My grammar nazi revealed, so what are common spelling and grammar errors that annoy you?

[quinnox]

God, I hate the common internet error "noone", it has driven me crazy ever since it appeared (which has been years ago, now). Did you know you can even find it in recently published books and other professional things like computer game manuals, that should know better? The really annoying thing is sometimes you can't tell if they mean "none" or "no one". That one is at the very top of my list. What are some of the all too common spelling and grammar errors that drive you up the wall?

[madamesilverspurs]

1. Well,

their are just to many for you're list!

[treestar]

7. The internet seems to have caused apostrophe issues

it seems to have gotten out there that all plurals require them. Did these people go to bad schools, or do they never read anything not on the internet?

it's and its gets them, as they assume that a possessive has an apostrophe, which does make some sense, therefore a thing belonging to it must be It's.

[arcane1]

52. I prefer a mis-placed apostrophe to no punctuation at all. Smart phones especially are responsible.

People type with no punctuation, no capitals, etc. I had to cancel a second date with someone because of this. I can't live with emails like "i cnt wait 2 c u agn"

[elleng]

9. HAHAHAHA!

[MADem]

176. DUzy! nt

[whatthehey]

2. The usual ones, I suspect

Loose/lose and too/to grate on me the most. That and the death of the adverb. No you did not do good on a test, unless by some wild chance it was a test of philanthropy. You possibly did well though.

[quinnox]

6. Oh my God, how could I forget "loose" instead of "lose"??

It is everywhere on the internet. That one would be number two on my list! Good choice!

[Jenoch]

127. I have never understood the confusion over

lose and loose. They are not pronounced the same way.

I have a BIL who uses 'are' in both print and spoken English insted of 'our'.

[LiberalElite]

150. farther and further

it's such a no-brainer (to me at least) far = distance

[Jenoch]

161. I used to get that one mixed up.

I looked up the meanings enough so it finally sunk in, farther is geographical distance and further is isn't.

[bemildred]

3. All of them. nt

[pinboy3niner]

4. lead/led, then/than

Just for starters.

[WillowTree]

58. Then/than.......AAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!

[bobGandolf]

188. Then and than...a classic n/t

[treestar]

5. try and

Try is a verb that has something attached to it. You try to ______ (verb). Try and is saying you are going to try, and - what? I will try. And - nothing.

[elleng]

8. there they're their

[noiretextatique]

101. and your and you're

hate when those are confused

[Jenoch]

130. I've noticed my father using

their in e-mails when he should have used there. I cut bim some slack because he's 82 years old.

[lonestarnot]

10. I have other things that annoy me. Not this.

[NuclearDem]

11. Not capitalizing proper nouns like Nazi.

[quinnox]

13. lol, got me!

[Sunlei]

79. I never capitalize some words if I can help it, nazi,republican,romney

Not intended to annoy you!

[NuclearDem]

171. It really doesn't even bother me all that much.

I was just taking a cheap shot at the OP.

[Hoyt]

97. I have not capitalized "bush" since 2003, even in formal documents.

I don't capitalize "confederate flag." Seldom capitalize "nazi" or other words that do not deserve respect.

[madokie]

107. Nor cheney

[Hoyt]

122. Yep.

[Supersedeas]

212. whose grammar is it anyway?

[ManiacJoe]

12. to / too

[TeeYiYi]

14. Loose/lose is out of control...

It doesn't even makes sense why it's happening so much. I can almost understand too/to, their/they're, etc... (ok, no, not really,) but I can NOT wrap my mind around why loose/lose is so rampant. It's the worst.

TYY

[quinnox]

17. You speak the truth!

[Benton D Struckcheon]

44. For realz. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

129. Yep.

That's the top one, right there.

[pa28]

155. Keyboard warriors calling each other "loosers" is kind of funny.

I see this mistake more often than the correct usage.

[Inkfreak]

173. I gotta agree! I don't understand the confusion.

[Android3.14]

15. Passive voice, negations and got

I edit and write shit all day long. Correcting the errors of other authors, and discovering the errors in my own writing drives me up the walls.

[sweetloukillbot]

177. I have always had a problem with passive voice... n/t

[Nye Bevan]

16. "Chaise lounge" (nt)

[hlthe2b]

74. That horse is well out of the barn. Just google it and see....

[Journeyman]

18. None. I make a living (in part) correcting people's mistakes . . .

I'm paid well to help others seem intelligent. Why would I bemoan the degeneration of grammar or the loss of the art of effective writing?

[quinnox]

19. lol, interesting perspective there!

[Brigid]

138. Job security.

Yeah, that works.

