Grumpy old man here.

[Kiwifan]

Does anyone else get grumpy with the changes to our language or is it just a natural progression? Today I have seen so many people write there for their, think for thing and the letter T seems to be missing. Tweny tweny anyone?

I know our favorite Gal gets her grammar pants in a twist and it may be pedantic but still........ I would expect newsreaders, politicians and journalists should get it right or maybe I've bin hiding under a rock. :)

[stroker]

It's computers. As soon as Instant Messaging started 30 years ago we started the decline. My headspace is in "aural" mode and it has become harder and harder to stay in "written" mode. I NEVER used to make the mistakes you cite, but some slip past now.

[SteveH]

Does anyone else get grumpy with the changes to our language or is it just a natural progression? Today I have seen so many people write there for their, think for thing and the letter T seems to be missing. Tweny tweny anyone?

I know our favorite Gal gets her grammar pants in a twist and it may be pedantic but still........ I would expect newsreaders, politicians and journalists should get it right or maybe I've bin hiding under a rock. :)

Yes! This upsets me more then anything else.

[WickerBill]

This thread is going to be like heroin to a junkie for me. I need to be careful.

The (spoken) missing "middle T" is getting more and more common in the US and it drives me crazy. My examples: "BA-er-y" instead of battery, "BU-uhn" for "button".

This is just a "lazy tongue" progression, I'm afraid. I have a huge pet peeve over what you will likely think is the smallest thing... it's "try and".

It should always be "try to". "And" is a conjunction, and makes “try” and whatever follows two separate actions. It is acceptable only if the word that follows is also “try”, so “try and try”. This has crept into English for lazy tongue reasons. Listen to people say it out loud: "try-n". Easier (like the middle T above) than all the effort it takes to put your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. Has become so prevalent it's flooded into the written word as well.

There are many so-called grammar experts that now try to defend "try and", and every single example they give reinforces my point. "It's perfectly acceptable to say 'Come and see', so therefore 'and' can be used in place of 'to'.", they tell us. No, jackwagon, "come" and "see" are absolutely two separate actions... "Try and see" is not that way. Try modifies see.

#@&%

[TravelGal]

WB, you definitely need to "like" Captain Grammar Pants on Facebook. If you do Facebook, that is. As Kiwifan says, it's a gold mine of malapropisms and mistakes. The write ups are humorous (the recent attempt to separate prostate from prostrate) but the comments are hysterical (in both meanings of the word).

All that aside, I can still hear my mother's voice saying, "twenTy, thirTy, forTy, fifTY, etc." Yes, Mommmmmmmmmmm.

[pfc_m_drake]

The two I often see in writing are:

1) Using the phrase 'should of' or 'could of' when the writer actually means 'should've' or 'could've' respectively.
2) Writing the phrase 'mute point' when they actually mean 'moot point'

There's another one that particularly bothers me but 99.99999% of Americans make the mistake I'm referring to...so many that I've occasionally adopted it myself, unfortunately. :( And by 'adopted' I mean consciously.

[nrc]

I find the word mistakes (there/their, your/you're) creeping into my own messages and it drives me insane. I'm very aware of it but as someone else said, when you're typing in a voice instead of writing for a page it's very easy to get tripped up.

Another side affect of too much messaging is the muscle memory mistake where you're typing a word that contains a common letter pattern and you just unconsciously type the letter pattern instead of the correct spelling for the word that you're typing. I can't even think of an example but I do it all the time. :/

I'm glad to see some people joining me in righteous indignation over the scourge of the lazy T. I first noticed this years ago in some popular song that referenced "Bu-uhns" and it seems to have taken off from there. I didn't know if it was a regional thing that was being popularized through social media or just widespread laziness. First they came for our T's and I said nothing...

Ok, I guess I'm a little hypocritical on this. I've been criticized since my younger days as not properly enunciating my H's, particularly in the "hu" combination. So it came out sounding like "youman beings" or the now very popular "yuge". I tried to correct this, but it always came out sounding labored to me: "hhhhhhuman beings," "hhhhuge." It's my secret shame.

[pfc_m_drake]

Ok, I guess I'm a little hypocritical on this. I've been criticized since my younger days as not properly enunciating my H's, particularly in the "hu" combination. So it came out sounding like "youman beings" or the now very popular "yuge". I tried to correct this, but it always came out sounding labored to me: "hhhhhhuman beings," "hhhhuge." It's my secret shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu8tX2BAD1k

:rofl:

[Kiwifan]

Ok, I guess I'm a little hypocritical on this. I've been criticized since my younger days as not properly enunciating my H's, particularly in the "hu" combination. So it came out sounding like "youman beings" or the now very popular "yuge". I tried to correct this, but it always came out sounding labored to me: "hhhhhhuman beings," "hhhhuge." It's my secret shame.

You're not French Canadian are you? I 'ear they get quite upset and off their 'igh 'orse when things go wrong. ;) ...runs....

[TravelGal]

There's another one that particularly bothers me but 99.99999% of Americans make the mistake I'm referring to...so many that I've occasionally adopted it myself, unfortunately. :( And by 'adopted' I mean consciously.

I don't know which one you mean but the one that makes me want to choke people is the use "I" instead of "me." "He gave the gift to Charlie and I." "What happened really surprised my mother and I." My blood pressure goes up just typing it.

