Grammatical Gripe

[ET Awful]

I'm not a grammar expert, but there are three phrases that are constantly misused that bother me, so I'm going to whine about them :).

First, the phrase is "toe the line," not "tow the line." It originated with military jargon and people being lined up in formation with their toes in line. Anyone who was out of line was not toeing the line. Get it?

Second, the correct phrase is "once in a while," not "once and a while." The word "while" is signifying a length of time, the word "once" is describing an event which occurred within that period of time.

Third, the correct phrase is "case in point," not "case and point." The phrase is in reference to proving a point. The "case" is part of, or proves, that point.

Thank you for your time and attention. I apologize for any offense this may cause.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. "I could care less." My eyes hurt when I read that one.

Come on, I am a fucking FOREIGNER. YOU are supposed to know your OWN language, not to mention some basic LOGIC.

[Dez]

5. Didn't you know

Americans changed the English language to suit their uneducated populace? *LoL* ..

The one that irks me is when people mix up 'then' and 'than'..

[unblock]

15. native speakers are always worse

native speakers learn both proper language as well as slang and colloquialisms, and often have difficulty knowing the difference between what's proper and what's a fairly common (possibly regional) mistake.

try explaining to a native english speaker these ones:

-champing at the bit (not chomping)
-to all intents and purposes (not for all intensive purposes)
-tenterhooks (not tenderhooks)



plus, i learned long ago that speaking overly correctly actually distracts from effective communication. you get people thinking about grammar and english rather than the actual point you were trying to make. if i knew exactly which grammatical mistakes to make, i'd be a politician....

[ET Awful]

20. It's actually "FOR all intents and purposes" :)

I can't think of a situation where "to all" would be appropriate.

[unblock]

50. sorry, it's "TO all intents and purposes"

"FOR all intents and purposes" is a corruption, though it is so common an error it is now almost acceptable.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=to%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes

[ET Awful]

54. As demonstrated below, it is contextual, and in most cases "for" is the

only way the phrase makes sense.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=for%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes


to all intents and purposes

Also, for all intents and purposes; for all practical purposes. In every practical sense, virtually. For example, For all intents and purposes the case is closed, or For all practical purposes the Vice-President is the chief executive while the President is in the hospital. The first phrase, dating from the 1500s, originated in English law, where it was to all intents, constructions, and purposes. A shorter synonym is in effect, def. 1.

[KurtNYC]

16. I saw that as an option on a newspaper's poll

There were 2 options and then "I could care less."

[kick-ass-bob]

2. Once and a while, I like to tow the line.

Take this as a case and point.

Thank you.

:evilgrin:

P.S. Irregardless, I could care less!

[ET Awful]

7. Quiet Kick-Ass-Bob, I don't want to have to kick your ass.

:evilgrin:

[kick-ass-bob]

10. So you want me to act like a

moot?

:7

[ET Awful]

13. Yes, a def-moot :) n/t

[trotsky]

3. Oh well, it's all a mute point. ;-)

Seriously though, those things bug me too.

[RaleighNCDem]

33. UGH! My co-worker does that.

I also hate it when people mix up there and their.

[markbark]

4. May I please add "loose" to your list?

A pet peeve of mine....

When one has misplaced something, you did not "loose" is (although it may be on the loose) the word you're looking for is "lose".

...and don't even get me started on the "their/they're/there" issue :)


--MAB

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. They're are too many idiots out their. There education was substandard. nt

[LiberalEsto]

8. Thank you

It pains me to see the English language mangled beyond recognition.

I despise * because he has utter contempt for all laws and rules, including the rules of grammar.

[gollygee]

9. Add confusion between less and fewer to your list please

If it is something you can count, the proper word is FEWER, not less. Less is for quantaties that can't be counted.

There is less water in the glass.

There are fewer glasses.

[CBHagman]

18. Yes, and I'd mention "less carbs."

The expression "less carbs" manages to create double the annoyance by misusing less and continuing the national obsession with low-carbohydrate diets. And our rear ends and stomachs are still as large as Madison Square Garden, so we all know how well the low-carb fad is working.

And may I mention a few others?

It's "different from," not "different than."

"Its" is the possessive, as in "the monkey had a banana in its hands." "It's" is the contraction for "it is." Yes, I know it's confusing.

[yellowcanine]

11. Not to mention loose for lose, as in "what a looser!" That one sleighs me.

Heh. And mixing up cites and sites.

[ET Awful]

12. Not to mention sights. :)

Let's not forget people that say "here here" instead of "hear hear."

It's a phrase letting the person you are agreeing with know that you hear them and are calling on others to hear them as well.

[yellowcanine]

14. Oops - I see somebody already mentioned "loose". Ok. Site for "Cite".

[RebelOne]

25. And also Web sites. Not Web sights.

That one makes me want to scream.

[tjwmason]

17. Could of AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

It emerges from the tendancy of many English speakers to drop the letter 'h'; 'could have' easily becomes 'could 'ave' this then erroneously falls into 'could of'.

[ET Awful]

19. Agreed, I had forgotten that one. n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

48. I always thought it was a contraction...

Could've can sound like "could of". Of course, that doesn't excuse writing it incorrectly.

[LDS Jock]

21. does a misused apostrophe count as grammar?

I see them all the time. People using apostrophes to indicate something is plural. "We have several auto's for sale."

