Pain in the English offers proofreading services for short-form writing such as press releases, job applications, or marketing copy. 24 hour turnaround. Learn More
Joined: November 3, 2011
Comments posted: 17
Votes received: 10
"Blurring of meaning"??A nice way of saying it's wrong?
If one hands someone a package that one wishes to be transported to the post office then one would say "take that to the post office", no "bring that to the post office".On the other hand one could say "Meet me at the post office later and bring that with you".Quite simple really.
Interesting to see MWDEU and Shakespeare mentioned in the same sentence.Shakespeare's works are not noted for accuracy, but are oft quoted as being so.Perhaps a few examples showing the play, act, and scene would enable such assertions to be examined.It is unfortunate in language that common usage of an erroneous meaning, spelling, or pronunciation, all too often becomes the norm.
October 7, 2012, 3:35pm
You guys are really amusing.It all comes down to the poor working class being browbeaten by the aristocrats and scholars?
July 25, 2012, 3:25pm
I think it is time to explode the myth that the hotchpotch of perverse pronunciation, suspect spelling, and garbled grammar that Americans so arrogantly proclaim to be correct English is anything but a corruption of the language.Call it what you will; Amerish, Americanish, Amish; it is not English.
July 23, 2012, 5:31pm
An acronym is a pronounceable word which may be formed by initials or parts of other words.
It is sometimes wrongly applied to any set of initials.
July 17, 2012, 3:22pm
@D. A. Wood
"many such people think that they should do things according to their whims, rather than bothering to find out the real way"
Well said!You have crystallised just what is wrong with our language today and why we have so many disagreements over spelling, grammar, pronunciation, etc etc.Too many people are more interested in expounding their own narrow views than they are about correctness or "the real way".
July 12, 2012, 3:27pm
Is there in fact a hard and fast rule about when "a" is hard (AH) or soft (AE)?
We have saga and sago, tomato and potato,
July 12, 2012, 3:17pm
Do pet peeves have to be justified or explained?
July 12, 2012, 3:12pm
I find it somewhat ironic that one who holds strongly to the Germanic roots of the English language and normally vehemently objects to any Mediterranean influences should favour the "SK" pronunciation of "SCH" when the normal Germanic pronunciation is "SH".
July 12, 2012, 2:32pm
Check on www.forvo.com
The French pronunciation is definitely closer to 'daybew' than 'dayboo', as is the normal English pronunciation.
July 6, 2012, 10:14pm
Does having a pet peeve about how certain words are used (or misused) qualify one for membership in the "grammar police"?So far in this thread I have seen no evidence of anyone claiming that the use of "their" in the given context is wrong, only that it sounded strange.Based on what I have seen in this forum "descriptivists" can be just as dogmatic and pedantic as "prescriptivists". Does that mean that they are "the anti-grammar police"?
June 23, 2012, 3:41am
I just found a number of references to this in the "Pled versus Pleaded" thread.
Apparently it is a pet peeve for a number of people.
June 22, 2012, 9:11pm
WRT DAW's dissertations:-
If spoken they would certainly be classified as verbal diarrhoea.
Is there a term for the written equivalent?
June 22, 2012, 9:08pm
If one applies the logic:-signage = Signs collectively, esp. commercial signs or those on public display; the design and arrangement of theseto some other -age words then would the following be true:-dotage = arrangement of dotsgarbage = design of garbpillage = collection of pills
March 15, 2012, 5:41pm
Advantage Hairy.JJMB to serve.
March 15, 2012, 5:33pm
The antipodeans do seem to come with some rather idiosyncratic word usage.Perhaps a result of being so far removed from civilised influences.
March 15, 2012, 5:32pm
@campobelloIt is more like downgrading than evolution and there is nothing neat about it.Just another sorry example of how acceptance of erroneous usage is leading to debasement and dumbing down of the language.
December 28, 2011, 1:15pm
©2016 CYCLE Interactive, LLC.All Rights Reserved.