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Irish_Dem

(81,133 posts)

142. People influence language. Language influences people.

Sat Oct 7, 2017, 12:31 PM

Oct 2017

Interesting, we can pinpoint the origins of the major shift in language usage. People given more power to alter the rules of language.

Somewhat ironic, the more widespread the availability of grammar and spelling rules via the internet, the more they are ignored. Personally, I tend to dislike a rigid rule set which makes me feel fenced in and restricted. However, the purpose of language rules I would think is to promote clarity and comprehension. When reading material written in the new style, with little adherence to standard language rules, it leaves me trying to guess at the meaning of the content.

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Ignorant is too harsh: 13 grammatical mistakes that instantly reveal people's ignorance [View all] mfcorey1 Oct 2017 OP

#6 to this day gets me, none of the others but that one Eliot Rosewater Oct 2017 #1

How did it affect you? leftstreet Oct 2017 #2

Sometimes, I have trouble with that one too. Alice11111 Oct 2017 #6

Autocorrect messes that one up a lot. Dave Starsky Oct 2017 #11

Actually, it is always changing meanings and spellings Alice11111 Oct 2017 #12

Isn't technology wonderful? Dave Starsky Oct 2017 #17

I've been told that my article on "affect" vs. "effect" is particularly clear and easy to read: tblue37 Oct 2017 #23

Reading now, thanks Eliot Rosewater Oct 2017 #24

That is definitely one where I tend to give people a pass. Pacifist Patriot Oct 2017 #42

"Affective disorder" is a real medical term LeftInTX Oct 2017 #65

I can see this devolving into a "I hate that word/phrase" thread mitch96 Oct 2017 #3

You can also say, "That was such fun." hedda_foil Oct 2017 #32

"different" also needs a modifier. Saviolo Oct 2017 #92

I'm not sure about that - "Well, that was different" can be a commentary csziggy Oct 2017 #132

It's amuzing, to be sure Saviolo Oct 2017 #143

#10 gives me trouble Angry Dragon Oct 2017 #4

Trump has worse ones: heel vs heal GusBob Oct 2017 #5

Bigly Alice11111 Oct 2017 #7

I Notice the Awkward Russian Ones, Too Leith Oct 2017 #13

Agreed. Suffice it to say they are much different than the 13 above GusBob Oct 2017 #22

Actually, That Is a Mistake That a Native Speaker Would Say Leith Oct 2017 #79

The trolls don't care, really. Dave Starsky Oct 2017 #25

Good points, "Dumb it down" GusBob Oct 2017 #44

Masterfully played. Dave Starsky Oct 2017 #77

I also see this on some Amazon reviews. phylny Oct 2017 #135

Yelp has it's outliers also mitch96 Oct 2017 #140

Trump's a looser. nt Buns_of_Fire Oct 2017 #84

amount vs number niyad Oct 2017 #8

I want the Big Book of GoT Grammar! Salviati Oct 2017 #18

Coincidentally, I have been keeping a list of similar mistakes I encountered on DU this week Glorfindel Oct 2017 #9

Some of Them Are Pretty Bad Leith Oct 2017 #10

My favorite right-wing stupidity: "We need less government and taxes!" Glorfindel Oct 2017 #20

One That Bugs Me ProfessorGAC Oct 2017 #36

YES!! Leith Oct 2017 #76

Yes, me vs. I TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #51

Lol. He did that today, "for Melania and I..." Hortensis Oct 2017 #66

*I* didn't grow up in a highly educated family TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #71

Should have phrased it better. Sounds like your family was more Hortensis Oct 2017 #125

Whoops, posted mine below but didn't see you'd already covered it. reflection Oct 2017 #63

All of them irk me. procon Oct 2017 #14

Yes "how to teachers" do that? mythology Oct 2017 #21

I taught the same lessons to both my 6th and first graders. BigmanPigman Oct 2017 #95

I know, I finally turned off the damned autocorrect. procon Oct 2017 #99

I imagine I would not like hanging around with you. nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #109

I make a lot of those mistakes in emails and texts marylandblue Oct 2017 #15

Whom ate my sangwich? n/t LuckyCharms Oct 2017 #16

That instead of who drives me nuts. Thirties Child Oct 2017 #19

Healthy instead of healthful, as in, "be sure to choose healthy vegetables." Glorfindel Oct 2017 #26

Hey, I Ain't Eating Any of Your Sick Vegetables! ProfessorGAC Oct 2017 #37

Yeah, good luck with that one. Ditto with hopefully vs. hopingly Orrex Oct 2017 #48

I think the problem with hopefully is that English doesn't have the word "hopably" Glorfindel Oct 2017 #86

You're correct, supposably! Orrex Oct 2017 #100

OMG, yes!! TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #52

Yeah, that one gets under my skin as well Spider Jerusalem Oct 2017 #33

I work in analytics, so I see that A LOT. Dave Starsky Oct 2017 #39

I'm guilty...never knew about that one LeftInTX Oct 2017 #69

#12 drives me CRAZY. LisaM Oct 2017 #27

I have a friend with a doctorate who makes this error. spooky3 Oct 2017 #127

My mom used to charge us MontanaMama Oct 2017 #28

My mom had a thing about lay versus lie too. cwydro Oct 2017 #43

I'm curious... MontanaMama Oct 2017 #53

"I wish she were here" TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #67

Yes she was. cwydro Oct 2017 #102

She sounds like a feisty one! MontanaMama Oct 2017 #105

Died at 90 in February. cwydro Oct 2017 #106

and dont forget 'hanged' vs 'hung' samnsara Oct 2017 #129

Omg wryter2000 Oct 2017 #138

I blame my mom, too. TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #56

That's awesome. MontanaMama Oct 2017 #57

Well, he's 25 now TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #60

LOL! I wasn't that hard core w/ my son, but I have to admit OldHippieChick Oct 2017 #91