[enid602]

20. dislikes

Specificly, conversating, improper use of reflexive.

[Lint Head]

21. When grammar is use to refer to one's grandma.

[BainsBane]

22. Quotation marks

belong after commas and periods. Just an FYI, since you're a self-proclaimed grammar Nazi.

[William Seger]

23. "Alot" (n/t)

[Ilsa]

24. "irregardless" for "regardless",

"On either side" when they really meant "on each side",

those plural-possessive-pronoun bugaboos already mentioned,

"penultimate" being misused

probably my lack of caps in this list.

[DirkGently]

39. Ha. I was gong to mention "penultimate."

Used like it's just a fancier version of "ultimate."

[Ron Obvious]

55. I found out what penultimate meant...

...when I showed up on the last day of class after skipping the previous week expecting to take the final which was going to be held on the 'penultimate' day of class.

[DirkGently]

156. Youch. In fairness to you, that's some heavy

vocabulary for critical exam instructions. "Next to last" would have been just as easy, and clearer and therefore preferable.

[penultimate]

195. Those bastards!

[frogmarch]

25. The worst for me

[quinnox]

27. lol

[bemildred]

33. +1. nt

[Ilsa]

57. I feel her pain! LOL! Thanks! nt

[Sunlei]

85. "I could care less." has seemed to replace, "I couldn't care less." on a lot of internet posts.

jus sayin', lol

[arely staircase]

26. less instead of fewer

I made an omelet so now we have four less eggs.

[DirkGently]

36. But now "over" is okay for "more than." Gah.

AP, why hast thou forsaken us?

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/244240/ap-removes-distinction-between-over-and-more-than/

[Benton D Struckcheon]

46. Oh man, my wife gets on all of us all day long about that one.

That one just drives her nuts.

[SidDithers]

84. Doh! I said the same thing downthread...

Didn't notice your reply before I had posted mine.

Sid

[arely staircase]

86. yeah but I didn't say sid agrees with me

so it is still new info

[Orrex]

28. I hate "noone" too

Herman's Hermits can go to heck. ALL OF THEM!

[rock]

29. OK, you asked

I generally do not mind most spelling, grammar, or diction errors, but lately there's been a spate of the construction involving "bring" or "take". Nearly always the wrong one is chosen (well, the one that hurts my ears). Normally, you cannot "take something here", nor "bring something there", (especially when the location is implied).

Here's two examples that I consider incorrect:
1) "If you visit me tomorrow be sure to take an umbrella";
2) "When we go shopping tomorrow be sure to bring some change for the parking meters".


Notice 1) could be OK if we weren't at my place when I said it. And for 2) that would be OK if we happened to be shopping when I said it.

[MineralMan]

30. Noone is a widely used spelling variation of no one.

A search for it on Google brings up a number of dictionary entries. I don't like that usage, but I understand it in context.

There are much worse errors that are common on the Internet. Way worse.

[2naSalit]

31. I hear these on

news broadcasts and find it spills over into the realm of the written word online and elsewhere:

"...these has been; ...the problem is is that; ...she had a operation" and many more of this kind of error along with all the errors mentioned above.




ETA: I started out with one and realized I had more than that to offer.

[scheming daemons]

32. I hate the loosers that can't spell loser

...

[quinnox]

35. You get full credit for that one!

Agreed!

[Zorra]

71. +1 That is the only spelling or grammar error I have a problem with.

That one makes me every time I see it

[DirkGently]

34. Typo King here. Have to be careful of hypocrisy.

I even make weird homophone errors now, like "hear / here" and "they're / their." Somehow it's the sound in my head that gets typed, instead of the word. Then I look back and see it and it's like someone else typed it. College paper copy editor here, by the way.

Buuuuut. Some of the spelling / word use stuff is kind of mind-boggling. I used to frequent a car forum, and the number of people who think we have "bumbers" on our cars is staggering. Or that we hit the "breaks" to stop. Eaghguhggh. Like sand in the eye when you see those.

Have to say, by and large, we have excellent writers / spellers / typists here. And many clearly write in some professional capacity, given how clearly and cogently a lot of DUers can put ideas in print.

[quinnox]

37. Oh, for sure. I have noticed, in general, duers are excellent in spelling and grammar. It is part of

the reason I like hanging out at DU, to be honest!

[Jenoch]

133. My job includes a lot of writing, typing, and editing.

When I go back and see typos on my posts here it sometimes bother me but I usually don't go back and fix them. It mostly happens when posting from an iPod rather than whwn typing on a computer keyboard.