[WateryHands]

23. A sub-gripe here: People who do not know how to form the plural

Of their own surnames and think an apostrophe is the answer. I've seen everything from Williams' (Williamses) to Jone's (Joneses).

[fishwax]

24. often seen used with decades

as in "the conformity of the 1950's gave way to the social activism of the 1960's."

(Personally, I think this is acceptable sometimes, when implying posession ... some people in my town have a problem with a business called the "classic 50's diner," but I always argue they're saying the diner "belongs to" the 50s in a metaphorical sense, so I don't mind that one particularly. But usually it's just wrong.)

[fishwax]

30. For a long time, people made the opposite mistake

I remember reading about womens rights (and if memory serves, that actually was, and may still be, AP style) and seeing signs for todays special and tonights headliner, etc. Now instead of leaving out the apostrophe, people put it everywhere.

[Flaxbee]

43. Hot Pizza's! With frie's!

I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!

In my tiny, rural town I have noticed that the "N" in many temporary signs is increasingly being used BACKWARDS. Or is it "backward"? Anyway, I don't know if this is accidental or not, but not only are people completely uneducated in grammar, they also don't even know the alphabet.

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. Well you is acting like an expert.

I cannot phantom why you would do that. I could care less what you think. :P ;)

[miss_kitty]

26. cool. I already knew those and I agree with you

but is it "I live IN hope" (Not referring to any town) or "I live AND hope?"

[miss_kitty]

27. PS

It's 'incidents' (event) not 'incidences' (frequency) and accessory is pronouned as 'ACK-sessory' NOT 'ASSessory'

[JimmyJazz]

32. Well, aren't we just the school teacher today!

I get irked when people use the phrase "sour grapes" to mean someone is jealous of something another has. The phrase "sour grapes" is intended to refer to something YOU didn't get, yourself. As in: I didn't get the job, but it was probably a lousy one anyway...

Also, "the lady protest too much" does not mean she put up a fight. It means she affirmed - she said it so much that it began to ring falsely. For example, a person who can't stop telling others how in love they are with their S.O. might be protesting too much.

Oh and, :hi:

[fishwax]

28. making possessives by adding just an apostrophe

even if the subject is singular.

It's Jesus's words, not Jesus' words.

(generally it should just be an apostrophe if the next word begins with s, so if Jesus had a sister it would be Jesus' sister, but that mistake doesn't bother me as much.)

Generally I don't get perturbed about such things, since they often serve some other purpose, but for whatever reason, that one bothers me.

(edited subject line to match post)

[WateryHands]

31. According to my Chicago Manual of Style

Jesus is one of two traditional exceptions to the rule. (Moses is the other.) I don't know what other authoritative sources say about it, but for users of the Chicago Manual, "Jesus' words" is correct.

[fishwax]

38. Okay, I'll trust CMS

that sounds familiar, now that you mention it. i picked a bad example :dunce:

still bugs me, though :)

[JimmyJazz]

29. What can we tell you, ET awful, it's a doggie dog world out there!

Gotcha :P

[Richardo]

34. "Should of" when you mean "should HAVE"

Not: 'I should of voted."

It's: 'I should HAVE smacked that Freeper upside the head."

[Richardo]

35. I see tjwmason has already covered this for me...

Thanx, tj!! :thumbsup:

[DrGonzoLives]

36. What if I TOW the line?

As in launch a TOW missle at it?

And I can't stand "loose" instead of "lose." There is no excuse for that one.

[MrModerate]

37. I must live a very sheltered life

--as I've never seen the errors you point out.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention.

[rug]

39. Your third sentence is ungrammatic.

[skippysmom]

40. my pet peeve:

I guess because I'm work in the history field, is when people say that something is "an historic event." You use an before a vowel, and last I checked, h is not a vowel.

[ET Awful]

41. You use "an" before a vowel, OR before a consonant if the consonant

is silent. That's not the case with "history" obviously, but it is the case with some words.

[skippysmom]

44. You're right; thanks for reminding me

Like "half an hour."

[ET Awful]

46. Absolutely correct.

I couldn't think of an example off the top of my head, but you nailed it.

[WMliberal]

42. haha. Zeedub is in a corner somewhere laughing.

Not to mention wearing a sinister grin for the rest of the day. :P

[tjdee]

45. MY GOD! I used the phrase "tow the line".

:cry:

The correction's been made to me before, but I was rushing to go to work and didn't bother to think that through.

Wow, I'm a huge looser. ;)

[ET Awful]

47. Hehehe, this wasn't directed at any single individual, just a general

rant. I didn't even know you'd posted it. I actually saw it on another message board somewhere this morning, and it set me off :)

[keithjx]

49. Everyone forgot:

NUKE-U-LAR.

Drives me absolutely nuts. Reminds me of Grease 2 the movie. UGH.

[steely]

51. These examples of grammatical errors run the whole gambit.

Er, I mean gamut.

[kath]

52. What about "marshall law"? I see that one here a lot.

[Runcible Spoon]

53. aren't we all being a tad judgmental?

there are quite a few people here whose native language may not be the King's English. Sheesh. How far do we want to take this Grammar Nazi trip? Extending this line of reasoning would technically mean we should purge all colloquialism, slang, profanity from our discourse. And what fun is language without some fucking flavor? Loosen up, people!