"i before e
except after c" [bang] [bang]
So I found this gem:
i before e
except after c
we live in a weird society.
Anyway, I have a question: What grammatically chaps your hide?
For me, it's affect versus effect.
The word "o n g o i n g".
I have this bizarre, overwhelming urge to spell it and pronounce it
"o i n g o i n g"
;D
That, and I can't stand it when people use the word: irregardless.
Funny thing about me and "irregardless". Since so many folks have been complaining about that word it is stuck in my brain like a bad advertising jingle. I have almost used that "word" several times even though I refuse to recognize it.
I reject your spelling laws.
Quote from: bobspapa on July 08, 2008, 06:51:36 PM
I reject your spelling laws.
but u spelt evrything correkly.
Do you think "irregardless" will be the "ain't" of tomorrow?
I got this from the wikipedia (which incidentally has an entry for "i before e except after c"): oneiromancies which is defined as the study of dream meanings. It breaks the rule twice in opposite ways.
You know what else pisses me off about written English? Using "an" versus "a" is dependent on a vowel versus consonant sound, respectively. I see people getting that wrong on forums all the time.
I am such an elitist.
I could care less.
Quote from: trenner on July 08, 2008, 07:31:23 PM
I could care less.
this one is the subject of much debate at work. i'm in the "i
couldn't care less" camp. if i
could care less, it indicates that i at least care some.
i'll throw this one out too... what's the plural of "stick in the mud?"
[Special Ed] Yay, I got mail, yaaaaay![/Special Ed]
Quote from: JohnnyDucati on July 08, 2008, 05:46:21 PM
...
That, and I can't stand it when people use the word: irregardless.
...
+1 I can stand it but I don't have to like it. I try not to cringe when my friends use it.
Quote from: cmorgan47 on July 08, 2008, 07:35:58 PM
this one is the subject of much debate at work. i'm in the "i couldn't care less" camp. if i could care less, it indicates that i at least care some.
That's correct: "I couldn't care less". Drives me nuts to hear it said the other, wrong way.
9 out of 10 grammar police agree:
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/g09.html (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/g09.html)
Quote from: cmorgan47 on July 08, 2008, 07:35:58 PM
i'll throw this one out too... what's the plural of "stick in the mud?"
Could it be "stick-in-the-muds"?
Quote from: cmorgan47 on July 08, 2008, 07:35:58 PM
what's the plural of "stick in the mud?"
stick-in-the-muds
http://www.bartleby.com/61/46/S0754600.html (http://www.bartleby.com/61/46/S0754600.html)
http://encarta.net/dictionary_1861715033_561534102/nextpage.html (http://encarta.net/dictionary_1861715033_561534102/nextpage.html)
"I don't know nothing!"
which really means....
he/she must know something.
>:(
Improper use of the word "dampener."
My first semester at college, an instructor of mine had a racquetball ball in one hand and a small spray bottle in the other.
He bounced the ball once and caught it. "I have just damped the ball's vibration."
He bounced the ball a second time and sprayed it with water. "I have just dampened the ball's vibration. And the shoes of this nice young lady in the front row."
Oh, and "breaking" used to refer to applying the brakes on a vehicle.
Quote from: cmorgan47 on July 08, 2008, 07:35:58 PM
...what's the plural of "stick in the mud?"
That would probably be "sticks in the mud"... Yes?
Just like "fathers in law" vs "father in laws".
I am aware of it when people make mistakes with the "Me and my wife" and "My wife and I" thing. I notice when people always use "My wife and I" because it *sounds* smart, even when it isn't correct.
"My brother bought tickets for my wife and I." WRONG! He bought them for my wife and me, or me and my wife. The trick is to refer to yourself the same way as you would if nobody else was involved.
"My brother bought tickets for me (and my wife)." He didn't buy them for "I".