[DirkGently]

149. I kvnow wvhat ywouv meamn.

[pangaia]

158. :>))))))))))

[Jenoch]

159. Yes, it bother me.

[notadmblnd]

38. pronouncing important as impordant

that bugs the hell out of me.

[CrispyQ]

54. Anderson Cooper does this.

[laundry_queen]

88. HAHAHA I noticed that to, bugs the SHIT out of me! nt

[hlthe2b]

93. and "library" as "li-barry"

uggh.

[Logical]

40. IMO, people like you are annoying and arrogant and shallow. nt

[quinnox]

42. welp, nobody's perfect

From the Urban Dictionary

Welp - 1.To be used in place of 'well', when one feels there is no more to say. This word was originally brought to the peoples' attention in 1994, from Jim Carrey in the cult classic, Dumb & Dumber. This is simply one of the many words and phrases that continue to be used in teen conversation today.
2. another word for oh well

[Logical]

43. I think people only correct others to make themselves feel better. nt

[quinnox]

45. Welp, you are entitled to your opinion. But I can tell you, that is not the only possible reason!

Some of us actually do it to educate and because it simply annoys us, it is not done out of ego. For some of us.

[notadmblnd]

65. I don't usually correct people unless they've pointed out someone else's errors

However, there are times when I read a post and don't understand a word of what has been written.

[2pooped2pop]

102. agreed

what annoys me most is people who act like they are too dumb to understand the meaning if proper grammar is not used. Now that is irritating. I think they are going to have a harder and harder time with it. It's like no one ever sends them a text. b coz as u know, grammar is getting less and less important to everyone else. lol

Yet, every few months they have their thread about what they hate the most. And the rest of us just laugh and laugh.

[Logical]

103. Good point, I even understood your text shorthand! :-)

[WinkyDink]

118. And how did writing that make you feel?

[LanternWaste]

209. I think those who criticize corrections do so because they make the most mistakes...

I think those who criticize being corrected do so because they make the most mistakes...


(six of one, half a dozen of the other )

[WinkyDink]

117. I'll cop to the first two, but I assure you I am far from "shallow."

Or were you on "Jeopardy!," too?

[Logical]

120. You were? nt

[WinkyDink]

121. Yes. 1992. Alas (for me), I lost.

[Logical]

123. Congrats. Cool deal. nt

[libodem]

41. Affect and effect

I dislike the small "i" instead of capital I. I have trouble making sense of sentences that are not capitalized. Oh, gawd is that the right capitol?

I have tried to use the stream of consciousness style of writing but it doesn't always translate. It looks like a run on sentence with intermittent periods. I used a series of dots. I think it's called an ellipsis. Made me look uneducated. And if you can't write or spell I truly think one may be judged an infiltrating right winger, by our illustrious smart and discriminating fellow, Democrats.

[Jenoch]

134. Insure and ensure.

[libodem]

183. Uh huh

I hear you.

[Democracyinkind]

47. I have a long list but I noticed that I make the stupidest mistakes when posting from the phone...

It's really embarrassing when I read through my previous posts and notice it. Especially since I'm also a professional. I promise to better myself though. If it doesn't work, I'll never post on DU with my smartphone again.

[Freddie]

48. When people who are *paid to write* make these mistakes

Like the headline article of the local paper where the feature writer discussed a person being in "the throws of the bug going around"...it's *throes*!! and they're paying you to write this!! I don't care about grammar/spelling/usage in blogs and comments but in newspapers, magazines and advertising (presumably written by professionals) it's like nails on a chalkboard.

[WhiteTara]

49. mine is using a noun instead of an adjective

or a verb for an adverb. i.e., The Canada police or the Democrat caucus or transgendered for being transgender. It seems that more and more headline writers are guilty of using nouns for adjectives constantly. It's painful to read.

[Samantha]

50. In the news, we often hear so and so "went missing"

What ever happened to "disappeared?"

And how exactly does one "go" missing...

You asked for one that drives me nuts -- that is it.

Sam

[quinnox]

51. Oh, good one! I have even got used to that one, it has become so common, that I didn't notice it.

It is incorrect, isn't it! And what is wrong with "disappeared" anyway, not a damn thing! It is in fact, a great word.

[Samantha]

98. Here is a mispronounciation of a word that is spreading rapidly and it makes me cringe

Example: Here is a sub STAN tive story on the subject. (When the word is pronounced, the accent is on the second syllable.)

Question: Whatever happened to substantive, with the accent on the first syllable? See Webster's New World Dictionary to eyeball the accent mark.

Sam

[flamingdem]

128. I believe that there is an influence from Spanish

on this and other words like it.

SUB stan ciAL would be the Spanish emphasis.