[pfc_m_drake]

I don't know which one you mean but the one that makes me want to choke people is the use "I" instead of "me." "He gave the gift to Charlie and I." "What happened really surprised my mother and I." My blood pressure goes up just typing it.That one gets me too. But no, the one I was referring to is the following:

The word 'data' is the plural form of the word datum (singular). However, over 99% of the people in the US use 'data' incorrectly. I'll illustrate with 3 examples:

1) The cows is grazing in the field.
2) The children is riding their bicycles.
3) The data is being checked by the engineers.

All three are incorrect and, of course should be:

1a) The cows are grazing in the field.
2a) The children are riding their bicycles.
3a) The data are being checked by the engineers.

Last time I checked Merriam-Webster the explanation (quite literally) was, 'Well, since everybody uses 'data' in the singular we accept that usage as correct even though it is not.' :shakehead:

In my case, I've found myself saying 'data is' purely to appease my colleagues and avoid a long explanation. And I'm certainly NOT a better person for that.

[devilmaster]

3a) The data are being checked by te engineers. <---:thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown::irked::irked::ir ked:



Anyways, I just want to say I ain't never was no good at english neither.







:runs::gomer:

[nrc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu8tX2BAD1k

:rofl:

:rofl:

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/50f5947a-1dfd-43b8-8b3b-799921482fbd/embed?autoplay=false

[pfc_m_drake]

Anyways, I just want to say I ain't never was no good at english neither.







:runs::gomer:I think it's beautiful that I had a typo in that sentence...which I obviously did on purpose to see who would catch it. And if you believe that, then I've got some discount land for you too...:shakehead::rofl::rofl:

[pfc_m_drake]

:rofl:

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/50f5947a-1dfd-43b8-8b3b-799921482fbd/embed?autoplay=false

:rofl:

[WickerBill]

nrc, I was reminded of Audrey Hepburn...

https://youtu.be/-gA7qq7Ja4U?t=22

[KaBoom21]

literally

[stroker]

"There's a number of different problems with that..." instead of "There are a number of different problems with that" annoys me, but I can't blame that on Instant Messenger. It's just sloppy.

That, and constantly repeating "y'know" as a means of pausing thought...

[TravelGal]

"There's a number of different problems with that..." instead of "There are a number of different problems with that" annoys me, but I can't blame that on Instant Messenger. It's just sloppy.

That, and constantly repeating "y'know" as a means of pausing thought...

I'm in a business referral group with a man that says "y'know" after every 4th or 5th word. Lord help us when he gives his 10-minute presentation every few months. It's almost unbearable.

[WickerBill]

I worked with a guy like that, except his filler was "and such." Even where it didn't make sense. Especially when it didn't make sense.


"We went to the facility and such, and Bill gave us a tour and such."

Like TravelGal said, it just gets painful, and fast.

[RaceGrrl]

A thread after my heart...

then for than: "more then you know"
fewer vs less
their/they're/there

"I seen it"

...and my favorite, the Oxford comma.

[WickerBill]

...and my favorite, the Oxford comma.

You just listed the Oxford comma with things you hate... so you hate making sentences easier to understand with zero downside? :\

[RaceGrrl]

You just listed the Oxford comma with things you hate... so you hate making sentences easier to understand with zero downside? :\

I should not post when I'm tired. I dislike the omission of the Oxford comma. :gomer:

[SteveH]

May I add one non-grammar related gripe?

People at the grocery who have phone conversations while shopping using the phone's speakerphone. Seriously, I do not want to be part of your conversation, even passively. :rolleyes:

[nrc]

May I add one non-grammar related gripe?

People at the grocery who have phone conversations while shopping using the phone's speakerphone. Seriously, I do not want to be part of your conversation, even passively. :rolleyes:

Maybe they're on speaker so they can see to press the buh-uns on their phone.

[TKGAngel]

May I add one non-grammar related gripe?

People at the grocery who have phone conversations while shopping using the phone's speakerphone. Seriously, I do not want to be part of your conversation, even passively. :rolleyes:

Oh, then some of the ladies at my office would drive you over the edge, as they have their phone conversations on speaker in the ladies room. We have 10 conference rooms, an outdoor gazebo, two picnic tables and even the parking lot, but these ladies are using the restroom stalls like a phone booth! And they don't seem to care that their business is being put on blast to anyone who just wants to use the facilities.

[WickerBill]

May I add one non-grammar related gripe?

People at the grocery who have phone conversations while shopping using the phone's speakerphone. Seriously, I do not want to be part of your conversation, even passively. :rolleyes:


Although this is a hot button for me as well, a story from the Atlanta airport last month. In line for some wonderful airport food, and a girl a couple of places behind me is having a historic, full-tilt, end-of-relationship argument with her man. And I found myself wishing, since I had to listen, that she would put him on speaker so I could at least decide whose side I was on.

[TravelGal]

Maybe they're on speaker so they can see to press the buh-uns on their phone.

:laugh::laugh:

[TravelGal]

I should not post when I'm tired. I dislike the omission of the Oxford comma. :gomer:

Whew. I was worried there for a minute. All the references say the meaning is the same with and without but, by golly, it's not. PS, If anyone hasn't read read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" I highly recommend it.

[Al Czervik]

I can't believe we've made it to page 2 without

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc&ab_channel=alyankovicVEVO

[RaceGrrl]

Whew. I was worried there for a minute. All the references say the meaning is the same with and without but, by golly, it's not. PS, If anyone hasn't read read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" I highly recommend it.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a great book. My former boss (a physician, but a stickler for proper grammar) recommended it to me.

[RaceGrrl]

I can't believe we've made it to page 2 without

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc&ab_channel=alyankovicVEVO

One of my favorite Weird Al videos. Love the dig at Alanis: "irony is not coincidence".

[SteveH]

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling