I had to look at my screen name for a second there. 33girl, you had me wondering if I had gone and spelt my name wrong. LOL

mwedzi,

I don't think there's anything wrong with people expressing their opinion over things that drive them crazy. We all have pet peeves, this just happens to be one of ours. It's healthy for people to express their feelings on paper, on the computer, outloud, through music, through physical activity, etc etc. I think it's good that people are expressing thier rants and raves here on a message board than out there attacking the people who wear on their nerves. It's much more unhealthy for the body and mind to bottle up frustration. So let people get out their ranting without making them feel bad for complying to a natural urge that all animals have.

[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited September 14, 2000).]

moderator, certainly people have a right to complain and it does release stress. but the best way to get through it is to not stress over it at all. really, of all the things in the world to worry about, it seemed so trivial. but hey, to each his own.

oh, and about my not making people feel bad, I'm doing nothing worse than those who judge others based on how they speak. as an anthro major (undergrad) and a current grad student in linguistics, that's the part that really upsets me. there is no objective value on language, what is right or wrong. language is what people speak and use. period. putting class assignments, judgements of intellectual ability, or even judgements about one form of the language being "better" than any other is just wrong in my opinion.

but as I said and as you pointed out, everyone has the right to express their opinion and I was just expressing mine. If others feel bad because I expressed my opinion, then they just do. but before that, they must think how others feel when their language forms are mocked.

mwedzi,

As I stated in my first post, we all make mistakes. The English language is one of the harderst to learn--at least that's what all my english teachers in the past have told me.

"there is no objective value on language, what is right or wrong. language is what people speak and use. period."

My question is now, how can we teach english if there is no right or wrong way to speak or write?

"of all the things in the world to worry about, it seemed so trivial. but hey, to each his own."

Yes, maybe it is trivial. Some people get upset because their spouse squirts the toothpast from the middle instead of from the bottom. Some people can't stand to see someone without their shoe laces tied. Some people get road rage, some people care too much about how the look. Some people have to wear name brand clothes and wouldn't dare be seen around a clearance rack. We are ALL trivial. Here's an example of just one of the trivial things that drives me crazy. My boyfriend REFUSES to put his toiletries in a drawer or cabnit. He MUST keep them all in this black tavel bag. If you put them in the cabnit, he goes nuts. I absolutely HATE that darn bag. Every morning I go in the bathroom I see that bag, some mornings I'm ok with it, some days I just want to throw it out the window. I suppose the bag is his trivial thing too, I tried to put the stuff in a cabnit and he went nuts. Does he get mad because I curse the bag? No. He doesn't care. And if this grammar rant is so trivial, doesn't that mean that it's trivial for you to even care we do it?


"tsk, tsk, tsk, you all get really uptight about this grammar thing, huh? I taught English and don't care as much as ya'll do (hee hee)."

"but before that, they must think how others feel when their language forms are mocked."

Unless I misinterpreted, it seems you are mocking as well?

"that's the part that really upsets me. there is no objective value on language, what is right or wrong. language is what people speak and use. period."

It seems that what we are doing is YOUR pet peeve?

The reason I responded is because I don't think that we are being uptight, I think we are being human, just as you are being human.

And besides, I don't think any of us were really stessing over it, most of us were having a good laugh. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited September 15, 2000).]

mgdkkm433,

I have been actually known to keep toiletries in a travel bag. Its convenient, you are ready to leave at a moments notice and know you won't forget anything.

Does he also live out of his suitcase during trips? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by James (edited September 16, 2000).]

a couple of additional random thoughts for this post:

- If you empathize with another person, or if you regret your action.... you feel badly for them, or you feel badly about what you did.

Porcupines and cacti feel bad!

- and... while it is certainly not the "high road", I have to confess that I do judge someone based on their grammar and usage, especially re: the written word. It is definitely a subconscious thing - I would never be rude or negative or cold to someone whose language I found lacking based on my own personal standard... but I do subconsciously assume that they have less education or less intelligence.

This might be wrong... and as I said, it isn't a conscious decision... but I believe that we all choose how we represent ourselves, and that one doesn't have to be Emily Post or Albert Einstein to speak or write in an effective way.

James,

ACTUALLY. . . he doesn't travel much, and when he does, even if it's for a night he HAS to unpack his suit case and put things neatly in drawers--except the toiletry bag. He tells me how handy it is to have everything in that bag (I just bought him a new one that hangs off the hook on the door because he has a habit of always leaving it on the toilet seat--drives me crazy).

There are many things I have to say, but I will restrain myself http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif The distinction I was making was that I was saying that what is "right" is what people speak. If it were not real life English and people didn't use it, no one would have to say "don't say that." In all reality, people have spoken their respective languages around the world perfectly well without being taught (in the sense you mean it) it at all.

So that we don't bother anyone else, if you have other questions, email me. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by mwedzi (edited September 19, 2000).]

Don't forget the ever-present:
"What had happened was..."

I know this post is sorta old, but I got to respond. A lady came into my office to complain. She kept sating "I'm so flustrated!" I told her she is either frustrated or flustered, she had to pick one, not both

My personal favorite is:


specific/pacific


When will people ever learn?

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif


------------------
We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.

Aesop c550 BC

[This message has been edited by MIDWESTDIVA (edited October 06, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by MIDWESTDIVA (edited October 06, 2000).]

Here! Here! to all the posts so far.
And while we're at it, when it comes to Debit Cards, you pay with Interac, not Interact.

I was speaking to a customer that kept saying his account was supposed to get accredited. Ugh! I wanted to scream -- A Credit--two separate words.

okay, this is in re: CutiePie's comment here and is not relevant to grammar.

You call it Interact.
But... in Texas no-one would know what you were talking about. When you need cash, you go to the pulse machine, or you go pulse, as in...
"We'll meet y'all at the club at ten-thirty, Lisa needs to run by 7-11 and pulse."

This is a totally normal phrase to hear in Texas.

But... when I was in San Francisco and, not thinking, asked if we could stop by a pulse machine, my friends thought I was asking about the blood-pressure-checker in the back of the Eckerd's (or Walgreen's) that you play with while waiting for your prescription!!!

So is it Interact in the rest of the world?

Up here in Wisconsin we go to Tyme machines for our instant cash... so "I'm going to be late...I have to stop by the tyme machine" is totally normal, but it has gotten some strange looks when I'm traveling http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

whisper whisper "See that chick walking out? She was looking for a time machine!!!"