[hlthe2b]

77. Yes... How did THAT get started?

[cry baby]

53. "I had went to the store to get candy"

Like fingernails on a chalkboard!

[WillowTree]

61. And there's a tendency, mostly in the South it seems.......

.......to say "whenever" instead of the correct "when".

[cry baby]

64. Definitely. Being from the south and living there now,

I can't say for sure that I haven't made that mistake! Oops! =)

[hlthe2b]

76. Yes. That one is especially grating.

[WillowTree]

56. People who can't get straight when to use "breath" and when to use "breathe".

I go crazy and I can't catch my breathe.

[WillowTree]

59. Also had a boss once, really arrogant woman she was........

.......who had a similar problem with "moral" and "morale", which resulted in some interesting memos suggesting that our employees' spirits were low.......

[laundry_queen]

90. Yeah, I get that one. Cloths vs clothes is one that I find annoying. nt

[NV Whino]

60. Republicans.

[narnian60]

62. bit/bitten, broke/broken, went/gone,

ran/run, etc.

[SwankyXomb]

63. People that use "viscous" instead of "vicious"

There are others, but that one really drives me mad.

[notadmblnd]

180. how do you feel about "walla" instead of "viole"

I have a sister that writes it "walla"

[BeeBee]

197. I prefer "voila."

[Manifestor_of_Light]

208. I think it means "see there!" in French.

I've also seen it as "wala" and other manglifications.

Or "viola" which is a stringed instrument tuned CGDA, a fifth lower than a violin, and an octave higher than a cello.

[McCamy Taylor]

66. If I can tell what they meant, I don't care. But sometimes, it changes the meaning.

I edit at an online science fiction fantasy -zine. Some of the stories are unreadable due to punctuation, spelling and grammar errors. Simple spelling errors can cause laughable meaning errors that ruin the mood.

English has always been a work in progress. Sort of a consensus language in which the latest conqueror adds his share. Just make sure that you say what you are trying to say.

[MohRokTah]

67. Their inability to demonstrate they're over there.

That's my biggest pet peeve in spellings.

I also hate the fact that some people must apply rouge to rogues.

[SheilaT]

68. Several.

Not understanding that it's is the contraction of it is. Its is the possessive, meaning something belonging to it, whatever it refers to in the sentence. If you always substitute it is when you see it's, you'll get it correct just about every time.

Shrunk instead of shrank. Shrunk is the past participle and requires a helping verb. Shrank is the simple past tense. The movie title should have been: Honey, We Shrank the Kids.

Misusing lie and lay. Lay is a transitive verb and requires an object. You lay something down, or on the table, or whatever. Lie means to rest or recline. You lie on the couch while taking a nap. The confusion comes in with the past tense form and the past participles (the version needing the helper verb ) of those two.

Lie, lay, lain. Today I will lie down on the couch to take a nap. Yesterday I lay on the couch for two hours but didn't fall asleep. Many times I have lain on the couch, awake or asleep.

Lay, laid, laid. This morning I lay that book on the table. Yesterday I laid that book on the table but it's not there right now. I have often laid books on the table.

There are a number of other verbs where the past participle seems to be replacing the past tense, and I can't stand it. Seen when the person means saw.

The real problem seems to be that English grammar simply isn't taught in the schools these days. Foreign language teachers often complain bitterly that their students have absolutely no knowledge of the rules of English grammar, so they have to teach both English grammar and the French grammar, or whatever the foreign language is.

I do understand typos, or simply typing away so fast that the wrong word comes out. Sometimes, if I see a particularly egregious error in a post, I'll PM the poster about it. Since we've probably all let dumb mistakes slip by (I certainly have) I see no point in a public call out.

But I do wish more people here would get the its/it's thing straight.

[beveeheart]

136. I taught French way back in the 60's and 70's and

had to teach English grammar then, as did the other language teachers in my department.

[SheilaT]

143. I graduated high school in 1965

and we were taught grammar starting in grade school.

Not so much my younger brother and sister, five and six years younger.

When sister had young children, I asked her why she didn't correct their usage mistakes ("Me and Henry are going to the park." "Give John and I the ball, please.&quot and she airily said that they'd learn without being corrected so long as she spoke correctly. Well, she was wrong. Her kids all still use that and other constructions that aren't standard English.

My two sons don't do the "Me and Henry" thing, nor do they seem to confuse the subject and object form of personal pronouns. They also use lie and lay correctly. Oddly enough, I spent their childhoods correcting them on those usages and it took.

[titaniumsalute]

69. Alls I have to do is....

there is no such word as ALLS. Drives me nuts.

Also he stoled it. No such word as stoled.

