General Discussion

merrily

(45,251 posts)

138. I meant in a real life conversation with someone, where it might be more

Thu Sep 4, 2014, 01:24 PM

Sep 2014

respectful and maybe more necessary, to understand what someone means. At that, you are not correcting grammar or usage, only seeking clarification.

On the board, I agree with you totally. Twice in ten years of posting, I mentioned an error to someone, but only in a pm, never on the board. On those two occasions, the misuse or misspelling or whatever it was was connected to the work the poster had mentioned doing in real life. So, I thought sharing info with them might be needed, but for their own benefit.

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Listen up, spuds. "Wreck havoc" is not a thing [View all] radiclib Sep 2014 OP

Thank you! The Velveteen Ocelot Sep 2014 #1

That should be: XemaSab Sep 2014 #2

Umm.. radiclib Sep 2014 #3

. XemaSab Sep 2014 #4

Way two subtle Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #34

Msplaced periods lead to manopause. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #68

Or sometimes pregnant pauses. n/t A Simple Game Sep 2014 #178

Indeed. eom littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #179

Punctuation inside or outside of quotes . . . MrModerate Sep 2014 #62

No, it's pretty much a rule. Atman Sep 2014 #107

The New York Times Style Book said it goes inside and the NYT was so respected then that merrily Sep 2014 #133

No, only commas and periods are always inside the quotation marks. SunSeeker Sep 2014 #186

an example? Voice for Peace Sep 2014 #192

Example 1 is correct. Example 2 should not have a period after the quote. SunSeeker Sep 2014 #197

what if the defendant had confessed emphatically? Voice for Peace Sep 2014 #209

Was the defendant heard to say, "I confess!"? SunSeeker Sep 2014 #230

:) Voice for Peace Sep 2014 #232

you have it right demigoddess Sep 2014 #216

It is a rule, but it always looks very odd for a list of things in quotes: Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #210

It doesn't look odd to me. SunSeeker Sep 2014 #214

it is this way demigoddess Sep 2014 #217

"Pretty much" is not very precise. MrModerate Sep 2014 #215

Correct. That's a pet peeve of mine, too. I know the correct way, as you show, but valerief Sep 2014 #127

I hate it when that happens. Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #201

I await with baited breath the affects of your efforts to reign in Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #5

Don't poke the bear! radiclib Sep 2014 #9

That's what they told the horny sourdough Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #11

Their, they're... JHB Sep 2014 #12

their kardonb Sep 2014 #191

Do you think you might loose your cool? a2liberal Sep 2014 #66

Just another looser? Two bad. Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #145

anhh..some of my favorite freeperisms..alongside casting asparagus and SoCalDem Sep 2014 #142

Just don't wait with abated breath n/t krispos42 Sep 2014 #196

Pedant. Warpy Sep 2014 #6

That's it radiclib Sep 2014 #10

You're actually PROUD of your sickening sexual proclivities??? Vine Gatherer Sep 2014 #50

Raining in... leftieNanner Sep 2014 #31

Or in the head of the poster Warpy Sep 2014 #64

A reduplication of redundancies Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #198

The other one that is like nails on the chalkboard is the incessant misuse of "free reign." MADem Sep 2014 #77

Or the misuse of the term "if you will", so overdone with that one Dont call me Shirley Sep 2014 #174

I keep seeing that one coming down the pipe enki23 Sep 2014 #134

The populous in it's wisdom demands it. Jackpine Radical Sep 2014 #148

I say "Wreck Havoc" to my wife, because it pisses her off. grattsl Sep 2014 #7

I could care less. missingthebigdog Sep 2014 #8

Me too. TDale313 Sep 2014 #17

LOL, grammar police are so annoying at times. nt Logical Sep 2014 #13

Only between 12:00a and 11:59p. reflection Sep 2014 #104

Your right. johnp3907 Sep 2014 #14

It might jibe, though, begging your pedant. elias49 Sep 2014 #22

I have a really pretty opal pedant leftieNanner Sep 2014 #33

I see we have something in common pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #15

I knew catchnrelease Sep 2014 #29

It's a mute point. PeaceNikki Sep 2014 #16

One of my favorites! Scuba Sep 2014 #20

In that case, let's hear no more of it. merrily Sep 2014 #129

Thank you! treestar Sep 2014 #18

I see that allot. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #19

Was that typo on purpose? Unknown Beatle Sep 2014 #32

That would be a good guess. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #105

