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The Velveteen Ocelot

(130,497 posts)

1. Throwing in apostrophes where they don't belong.

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:54 AM

Jan 2012

You use an apostrophe to indicate possessive, not plural! Drives me nuts.

A few more:

"I could care less." NO. You couldn't care less. If you could care less, it implies you do care. You are trying to say you don't care at all; that is, you couldn't care less.

"Your" instead of "you're." "Your" is the possessive of "you." "You're" is the contraction of "you are." They are not interchangeable.

Same goes for their/they're/there and it's/its.

"Bated breath" is correct; "baited breath" is wrong.

Misuse of lay/lie. Lay is a transitive verb; lie is intransitive.

Loose instead of lose.

Phenomena as a singular noun is wrong - phenomena is plural; phenomenon is singular.

Kudos is singular - there's no such thing as a kudo (kudos is Greek for praise or honor).

There are a lot more but I can't think of them all right now.

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What spelling/grammar errors really irritate you? [View all] laconicsax Jan 2012 OP

Throwing in apostrophes where they don't belong. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2012 #1

Absence of an apostrophe can indicate possessive. laconicsax Jan 2012 #2

You beat me to it. UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2012 #22

"I could care less" is meant to be said in a thoroughly sarcastic tone. eppur_se_muova Jan 2012 #74

Yes, lay, lie are so totally misused. RebelOne Jan 2012 #73

That is my biggest peeve, too. GoCubsGo Jan 2012 #109

irregardless pokerfan Jan 2012 #3

Argh! laconicsax Jan 2012 #5

Ah pokerfan Jan 2012 #9

in the same vane I would say "making ends meat" limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #18

"Blimp on the radar"? That's a good one! The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2012 #52

I definately have never thought of this. EastTennesseeDem Jan 2012 #4

definitely n/t laconicsax Jan 2012 #6

to, too, two Angry Dragon Jan 2012 #7

, and they're. n/t laconicsax Jan 2012 #8

laundrymat, double is, and impact as a verb grasswire Jan 2012 #10

Double "hads" too! pink-o Jan 2012 #28

do do SCantiGOP Jan 2012 #44

Your "double is" is a type of enuegii Jan 2012 #45

The misuse of it's is really irritating. I think there is a 50% error rate. pinniped Jan 2012 #11

I sometimes think that the letter "s" should just get an apostrophe as part of the character. laconicsax Jan 2012 #12

LOL....All Ss should receive an apostrophe. It actually doesn't look that bad. pinniped Jan 2012 #16

I think apostrophes should get apostrophes. Lasher Jan 2012 #19

I'm reminded of a certain sign. TexasTowelie Jan 2012 #13

All of them. REP Jan 2012 #14

Used to drive me nuts, however, HERVEPA Jan 2012 #66

"Though" has a sort of quaint retro charm, sets you dimbear Jan 2012 #15

then vs. than. Rather then explain I give this example. limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #17

People put apostrophe's in the wrong place's! UrbScotty Jan 2012 #20

Could care less tjwmason Jan 2012 #21

Maybe Americans just care too much? rucky Jan 2012 #26

I've heard it claimed that it's "ironic" muriel_volestrangler Jan 2012 #30

Not being an english major, I'm never sure UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2012 #23

Don't they teach that in elementary school? laconicsax Jan 2012 #76

Was that directed at me? UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2012 #86

Pretty sure it was. laconicsax Jan 2012 #93

LOL UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2012 #94

Proud anti-intellectuals that try to launder their ignorance Populist_Prole Jan 2012 #24

Your ellipsis is getting away from you. n/t laconicsax Jan 2012 #77

That's easy: people misspelling my name, of course! LeftishBrit Jan 2012 #25

I've never had that problem. laconicsax Jan 2012 #78

Although other people's mistakes do irritate me ... surrealAmerican Jan 2012 #27

'could of'/'would of' muriel_volestrangler Jan 2012 #29

The word "lose" spelled "loose." nt raccoon Jan 2012 #31

AMEN! Adsos Letter Jan 2012 #88

"For all intensive purposes" Shrek Jan 2012 #32

I ain't never used none impropular englishes. HopeHoops Jan 2012 #33

Never. Swede Jan 2012 #34

there/their no_hypocrisy Jan 2012 #35

The use of the subjective form of a personal pronoun as the object of a preposition. Iggo Jan 2012 #36