[dogknob]

70. I suspect that many kids in France can...

...tell you which of their great-grandparents' neighbors were nazi collaborators during the occupation.

To kids here at home, a nazi is that person who insists that you clean the fridge because you ignored them when they asked you politely.

[raccoon]

72. People, especially published authors, making up goofy adverbs that don't exist.

For example,

something "glowed crimsonly." I kid you not, saw this in a hardback book. But even in a Kindle it would have riled me.

[NV Whino]

73. Drank

As in, I had drank the last beer.

It's (note the properly used apostrophe for it is) drunk, folks. Drink. Drank. Drunk. I had drunk the last beer.

There apparently are a lot of drunks on DU who know their drink, but don't know their drank from drunk.

[pangaia]

160. Is that as in--

I like to drink a lot
I drank a lot last night
Now I am drunk..

[NV Whino]

169. That will work.

[SidDithers]

75. Less / fewer makes my teeth hurt...

It's fewer when referring to a discrete count, and less when referring to an amount.

"There are fewer people..." not "There are less people..."

or

"We spent fewer hours at work yesterday"
"We spent less time at work yesterday"

Sid

[hlthe2b]

78. You must really love going through the grocery check-out lines for

"15 items or less" (which seems ubiquitous).

[SidDithers]

80. Yup. How that phrase ever became industry standard is a mystery...

Sid

[Mister Ed]

81. There's one that galls me thru and thru...

...and that's this increasingly popular misspelling of "through".

To me, this shortened spelling makes a writer look lazy and ignorant. It creates the impression that the person's literary diet is limited to traffic signs.

[hlthe2b]

82. I have always hated "GROW THE ECONOMY--i.e., using grow as a transitive verb...

Bill Clinton started it, but it grates. One can grow corn, grow a beard, but the economy expands--or at least, ONLY metaphorically "grows"...

[SidDithers]

83. And no grammar nazi thread is complete without Mitchell and Webb...

Sid

[hlthe2b]

87. Ok, I may be an "anti-gun Nazi", but I admittedly enjoyed that^^^ LOLOL

[SidDithers]

89. Kerfunkle instead of kerfuffle...nt

Sid

[cyberswede]

91. Using "I" as an indirect object

For instance, "The neighbors made dinner for my husband and I." Gah! Shoot me!

Also, "the floor needs mopped" - my high school boss said that every single day, and I wanted to shake him every single time.

[hlthe2b]

92. Yes. The "I" as indirect object was incorrectly reinforced in my early education... I'm not sure

Last edited Sun Apr 20, 2014, 04:55 PM - Edit history (1)

if it was high school or college before I self-corrected. I suspect it is still "mis-taught".

But, I have to say that that error does not grate like hearing otherwise educated people proclaim that:

"Me" and my buddies are going to do such and such.

[beveeheart]

139. Using "I" as an indirect object

drives me crazy too, especially from people who should know better.

[2pooped2pop]

94. nazi's need life.

try to get one and leave other's alone?

[Common Sense Party]

203. Know doubt.

Your knot the only won that feels this way.

[2pooped2pop]

204. lol, great answer

It's irritating. People are on a discussion board, not writing a formal letter. Shortcuts will be used. Misspellings and incorrect form will happen, and even if we notice them, we won't care, and will let them stand. To, too or two? There, they're, their? Oops wrong one. Who cares? Missed comma, who cares?

It's just a discussion board, not a formal letter. It's just not that hard to figure out the intention of the writer unless you are a complete dolt. It just makes them sound like they think they are better than the other posters, and sometimes I have seen them really come down hard, especially on someone new. It's like they carry the red pen everywhere they go.

[spartan61]

95. My biggest pet peeves are

your for you're and seperate instead of separate.

[pnwmom]

96. "I feel badly" instead of "I feel bad." Ironically, TV writers often use the first phrase

to denote a speaker's higher level of education, even though it is grammatically incorrect.

[hlthe2b]

106. Unless, perhaps the individual has a neurological condition that makes them insensitive to touch...

in which the first statement would be the correct one.

[pnwmom]

108. True. But I've never actually heard the phrase used in that context. Have you? n/t

[hlthe2b]

109. No... since there are better scientific (medical) terms for describing that phenomenon, no.

But I do like contemplating language and usage.

[brer cat]

99. "Your the greatest!"

was a note written to my granddaughter by a teacher with a PhD. Yes, she teaches language arts.

[LibDemAlways]

179. Oh no! That reminds me of my daughter's first grade

teacher, a nice young woman, just out of college, who sent notes home full of grammar and spelling errors. Her contract was not renewed.