So what you were seeing was an allotment or distribution. sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #116

Grammar. . . Gramma littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #21

Until predictive text kicks in. elias49 Sep 2014 #23

And proofreading checks out. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #24

Indeed, littlemisssmartypants! elias49 Sep 2014 #28

Hold up there... Snarkoleptic Sep 2014 #25

I keep a running text file.. X_Digger Sep 2014 #26

Really? Wow, odd. Nt Logical Sep 2014 #30

The George W. Bush Unknown Beatle Sep 2014 #37

Thanks for the come pendulum. JEB Sep 2014 #38

Clever basturd. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #56

You're missing "needs fixed" Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #39

That's just a difference in dialect, right? Not misuse. Unvanguard Sep 2014 #91

It is grammatically incorrect. Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #96

It is grammatically incorrect in "standard English." Unvanguard Sep 2014 #183

Then the entire list should be dumped on the same basis. n/t Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #205

Not so. Most of them are misheard common phrases. Unvanguard Sep 2014 #211

We'll just have to disagree. n/t Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #212

As a native Pittsburgh child... DeadLetterOffice Sep 2014 #193

The interesting thing is that I first encountered it Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #204

It's pretty much only the western half of the state. DeadLetterOffice Sep 2014 #220

My boss was from about halfway between Pittsburgh & Johnstown. Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #221

Well Played, X Digger. Maynar Sep 2014 #46

Great list, but one has me laughing out loud Not Sure Sep 2014 #47

I've used the phrase "pre-Madonna prima donna" ... eppur_se_muova Sep 2014 #181

This message was self-deleted by its author eppur_se_muova Sep 2014 #182

***** radiclib Sep 2014 #63

I think you forgot "pore/pour" kath Sep 2014 #72

Oh, yes. That one makes me gag. I see it all the time. nt Nay Sep 2014 #122

NB re "vise/vice" Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #76

The whole -ate thing drives me bonkers.. X_Digger Sep 2014 #89

Sorry to be that guy but can't let that slide whatthehey Sep 2014 #109

"Different to" is common and frequently used in British English Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #188

Not in current style manuals it isn't whatthehey Sep 2014 #223

The Telegraph is probably not the place to be looking, they're hardly going to be innovative. Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #229

You are citing a dictionary whatthehey Sep 2014 #247

Missed out desert/dessert intaglio Sep 2014 #82

you missed one.... marshal/martial justabob Sep 2014 #90

Pre-madonna treestar Sep 2014 #98

That's an awesome hobby. I build boats. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #110

beyond the pail, on the lamb , A new leash on life snagglepuss Sep 2014 #111

"We are so screwn" deutsey Sep 2014 #113

But "butt" naked seems so appropriate.... Whiskeytide Sep 2014 #114

I knew we could count on you to bemoon that one pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #119

Is that your hobby? How much time do you devote to it? upaloopa Sep 2014 #131

No time, just have a file on my desktop that I add to when I see particularly egregious examples. nt X_Digger Sep 2014 #190

I plan to go through... 3catwoman3 Sep 2014 #208

I always have to think twice with... 3catwoman3 Sep 2014 #222

Another one not on your list- breath/breathe kath Sep 2014 #246

uh no...epic fail VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #27

"wreak" and "havoc" are separate words radiclib Sep 2014 #65

it says right there is is an "idiom" and in the dictionary.... VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #233

"two words together never have a meaning" radiclib Sep 2014 #238

I believe you THOUGHT you took me too the woodshed with this quote... VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #239

Oh, you're right! They're really one word. radiclib Sep 2014 #241

yes you are definitely confused... VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #242

Sorry you missed the sarcasm radiclib Sep 2014 #243

Did you ask about "wreck" when you thought you "schooled" me? VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #244

Popsicle headache. You win. radiclib Sep 2014 #245

I believe the modern idiom is "f--- up." hunter Sep 2014 #115

Yes that may be so....but it doesn't negate the first usage.... VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #234

Wreaked is past tense? Mariana Sep 2014 #158

depends on whether it is used as a verb or not. VanillaRhapsody Sep 2014 #235

I know a dog named Havoc that occasionly reeks. JEB Sep 2014 #35

Some of my favorites: OldRedneck Sep 2014 #36

Wow, I've used "nauseous" incorrectly all this time. reflection Sep 2014 #106

You didn't know my grandma. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #112

