Pet Peeve

[leo9]

For my part, I wonder at those who can't be bothered to proofread or find someone to proofread, and then get upset when they get flamed.

There is an attitude I've met here and elsewhere that if we are free to write what we like, that should include being free to write it however we like, including not giving a damn about spelling and grammar.

That's fair enough: but they should also allow me the freedom to say that I can't bear to read such illiterate rubbish.

[Morrighan]

I would think that if you care enough to sit down and write something, submit it to a site like this one, and hope for reviews, you would care enough to learn the fundamentals of your mother language. There are some who would argue that misspelling, grammar, and punctuation are some quaint form of creativity with the language. "Art" or some such. To me, the difference is as if I'm comparing a Monet with a picture of streaks and polka dots. One requires an immense amount of talent and discipline, and the other the artistic abilities of a five year old. (Why some pictures that amount to little more than streaks and polka dots of color sell at all is beyond me. But maybe I'm just not very sophisticated.)

There's a book on this subject called "Doing Our Own Thing: The Degredation of Language and Music." There are something like 400,000 words in the English Language, and the average American is down to using about 20,000 of them commonly. Pretty pathetic.

The use of the English Language is a major pet peeve of mine. It's gotten to the point that I literally spend half my life explaining myself to my co-workers. They usually have no clue what I'm talking about, simply because they have no command of their mother tongue.

Morrighan

[Garmonbozia]

Language is a very intriguing topic that can be discussed literally forever.

That is my favourite pet peeve. The word 'literally' seems to be the most abused word in the English language. I heard someone on a travel show say they "literally had a bird's eye view" while hangliding. It is rife throughout journalism and if you try to edit it out the response is usually - don't be a pretentious prick.

So that is what people who have a love for English tend to be labelled - pretentious. I do not correct people when they make mistakes, aside from close friends, as this simply causes a great amount of tension and actually does make you seem pretentious, lecturing people all the time. But I do cringe a lot when I hear words mutilated in speech or on the page.

It is quite interesting with the pronunciation of words by Americans though. Many of their pronunciations of words like 'grass' are actually correct. The 'ass' sound rather than the 'arse' sound is the correct one. But correct for whom and from when?

English is a very changeable language as certain words come into or go out of favour (the word bloody, now seen as somewhat of a swearword was actually a very common word in the 1800's and not considered vulgar in any sense - ladies in polite company used it frequently). But the modern erosion of the language, with internet and sms shorthand coupled with the apparent disinterest of parents and the school system in the education of children, is a very worrying trend indeed.

I guess I better watch the step down off the soapbox. It seems a little higher than when first I stepped upon it.

Jason

[Curtis]

Okay, Jason, I'm not getting your first point. I also don't like it when people misuse "literally" to mean "figuratively". In the two examples you gave, the first was a misuse, but didn't the hangliders actually have a bird's-eye view, therefore making your second example one of proper usage? Unless you think that "literally" should apply to them not having birds' eyes, whereas I apply it to the view?

[Garmonbozia]

The phrase 'bird's-eye view' is a colloquialism and a perfectly good use of english. However, by placing literally before it the meaning has changed. It would indeed mean he was seeing through a bird's eye. 'Literally' should never have been used in this instance.

How about from a car review, "we were literally flying down the highway". Unless he was drving chitty chitty bang bang this is incorrect.

I could provide you with at least 5 instances of this misuse every day. It is so widely used and almost every instance is either a tautology or incorrect.

There is a TV chef from Britain who says it at least 50 times per show. "I am literlally throwing this basil in the pot" and then he does, followed by "then you literally chop the carrots" and then he does. As you can see it really does piss me off.

Jason

[BDSM_Tourguide]

There is a TV chef from Britain who says it at least 50 times per show. "I am literlally throwing this basil in the pot" and then he does, followed by "then you literally chop the carrots" and then he does. As you can see it really does piss me off.

Jason

Hey, but at least Jamie really does use the term correctly, in most cases.

[slavelucy]

There is a TV chef from Britain who says it at least 50 times per show. "I am literlally throwing this basil in the pot" and then he does, followed by "then you literally chop the carrots" and then he does. As you can see it really does piss me off.

Yeah, Mr.Oliver can start to grate after a while can't he (no culinary pun intended). It is such a coincidence you should bring him up, myself and TG were talking about him only a few weeks ago. All i need now is a spare £200 to afford the ingredients for his Fish Stew, and i'll literally be good to go!

sl

[EstabanBacca]

I make a delectable fish stew. It is figuratively 'out of this world' and literally quite inexpensive. Will share it if anyone else shares my entusiasm for this dish. As to this thread, its a case of different strokes for different blokes. Some readers seem to be able to get off on an un-illustrated fuck comic and can blithely sail from 'cock' to 'cunt' no matter how vast a sea of non-literal literalities separates them.

[Carmenica Diaz]

Do you think Jamie Oliver is a Dom?