[lpbk2713]

100. Grammar and spelling elitists should avoid Craigslist.

On any given day one can find numerous references to dinning tables,
cloths, refridgerators, computor moniters, and of course there is always
the magic apostrophe that seems to appear and disappear at will.

[WinkyDink]

119. "Elitists"?? Is that like those Mathematics elitists who prefer correct sums, subtractions, etc.?

[itsrobert]

104. I have not seen noone noones.

nt

[catbyte]

105. I could care less

[Sneezpaddle]

110. do do

Examples: I do do that! We do do this!

Usually it is uttered during heated conversations. I hear talking heads on CNN and MSNBC use it often.

It pisses me off so much that I will interrupt the person speaking by saying: "You said do do." Then I snicker in a way reminiscent of Beevis and Butthead. Now all of my friends and coworkers say the same thing when they hear do do used in a sentence. In my own little way I feel I am helping people forge a better tomorrow.

[meadowlark5]

111. The most blatant that I see daily, maybe even hourly

your/you're

[Liberal Veteran]

112. This whole thread makes me nauseous.

[hlthe2b]

113. Actually, it could (theoretically) induce nausea or, as you may be indicating reflect your feeling

NAUSEATED.

[TeeYiYi]

137. ...for the win! ..nt

TYY

[former9thward]

114. I make mistakes frequently so I would never call anyone else out.

And when someone goes typo police on me I am glad because it means they have nothing substantive to say about the post. Having said that I do see 'We are going to loose the election' or some variant everyday here which is irritating.

[betsuni]

115. Since when

Since when do people come in amounts? I see and hear this all the time now. Large amounts of people. Then/than confusion and using "myself" in strange ways really bugs me. "Myself and my sister went shopping." The next one is going to be spelling "since" as "sense."

[WinkyDink]

116. The Usual Suspects. But the MOST egregious two = "would of" and variations of "to I"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And one that continues to INFURIATE me is this one. "Dalai Lama" vs. "pope." WTH?

[darkangel218]

124. Nukelar instead of nuclear.

It's the worst!!

But then again, I make so many mistakes, I shouldn't complain

[flamingdem]

125. Seperate instead of separate, irregardless instead of regardless

[flamingdem]

126. Libary instead of library

even though I used to say it that way

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

131. Fewer/less.

The concept of using 'fewer' when referring to quantifiable objects seems to have largely disappeared in popular media.

Over and over in commercial after commercial, i hear people saying 'less', when they should be saying 'fewer', or see the word 'less', where it should read 'fewer'.

There are 'fewer' cars on a lot, not 'less cars'. Cars can be counted; you have 5 cars or 8 cars or 20 cars. 5 cars are fewer cars than 20 cars, not 'less'.

[cpwm17]

148. Good, I'm not the only person that has noticed this change

I've wondered if I had some misunderstanding of these words.

My guess is that because the word "few" means a small number, about three, then how can one say that a million people is fewer than two million people. But that is how I use the word. You can't have less people. You can have less water. Fewer is digital, less is analog.

Now there seems to be no defined difference between fewer and less.

[YvonneCa]

132. Prolly...

...for probably. They aren't even pronounced the same.

[Shandris]

185. That's a midwest thing. Colloquially, we definitely say 'prolly'...

...and prolly wouldn't take no mind to you bein' upset 'bout it.

I always type colloquially in informal conversation (and a lot of times in posts). It infuriates some people, but you'd be surprised how many times I get nice comments on it because it reads like it sounds. It's that whole stream-of-consciousness thing.

[ancianita]

135. 1. Regime/regimen. E.G., The dictator's regime required students to follow a daily exercise regimen.

(No one has a dietary or exercise regime. There is no regime followed by boot camp participants.

A regime is a ruling structure. A regimen is a disciplinary schedule. )

2. Apart/a part: E.G., The regime tore apart students' psychological attachments in order to make them a part of its new regimen of exercise, study and pursuing the creative arts.

OR We want to be a part of nature, not apart from it.

3. Clothes/cloths: E.G. His clothes were made of the finest imported cloths.

4. Lose/loose: E.G. This loser's clothes were so loose that if he ran, he'd lose his pants.

5. Eminent/imminent: E.G. The eminent scholar knew that his own demise was imminent.

[gtar100]

140. The difference between 'login' and 'log in'.

A 'login' is a noun. In most cases it means your user ID and password. But you do not "login", you "log in". The verb is 'to log' and there is a space between the verb and adverb 'in' or 'out' or 'on' or 'off', etc.

If it were correct to write, "Please login", then it would be appropriate to respond, "I am loginning now." But that would be silly now, wouldn't it.