We dreaded going to my grandma's house. hunter Sep 2014 #117

I pacifically asked for an expresso... progressoid Sep 2014 #40

That was hilarious! Old Crow Sep 2014 #42

OK, but you should never end a paragraph with a "bang-head". n/t IDemo Sep 2014 #41

Its hard to essentially keep up with grammarly errors. Gormy Cuss Sep 2014 #43

Don't give up. English is worth saving. navarth Sep 2014 #44

And fuck the fucking spelling nazis ! upaloopa Sep 2014 #135

Since you spelled everything correctly in your post, navarth Sep 2014 #149

That gave me the best laugh all day and upaloopa Sep 2014 #157

Ha! navarth Sep 2014 #166

How About All Those Executive Types Saying "VIR-bij" . . . cer7711 Sep 2014 #45

Okay, just please don't go nucular on us pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #49

You bother because you care about the language. bvf Sep 2014 #48

Apparently the poster does. lonestarnot Sep 2014 #51

Which poster? littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #69

Oper. lonestarnot Sep 2014 #207

People also need to learn the difference between "affect" and "effect" Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #52

Unless you have a certain "affect" such as schzoid. nt Laffy Kat Sep 2014 #60

I imply what you inferred there. OilemFirchen Sep 2014 #99

I hate "gift" as a verb. cwydro Sep 2014 #237

That's right.. it's "wreak havoc".. thanks for the good ol Enlish Language reminder, radiclib Cha Sep 2014 #53

Apparently a very successful thread! bvf Sep 2014 #54

This message was self-deleted by its author A-Schwarzenegger Sep 2014 #55

Careful littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #71

Tell us how you really feel. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #57

Everyone is going to wreak corrections upon you. Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2014 #58

Let's not forget that there is no "Democrat Party"! The Wielding Truth Sep 2014 #59

"noone" area51 Sep 2014 #61

Somethin' tells me you're into somethin' good klook Sep 2014 #177

AHHHHGH! 2naSalit Sep 2014 #67

I was raised pronouncing it that way. My community pronounced it that way. Luminous Animal Sep 2014 #199

The terrible butchering of the language - I just can't bare it! kath Sep 2014 #70

Be careful when you play with words. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #74

These are the threads I live for on DU. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #73

Thank you! That one drives me nuts. WhiteAndNerdy Sep 2014 #75

I think my insurance company covers Havoc Replacement. Lint Head Sep 2014 #78

Writing for a college newspaper, I once typed 'respectfully' when I meant 'respectively' pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #79

"Wreck Havoc, and Let Slip the Dogs of Grammar!" nt daredtowork Sep 2014 #80

Et two? WinkyDink Sep 2014 #87

Dogs of Usage. merrily Sep 2014 #130

I get frustrated by how often I see "wretch" when the person means "retch," tblue37 Sep 2014 #81

I'm racking my brain but I can't think of a single example of that pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #83

It's "rack one's brains", not "wrack" Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #92

Experts seem to be divided on this pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #120

No, they really aren't Spider Jerusalem Sep 2014 #187

Another option would be to appreciate and value the qualities of other people Alkene Sep 2014 #84

Like you are doing, right? tkmorris Sep 2014 #125

If only people would tow the line. Starry Messenger Sep 2014 #85

It's a doggy-dog world. WinkyDink Sep 2014 #86

!. Laughing laughing! Luminous Animal Sep 2014 #200

Your post doesn't pass mustard. wyldwolf Sep 2014 #88

Irregardless and for all intensive purposes, I say that it is. nt Tommy_Carcetti Sep 2014 #93

Oh sure you think, your so smart. You probably the type to reply to any old gammer, eror. Rex Sep 2014 #94

I gnu that. I just wanted to be post #95 on a grammar post. LiberalAndProud Sep 2014 #95

I get hung up on hang or hung justiceischeap Sep 2014 #97

Dude, for all intensive purposes, your totally loosing it hear! Zorra Sep 2014 #100