I'm pretty pedantic about my grammar and spelling, which sometimes doesn't go well with forum use, but I'm also an understanding man. 8) Forums, emails, regular conversation, all informal language I am fairly cool with. It's official-looking signs and documents that really get me going. The poor apostrophe is rarely used correctly, and often when things are just plural. The worst transgression I have seen was in front of a bar...
"TEXA'S HOLD 'EM POKER"
Texa's? Please... [roll] Who is Texa and what belongs to him?
"Boat's for sale." <sigh>
I'm a grammar nazi.
Affect and effect? That's always a little tough. I'm sure I get this wrong sometimes. ;D
The whole rule:
i before e except after c
and when forming "a"
like in neighbor or weigh
and on Sundays and holidays
and in the month of May
and you'll always be wrong
no matter what you say!
sac
Quote from: BWClark on July 08, 2008, 08:47:02 PM
That would probably be "sticks in the mud"... Yes?
I can see this one both ways. Traditionally, the noun is pluralized in a term, as with "Fathers-in-law." My feeling on this scenario is that if you were speaking literally of two sticks in mud, it would be sticks in the mud. But "stick in the mud" is a phrase, and it seems to make sense to pluralize it in its entirety. Even though it sounds stupid. ???
Moving on:
Nucular [bang]
myself. This one has had me going for a while now, and seems to be gaining popularity. Members of the military are especially bad. Myself is a reflexive pronoun, as in: "I am placing myself in harm's way". It can also be used as an intensifier (I myself find the pronunciation 'nucular' to be horrifying.) It is NOT to be used in the place of me or I. "Jim and myself are pathetic morons" Incorrect usage, possibly true statement.
[bacon]
Ennglesh my one langage not, so i am xscused :o
i always spell friend as freind and have to fix it...
i know how it's spelled, but type it wrong, almost always
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on July 09, 2008, 03:28:20 AM
i always spell friend as freind and have to fix it...
i know how it's spelled, but type it wrong, almost always
Use buddy or pal instead [cheeky]
Quote from: howie on July 09, 2008, 04:42:12 AM
Use buddy or pal instead [cheeky]
nice thinkin' there buddy ;)
For the i-before-e rule.... "their" and "Einstein".
I like to think of it as "I before E except after C, unless it is a German name......and other exceptions."
I also hate the "I could care less".......but I also can't stand "What-not" and using the word "actually" and the phrase "you know"...
"You know, I actually went to the store and they actually had beer and what-not on sale, you know, but it wasn't actually the kind l actually like so I couldn't care less."
furthermore, on the topic of "stick in the mud", i offer the following:
not only does "sticks in the mud" follow the "fathers in law" convention, it also seems more appropriate to what is typically being described. i.e., you are typically referring to a few people and one "mud."
so if three people are each being a stick in the mud about what movie to see, then they are "sticks in the mud." however, if one guy is being a stick in the mud about both the movie and dinner, he's a stick in the muds. i suppose you could also have "sticks in the muds" by this logic.
i'll also throw out people who use "i.e." when they mean "e.g."
I avoid using i.e. or e.g. if possible. I am guilty of misusing them and I bow my head in shame now. :-[
I don't get upset, I just smirk in my mind when official things use your instead of you're or you are (as in "Your Invited" on an otherwise beautiful wedding invitation). Other than that I forgive most grammar sins. I am a horrible speller and I hope people forgive me for it, it's only fair I forgive them for their mistakes too.
Quote from: Kyna on July 09, 2008, 07:55:36 AM
I avoid using i.e. or e.g. if possible. I am guilty of misusing them and I bow my head in shame now. :-[
i.e. = i explain
e.g. = example given
samples:
ducati makes lots of awesome bikes; e.g. the monster, 848, sport classic
ducati makes too many awesome bikes; i.e. i have a hard time deciding which one to buy
Literally!!!!
I literally almost died laughing. really?...literally?
El Guapo: Would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?
Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A *plethora*.
Jefe: Oh yes, you have a plethora.