Seriously, nobody gives a shit but me but I'm in the industry and it's prevalent in emails on a daily basis. So my crusade is lonely and fraught with disinterest and a little bit of annoyance on the part of login transgressors. But I'm betting on those who laugh last are the ones who know the difference between a noun and a verb. And it is they who will stand on the mountain top and proclaim to the world, "See, I told you so!"

[frogmarch]

141. Good. Now please

tell us which of these is correct: "log off" or "log out."

Is either okay?

[gtar100]

164. It all depends on if you logged on or logged in.

I think of them as interchangeable or a matter of perspective in the moment -you may be 'on' the computer but 'in' an application. I personally associate older systems with "logoff" as opposed to "logout". Maybe 'logoff' has a bit more finality to it, like you can log in and log out of a bunch of devices or websites throughout the day but when it's quitting time, it's time to log off.

I probably find this more interesting than it warrants but apparently I'm not alone. I had a late-in-life realization of just how important and useful all those English classes I took in elementary school really were.

[frogmarch]

167. Thanks! Very helpful. nt

[Skittles]

163. do you ever get requests to "do the needful"?

[gtar100]

165. LOL I have and had to tilt my head just a bit to get what they meant. I guess it's a translation of

a common expression in one language that didn't quite fit the direct English dictionary translation. I've heard it from coworkers in India. I'll blame it on the Brits.

[Skittles]

181. I tell them to stop, that it sounds funny

and they do take my advice

[Botany]

142. the one I never get write (come on you laughed)

Is the use of It's, it is, and its

[WinkyDink]

145. Easy-peasy: Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes. Hers, his, yours, ours, theirs, its.

[Nay]

190. Also, "it's" ALWAYS means "it is," so if you look at your sentence and it

is wrong if you expand your "it's" to "it is," then you have used it incorrectly. Example:

The dog ate it's dinner.

The dog ate it is dinner. Does that sound or look right? Of course not. So you should be using "its."

[LiberalFighter]

144. The problem is not the internet.

And it is not likely the schools. If they didn't pay attention to their education in school it is their fault.

[pnwest]

146. Consentual vs consensual.

Makes my head explode.

[MannyGoldstein]

147. Misspelling "Republican" as "Third Way"

Of course

[Dragonfli]

200. also misspelling "Third Way" as "Democrat"

[yewberry]

151. Has anyone else run into 'anymore' as a delimited term?

I keep hearing this one.

"No one sells cheap shirts anymore." I'm okay with that.

"Shirts are really expensive anymore." This makes me cringe!

[Kingofalldems]

152. Ekscape.

[WinkyDink]

213. Who axed you?

[trackfan]

153. Prepare copies of the report for Susan and myself.

Listen boss: only you can prepare something for yourself.

[pangaia]

154. Accept and except..

except when I goof up..

[pangaia]

157. What is with - 'went missing?'

I have only heard that the last few years.. few being rather subjective.

[tularetom]

162. "The media IS…"

Media is a plural, not a collective noun. Should be the media are.

[RebelOne]

166. All of the above,

plus it's and its. It's is a contraction of it is. Its is a possessive article.

[Initech]

168. When people type "u" and "ur" instead of "you" and "your/you're".

God that one...

[Rhiannon12866]

170. Speaking of which: You're and Your, not to mention making plurals possessive...

By sticking an apostrophe where it doesn't belong...

[Le Taz Hot]

172. Oh, where do I start?

Equating "insure" and "ensure."
"Insure" means to guard against loss. "Ensure" means to make sure.

It's "all of a sudden" not "all of the sudden."

Confusing "where" and "were."

There is no such word as "conversate." The proper word is "converse."

Using "orientate" when they mean "orient," i.e., "I must first orient myself to the situation."

There is no such word as "accompanyist," it's "accompanist."

Using "the reason why . . . " instead of just "the reason . . ." The "why" is not necessary.

"Alot" is not a word. It's either "a lot" meaning "many" or "allot" meaning to allocate.

"Irregardless" is not a word. It's either "irrespective" or "regardless."


Just off the top of my head.

[3catwoman3]

174. Just for fun.

Ode To Spell Check


I have a spelling chequer.
It came with my PC.

It planely marx four my revue,
Miss takes eye can know sea.

I've run this peom threw it,
And I'm shore your glad two no.

Its wonder full in every whey.
My chequer tolled mi sew.

[lpbk2713]

175. Eye sea watt ewe did their.

[LibDemAlways]

178. Your/You're

[Dragonfli]

182. "Ain't got" and "you be" drive me up a wall

But what annoys me even more (for no real reason other than it makes me cringe) is using "a" for everything where "an" should be used. Even our president does that habitually which I find strange because he is extremely well spoken and I am convinced he knows better.

