement; I simply opt to ignore them most the time. (other than when spell check happens correct it for me.) I'd hate let little crap like "alot" bug me.(which I know you're keeping a count...when first poster to hit 1 million alots you plan nuke their hometown from orbit as that's the only way be sure.) Some things people use all time to where become it's part of our "slanguage". (granted some misuses jar me like the first time I heard Missy Elliot say...Get your hair did...*shudder*. It takes some effort.)|
Originally Posted by Ironik
Speaking for myself, there's no grading going on. It's not like I correct people all the time. That would be a full time job!
 I mean, you use "alot" all the time and I've never once said anything about it. Yes, it bugs me, because it's either "a lot" or "allot." Also, the English-as-a-second language thing is another reason I don't normally go around correcting people. You never know. Of course, if someone is being particularly annoying, a nice little spelling rip is always delightfully cathartic. |
The word Since get's misused tons, as people often don't reference time with it. Such as Since you're going out to store....blah blah. Not "Since dawn of man (when Ironik was little hehe.) ...blah blah. I usually try catch myself from using it improperly. Just it's so deeply engrained that one sometimes slips under my radar when I'm trying to be proper.
Which if I'm going rip on someone I prefer come up with more inspired jabs than simple spelling errors. That's too easy and hardly worth mentioning.
- Justice
Lastjustice- lvl 50 defender
Leader of Eternal Vigilance.
- Freedom
Lastjudgment - lvl 50 corruptor
Member of V.A.M.P.
Beware:NERDS ARE THE WORST FANS!!
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Something, perhaps, even more unique than what came before.|
Originally Posted by White Hot Flash
What's left is something different.
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Unique. Uniquer. Uniquest.
And the spellchecker does not protest.
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You also appear to hate the word "to." |
Originally Posted by Lastjustice
I'm aware of the rules of engagement; I simply opt to ignore them most the time. (other than when spell check happens correct it for me.) I'd hate let little crap like "alot" bug me.(which I know you're keeping a count...when first poster to hit 1 million alots you plan nuke their hometown from orbit as that's the only way be sure.) Some things people use all time to where become it's part of our "slanguage". (granted some misuses jar me like the first time I heard Missy Elliot say...Get your hair did...*shudder*. It takes some effort.)
The word Since get's misused tons, as people often don't reference time with it. Such as Since you're going out to store....blah blah. Not "Since dawn of man (when Ironik was little hehe.) ...blah blah. I usually try catch myself from using it improperly. Just it's so deeply engrained that one sometimes slips under my radar when I'm trying to be proper. Which if I'm going rip on someone I prefer come up with more inspired jabs than simple spelling errors. That's too easy and hardly worth mentioning. |
See what I did there?
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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"Very unique" is annoying. You can't go past "unique." Either it is or it isn't, there are no gradations of uniqueness.|
Originally Posted by Flarstux
Something, perhaps, even more unique than what came before.
Unique. Uniquer. Uniquest. And the spellchecker does not protest. |
Since this is political season, pay attention to how the politicians speak to you. When they say "see" they are inviting you to share in their experience. "See, if we were to do things like this...." However, if they use the words "look" or "listen," then they are dictating their opinion to you, basically talking down to you. It's rare these days to hear a politician use the word "see" rather than "look." I daresay anyone who does would be... unique.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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Ellipsis use is hard for some people. It should only be three dots. If one uses an ellipsis at the end of the sentence, then it's four dots: the ellipsis and the period.|
Originally Posted by Hemily
I've got to admit, i have a pet peeve of sorts, which is kinda silly for me to have... being a lover of ellipses.
|
Ellipsis = singular
Ellipses = plural
...using them at the start of the sentence is incorrect, but it's a stylistic choice that I can't keep myself from using. Using... using.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
Tales of Judgment. Also here, instead of that other place.
good luck D.B.B.