Grammar Pet Peeves

[agzg]

I was following a car the other day that had a window sticker that said "Smile - Your On Camera."

WTH would you advertise to the world that you don't know the difference between your and you're?

My first thought was "Better not follow this guy for too long - he's a dumbass."

[Senusret I]

^^^ I don't think there's anything wrong with code-switching.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by LttleMsPrEp

I get annoyed everytime I hear a person say that.

My best friend has a bad habit of saying "haffina" as opposed to saying "having to" it drives me nuts and even though I always correct her she still insists on saying it...her reason? Because she feels that since she isn't in a professional setting that she doesn't have to use "proper english".

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^^ I don't think there's anything wrong with code-switching.

Thank you for saying something. I was going to say that it's pretty socially inept to go around correcting people's speech in every day life. Don't correct someone unless that person has asked to be corrected.

[Fawn Liebowitz]

I hope this one hasn't been mentioned yet: I just noticed one of my co-workers pronounces "especially" as "ecspecially". I was mildly irked the first time, and ready to scratch her eyes out after she said it about 10 more times during our conversation.

[KSUViolet06]

This is a big pet peeve of mine:

If you are an XYZ, and you graduate from college, you are an XYZ alumna.

You are not an "XYZ alumn."

You are not an "XYZ alumni."

You are not an "XYZ alumnae."

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is a big pet peeve of mine:

If you are an XYZ, and you graduate from college, you are an XYZ alumna.

You are not an "XYZ alumn."

You are not an "XYZ alumni."

You are not an "XYZ alumnae."

Not technically a grammar peeve - but alumnae who say "I WAS an ABC". No, you ARE an ABC. Unless you were kicked out. If that's the case, well okay. You WERE an ABC. This happens a great deal in wedding announcements.

[kstar]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is a big pet peeve of mine:

If you are an XYZ, and you graduate from college, you are an XYZ alumna.

You are not an "XYZ alumn."

You are not an "XYZ alumni."

You are not an "XYZ alumnae."

Or, if a man, alumnus.

[RU OX Alum]

not sure if this counts as grammar, maybe more of a vocabulary thing, but when people try to use words to seem smart, but use them in the complete opposite way.

For Example:

"That's germaine(sp?) to the conversation, why don't we stay on topic?"

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

not sure if this counts as grammar, maybe more of a vocabulary thing, but when people try to use words to seem smart, but use them in the complete opposite way.

For Example:

"That's germaine(sp?) to the conversation, why don't we stay on topic?"

Kind of like people who use "penultimate" to mean "absolute highest."

Along the same lines, it really peeves me when people use "myself" in place of "I" or "me." It often seems as if people do this because they think it sounds more educated (or, as my 7-year-old daughter said last night, "educationed."*) And I find it especially humorous when one uses "Myself" instead of "I" in the same sentence where one describes oneself as intelligent, as in "Myself and 9 other intelligent ladies are reactivating a chapter."**


* She described someone as not having been "very well educationed." Then she paused, gave me a funny smile and a giggle and said "That's not a real word, is it?"

** Hey, at least I didn't crash the thread she started and call her on it there.

[LucyKKG]

Ok, I thought of what I think is a new one. It bugs me when an ad says "Save 50-60% off". No, no! You take 50-60% off, and you save 50-60%. No off. Blah! I know what "take off" means, but what the heck is "save off"??

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by LucyKKG

Ok, I thought of what I think is a new one. It bugs me when an ad says "Save 50-60% off". No, no! You take 50-60% off, and you save 50-60%. No off. Blah! I know what "take off" means, but what the heck is "save off"??

er.... isn't there a non-verbal, or i guess, non-written "...the original price" at the end of that phrase?

ie: "Save 50-60% off the original price."

It makes sense to me.

[LucyKKG]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

er.... isn't there a non-verbal, or i guess, non-written "...the original price" at the end of that phrase?

ie: "Save 50-60% off the original price."

It makes sense to me.

Hmmm I dunno...I think I would still say "take 50-60% off the original price." I can't wrap my brain around it...

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by LucyKKG

Hmmm I dunno...I think I would still say "take 50-60% off the original price." I can't wrap my brain around it...

Nah, you made sense to me.

[agzg]

I think it's like gender agreement in other languages (French, Spanish, etc.) where use of the male gender is acceptable when not speaking about yourself or to the person directly. But I'm not sure.

[Shellfish]

Am I a terrible person for looking down on posters--usually college students--who post without apostrophes (for example, im instead of I'm)? I know, I know, texting, blah blah blah, but there isn't a limitation on the number of characters here. You just look illiterate.