I guess high office is "a excuse".

[ronnie624]

184. 'whole nother'

I find it difficult to take seriously, anyone who uses that term.

[donheld]

186. People who don't know the difference between Woman and Women.

[ohheckyeah]

187. Referring to a company

as they.

[Tracer]

189. Not exactly grammar, but annoying anyway:

When people say "I feel..." when they mean "I think...":

"I feel that the Dems will win the Senate races."

And another irritation is the use of present tense to describe a past experience. This happens nearly universally on 'real life' TV programs.

"I'm running down the road to escape the fire."

[tavernier]

191. Cakes are done, people are finished.

[deutsey]

192. Although I don't like these errors when I see them here, on FB, etc.

I don't get that annoyed anymore when I see them in these types of media.

What annoys me is when I see such sloppiness in online articles from news sites that supposedly have professional journalists and editors working for them. Even worse, when I see it in print materials like books, newspapers, etc.

Yes, errors will always slip through, but I'm seeing an increasing number of glaring mistakes in online and print publications that should have better editorial safeguards in place.

[onenote]

193. Loose/lose is at the top of my list.

[Mariana]

194. "Free reign" instead of "free rein". nt.

[leftyladyfrommo]

196. Spelling it seperate instead of separate.

What I see the most are errors in they, their, they're or you, you're, your.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

198. cancelled not canceled

[mfcorey1]

199. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/canceled-or-cancelled

[SummerSnow]

201. I nevuh mizzspell wurds

[narnian60]

202. Us vs. we.

Us girls are going to the mall.
I know you don't like we popular girls.
(Noooo!)

[Puzzledtraveller]

205. To lose is not to loose!

[malaise]

206. 'None are' pisses me off and

not just on the internet. I hear that all over media all over the world.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

207. "I was, like, woah"

"know whut I'm sayin'?" "You know, you know, uh, you know." Can't they say something with meaning? I guess not.

The verbification of America. It started with "parenting". To parent. Instead of "to be a parent".
To grow the economy. Not "to help the economy grow".


The verbification of America is bad in Hollywood.
If you are the cinematographer, you "lensed" it. If you are the director, you "helmed" it. Gahhh!!!

"I seen, I done, I went". Nobody knows about helper verbs and past perfect tenses. No have or had for them.

Or incorrect past tenses. Some people think all past tenses have -ed on the end.

Couple of talking heads on the local news said a little boy was missing. They found him "hidden in hiding".

The talking heads don't have time to read it before they read it on the air, and I assume the reporters writing it are in such a hurry they don't check it. Also they misuse prepositions. Like "with" instead of "to".

"This is concerning to me." Gah! How about "I am concerned about this situation." Or "I am worried about this situation."

People who don't have problems anymore. They have "issues".

The adverb shortage and apostrophe abuse have already been discussed in this thread. Ladie's room?????

"Hoovered" for "hovered". Apparently "Hoovered" is a slang formation for vacuuming.

"All right" is two words, as I learned it in school. "Alright" is not a word.

I used to be a court reporter. I was working on jury instructions. I once told a judge who used the word "irregardless" that it was a double negative and not a word. He ignored me totally.
However, when a male attorney corrected him, he heard it. The difference: The judge didn't hear me because I don't have a dick.
Now isn't that a fascinating anatomical connection!


I once refused to change a deposition transcript to make an attorney look good. The guy had mangled his words. Part of my job is to make sure that every single word is accurate, as much as is humanly possible. In fact, I had to TAKE AN OATH to report everything accurately and clearly. So what happened when I did the right thing and refused to change it? I got fired by the court reporting firm I took this deposition for. Bastard.

No good deed goes unpunished. --Clare Boothe Luce

[MicaelS]

210. I hate that people are too lazy to use capital letters.

And proper punctuation. And that is all it is, is pure laziness.

[RobinA]

211. Constant Misuse

of the word "alleged." "The alleged murderer got away." No, the ACTUAL murderer got away. "Mr. Rothenstein is on trial for alleged murder." No, there is no crime of "alleged murder." "Mr. Jackson is on trial for the alleged murder of Monika Rose." So was Monika murdered, or is she just alleged to have been mudered? Is she even dead, or just alleged to be dead?

[WinkyDink]

216. Your alleged post is a good one!

[WinkyDink]

214. Since several asked... "Went missing":

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2006/08/gone-missing-or-went-missing.html

[WinkyDink]

215. Oooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter! THIS ONE---"lead" instead of "led" as the past tense of "lead"!