I have no ideal what you're talking about. reflection Sep 2014 #101

Preach it! Iggo Sep 2014 #102

Excuse me, but I am no SPUD.... ChisolmTrailDem Sep 2014 #103

Question: reflection Sep 2014 #108

Whinge, bespoke, aggro, anorak, bollocks, bloody, coriander, bum, aubergine, dodgy, knackered.. X_Digger Sep 2014 #202

thank you reflection Sep 2014 #219

I know. I know. The stuff I've seen, even on a site like this where I Nay Sep 2014 #118

I always say; "Nowadays everyone writes but no one reads." johnp3907 Sep 2014 #154

It used to be a thing -- wreck meant wreak until that usage began to die in the 19th century fishwax Sep 2014 #121

One might also "weck havoc" -- make a sandwich of it on a salted roll with caraway seeds fishwax Sep 2014 #123

I like it. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #160

The last time we went out to dinner, I had a havoc sandwich at a seafood restaurant. George II Sep 2014 #225

While we are at it... Glassunion Sep 2014 #124

that *is* how it's pronounced south of the 39th parallel (and E of Texas) MisterP Sep 2014 #126

With just a hint of "rake." merrily Sep 2014 #132

I don't understand spelling and grammar police. upaloopa Sep 2014 #128

I agree. Some things still merrily Sep 2014 #136

If I can't understand what you are saying I pass it by. upaloopa Sep 2014 #137

I meant in a real life conversation with someone, where it might be more merrily Sep 2014 #138

I learned a long time ago that if we upaloopa Sep 2014 #141

I don't see anyone here going out to "hunt down" people pinboy3niner Sep 2014 #139

I do. Hissyspit Sep 2014 #140

This is not class upaloopa Sep 2014 #143

Not really the point. Hissyspit Sep 2014 #146

I used to teach for a living, but DU is not a classroom. Correcting adults in a classroom is merrily Sep 2014 #144

Humans are social. They learn from each other all the time in all kinds of ways. Hissyspit Sep 2014 #147

That is a different point entirely. merrily Sep 2014 #150

Uh...Who are you calling a "spud"? Blue_Tires Sep 2014 #151

Prescriptionists are fated to lose in the long run. trackfan Sep 2014 #152

Message auto-removed Name removed Sep 2014 #153

I could care less sammythecat Sep 2014 #155

Wow. 70 wrecks for this post thus far. reflection Sep 2014 #156

LOL! merrily Sep 2014 #159

And this thread in particulates littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #162

I prefer what upaloopa's reply taught. merrily Sep 2014 #163

Indeed, and neither you nor I are spuds. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #164

aw you are an easy person to be friendly to. Pure pleasure to encounter merrily Sep 2014 #165

And a high velocity crash as well littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #161

Send me a PM if you want me to listen up to something taterguy Sep 2014 #167

What took you so long. We've been covering for you for hours. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #168

Thank you and never stop correcting Oilwellian Sep 2014 #169

Well. Oil. Deep subjects. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #171

Up and Adam! chrisa Sep 2014 #170

But but but Wreck havoc has such a dramatic impact Dont call me Shirley Sep 2014 #172

I had a heated discussion with someone over veranda rights gwheezie Sep 2014 #173

So true....and a few others: George II Sep 2014 #175

Yes! progdog Sep 2014 #180

It appears that you have a problem with what is primarily African American vernacular. Zorra Sep 2014 #213

It appears you have a problem with making sweeping, uninformed, and incorrect assumptions.... George II Sep 2014 #224

"Sometimes I Don't Speak Right... But Yet I Know What I'm Talking About" - WAR WillyT Sep 2014 #176

sea mantics Billy Budd Sep 2014 #184

Pronounced "reek". albino65 Sep 2014 #185

wreck kardonb Sep 2014 #189

Wow, I should of knowed that. Don't loose faith. People like me still write good. Vattel Sep 2014 #194

where did you get the idea it meant to eliminate? niyad Sep 2014 #195

Oh, good grief! radiclib Sep 2014 #203

I did. the definition does not mean "to eliminate". niyad Sep 2014 #236

No shit! radiclib Sep 2014 #240

Kick and wreck. nt eppur_se_muova Sep 2014 #206

I am unhappy and itchy renate Sep 2014 #218

Moran brainiac version: Reek havoc valerief Sep 2014 #226

so many posters here cwydro Sep 2014 #227

"Mute point" YarnAddict Sep 2014 #228

There was a big prison ek-scape yesterday. Kingofalldems Sep 2014 #231

Thanks kaikevin Mar 2015 #248