When you breathe you are taking a breath. yellerpup Jan 2012 #37

Oh so many.... 1gobluedem Jan 2012 #38

Incorrect use of "I" vs. "me" cyberswede Jan 2012 #39

Yep, yep, yep. Iggo Jan 2012 #43

Marshall Law MadrasT Jan 2012 #40

None really. I guess it depends on the situation. bigwillq Jan 2012 #41

"cut and dry" geardaddy Jan 2012 #42

Yea for yeah. rrneck Jan 2012 #46

ya Kali Jan 2012 #53

Or maybe german "ja" short for "jawohl". Pronounced "yah"? rrneck Jan 2012 #55

yeah, that's true Kali Jan 2012 #58

All this thumb typing rrneck Jan 2012 #65

The vast majority of my posts on DU are typed with my thumbs. laconicsax Jan 2012 #80

I have to do it one fingered. rrneck Jan 2012 #83

Like they say, practice makes perfect. laconicsax Jan 2012 #84

"The floor needs swept." cyberswede Jan 2012 #47

A few funny ones... Glorfindel Jan 2012 #48

My grade school teacher taught me, "The Principal is your pal." Iggo Jan 2012 #70

then/than, affect/effect Kali Jan 2012 #49

Corn Beef, Ice Tea, Tooth Comb.... PassingFair Jan 2012 #50

its and it's treestar Jan 2012 #51

It's page 1 of Strunk and White pokerfan Jan 2012 #57

all the person has to do is ask whether the contraction applies treestar Jan 2012 #68

Using "to go" instead of "to say" KansDem Jan 2012 #54

"could care less" sibelian Jan 2012 #56

I can't figure out what punctuation to use at the end of a subject line. siligut Jan 2012 #59

to waiter: "I'll GET a cheeseburger and fries" grasswire Jan 2012 #60

Next question: How many people here have been/are paid to correct errors like these? grasswire Jan 2012 #61

Me! geardaddy Jan 2012 #69

Only one: "literally" when it's not. hunter Jan 2012 #62

I literally died when I read that. laconicsax Jan 2012 #81

Nuclear as "nucular" Initech Jan 2012 #63

UnrepentantLiberal Jan 2012 #64

When Obama was first elected I used to joke Initech Jan 2012 #106

The husband left me a note the other day... Wait Wut Jan 2012 #67

LOL! cherokeeprogressive Jan 2012 #91

I love hanging out with teachers. Wait Wut Jan 2012 #100

As a former copy editor, I could write a list of grammar and spelling errors RebelOne Jan 2012 #71

"try and" for "try to" treestar Jan 2012 #72

Could of, would of, should of ... eppur_se_muova Jan 2012 #75

moot/mute riderinthestorm Jan 2012 #79

to instead of too mrs_p Jan 2012 #82

If I can understand it, I'm good. jobycom Jan 2012 #85

In addition to all of the above kimi Jan 2012 #87

I know it is stupid, but using hung instead of hanged Digit Jan 2012 #89

"Tough road to hoe". cherokeeprogressive Jan 2012 #90

Loose when they meant Lose n/t renie408 Jan 2012 #92

No matter how hard I try, I can't spell definatly right Inchworm Jan 2012 #95

It's based on the word "finite" (meaning "limited"). Iggo Jan 2012 #97

They don't irk me half as much as the Grammar Nazis. hobbit709 Jan 2012 #96

But they knows English gooder than the rest of us! nt WolverineDG Jan 2012 #98

A superiority complex pintobean Jan 2012 #99

Because correcting people on their grammar is exactly like genocide, right? laconicsax Jan 2012 #102

whatever you say. hobbit709 Jan 2012 #103

Authoritarian streak? laconicsax Jan 2012 #104

Between HIM and I (Many, many, many make this error...even supposedly intelligent people) nt Laura PourMeADrink Jan 2012 #101

The common errors bother me laundry_queen Jan 2012 #105

"close with" instead of "close to" jcboon Jan 2012 #107

Thank goodness I had a Catholic school education blueamy66 Jan 2012 #108