Number 12 is inexcusable, and the most widely abused frazzled Oct 2017 #29

Me Thinks Your Wrong! ProfessorGAC Oct 2017 #38

inexcusable??? Really. It bothers you that bad? nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #110

i had a teacher once explain it that if you say 'me' in front of a name... samnsara Oct 2017 #131

The English language is undergoing a big change. Irish_Dem Oct 2017 #30

I blame it on the Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961)! csziggy Oct 2017 #133

People influence language. Language influences people. Irish_Dem Oct 2017 #142

I suspect the era of "correct English" will be short period of human history csziggy Oct 2017 #146

I think you are 100% correct. Irish_Dem Oct 2017 #147

I wish I could add faze vs. phase to that list! 50 Shades Of Blue Oct 2017 #31

Yes. cwydro Oct 2017 #45

Hypocrisy vs Hypocracy Dreamer Tatum Oct 2017 #34

Some words need to be misspelled or grammar natzis would get bored Alea Oct 2017 #35

You spelled nazi wrong. cwydro Oct 2017 #46

That was bait lol Alea Oct 2017 #49

You got trolled! nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #111

Lol! cwydro Oct 2017 #112

:-) USALiberal Oct 2017 #115

Ignorance? or bad autocorrect? alarimer Oct 2017 #40

We see them all here. cwydro Oct 2017 #41

Irregardless drives me crazy. It's regardless. Period. madinmaryland Oct 2017 #47

I am almost 70 years old and in my experience some of the most ignorant doc03 Oct 2017 #50

Yep. hunter Oct 2017 #88

I had a retired teacher tell me last week the Civil War had nothing doc03 Oct 2017 #90

There list effected me alot underpants Oct 2017 #54

You're living MontanaMama Oct 2017 #55

We both are you and I. Its how we role. underpants Oct 2017 #58

Aaaaggghhhhhh! MontanaMama Oct 2017 #59

Your right. I'm some one whose better then that. underpants Oct 2017 #61

I need a drink. MontanaMama Oct 2017 #83

LOL underpants Oct 2017 #89

Less vs. fewer seems to trip up a lot of people as well. reflection Oct 2017 #62

Does it ever! kag Oct 2017 #101

Like nails on a blackboard for me mountain grammy Oct 2017 #64

What I don't understand at all TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #70

Because it is an insult mountain grammy Oct 2017 #73

That's one reason why I will never call their sorry asses anything but "repukes" Glorfindel Oct 2017 #122

That's what they are. mountain grammy Oct 2017 #123

It's an inside joke for them going back to Joe McCarthy underpants Oct 2017 #93

My Congressman does this frequently. phylny Oct 2017 #136

Weary vs. wary. Totally different meanings. Also people who pronounce the word realtor as reel-a-tor Neema Oct 2017 #68

Ok, I have to say I love this thread TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #72

There are no ignorant people on DU. They're elsewhere posting their nonsense. MineralMan Oct 2017 #75

Oh, I know that! TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #78

There's nothing more beautiful than someone declaring "Your an idiot" on the internet. Tommy_Carcetti Oct 2017 #74

I always give a pass on its and it's tymorial Oct 2017 #80

When I was a young man, I almost never made these mistakes. NNadir Oct 2017 #81

Right, typos are a different matter entirely TeapotInATempest Oct 2017 #82

I always trip over insure vs. ensure. QED Oct 2017 #85

Spelling the South American country Columbia, instead of Colombia lunamagica Oct 2017 #87

Saw "Braking News!!!" here on DU a couple days ago. MindPilot Oct 2017 #94

Yep, that one presses my button too MichMan Oct 2017 #126

On the last one, I feel like "peek" may be the more common stand-in for "pique" petronius Oct 2017 #96

That last one left me stymied as well. The 'pique' portion was awkwardly worded INHO. politicaljunkie41910 Oct 2017 #144

How about could of or would of instead of could have or SaintLouisBlues Oct 2017 #97

Loose vs. lose nt spooky3 Oct 2017 #98

This is HUGH! Kingofalldems Oct 2017 #103

She went out to dinner cloudbase Oct 2017 #104

Please stand to your feet. mfcorey1 Oct 2017 #107

Bad grammar should never bother normal people. Why the whining I have no idea. nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #108

I don't know. cwydro Oct 2017 #113

Some too much. If I can read a sentence and understand what they meant, I am fine. nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #114

Well gud for yew. cwydro Oct 2017 #116

Wow, I understood what you meant and didn't whine about it! It works!! nt USALiberal Oct 2017 #119

i think because some of us have such a horrible memory of those... samnsara Oct 2017 #130

'Who' and 'whom' are the only ones that trip me up left-of-center2012 Oct 2017 #117

No one Mendocino Oct 2017 #118

This message was self-deleted by its author JonLP24 Oct 2017 #120

Its the falt of are pubic education system. Weekend Warrior Oct 2017 #121

That MSN article is extremely douchey. Oneironaut Oct 2017 #124

yay i gots them alllswrite samnsara Oct 2017 #128

"I seen it!" EarthFirst Oct 2017 #134

so my grandaughter grows up speaking well womanofthehills Oct 2017 #139

What makes me crazy wryter2000 Oct 2017 #137

Weird Al got this one! Initech Oct 2017 #141

Heard the "lay/laid" mistake on the radio today nuxvomica Oct 2017 #145

"insure" vs "ensure"... I read articles all the time mixing these up. JoeStuckInOH Oct 2017 #148

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