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
El Guapo: Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has *no idea* what it means to have a plethora.
i always thought eh phrase "stick in the mud" referred not to a piece of a tree in the mud, but getting stuck in mud. meaning the person is draggin the conversation/atmosphere into the mire and just like getting a car stuck in the mud you arent' making any progress. that brough acceptace issues for the word stick being in there, but calling someone a stuck in the mud isn't right either, so i got over it and went with popular convention.
the idea of someone being referred to a piece of wood sitting in mud never made sense to me.
pluralizerationating of that phrase is just silly. i think that a group of people should be referred to as a singular stick on the mud, with the identifier of a group used before it.
e.g. "ya'll are a stick in the mud." (i'm from the south so 'ya'll' raises no concerns for me ;D)
Using i.e. and e.g. wrong really pisses me off. Speaking of Latin terms, my old research adviser would use circa as meaning "approximately" and while this is technically true, its use is primarily for dates, not in other instances.
How about "its" versus "it's". Oh, what about when combining two ideas with "and" or "or", some people use an extra comma. For example,
"Ducati Monsters can go 120 m.p.h. and stop on a dime." versus "This sentence is right, but the previous sentence is wrong."
This thread is dangerous only because I have to re-read everything carefully to make sure I don't make any mistakes! [laugh]
Quote from: jclin on July 09, 2008, 11:02:37 AM
"Ducati Monsters can go 120 m.p.h. and stop on a dime." versus "This sentence is right, but the previous sentence is wrong."
Are you saying that one of these sentences is wrong? I'm not seeing it.
See, I should have re-read my post :-\ Good job, me! [clap]
Both sentences are correct. They're different examples of the same rule. Sorry!
I.E. is an abbreviation for id est, Latin, meaning that is or that is to say.
e.g. It is an abbreviation for exempli gratia, Latin, meaning for example.
Just two....
1 - Anyway vs. Anyways... anyway is singular!
2 - When someone corrects someone for saying wash or Washington using an "r". e.g. ( ;D) Warsh and Warshington.
The reason that this bothers me is simple...say out loud - Colonel...see what I mean.
My grammer sucks...so those are the only ones that I will put out there. I am the king of using comas and semicolons!
Quote from: ducpenguin on July 09, 2008, 12:43:54 PM
Just two....
1 - Anyway vs. Anyways... anyway is singular!
2 - When someone corrects someone for saying wash or Washington using an "r". e.g. ( ;D) Warsh and Warshington.
The reason that this bothers me is simple...say out loud - Colonel...see what I mean.
My grammer sucks...so those are the only ones that I will put out there. I am the king of using comas and semicolons!
Some king you are, no commas or semicolons above.
Quote from: Pakhan on July 09, 2008, 01:13:06 PM
Some king you are, no commas or semicolons above.
Acutally he's the king of COMAS
and until you posted I wasn't sure how "commas" was supposed to be spelled.
Quote from: ducpenguin on July 09, 2008, 12:43:54 PM
2 - When someone corrects someone for saying wash or Washington using an "r". e.g. ( ;D) Warsh and Warshington.
It seems to me that i.e. should be used in this case. "Warsh and Warshington" is everything you are talking about (from Wash and Washington) which just means you are rewriting what you've said before ("...saying wash or Washington using an 'r'") more concisely ("Warsh and Warshington"), basically a clarification.
From Grammar Girl (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ie-eg-oh-my.aspx):
QuoteSquiggly loves watching old cartoons (e.g., DuckTales and Tugboat Mickey). The words following e.g. are examples, so you know that these are just some of the old cartoons that Squiggly enjoys.
Squiggly loves watching Donald Duck's nephews (i.e., Huey, Dewey, and Louie). The words following i.e. provide clarification: they tell you the names of Donald Duck's three nephews.
In the first example, two cartoons out of hundreds of old ones are named. Thus, this is a list of examples. In contrast, notice that in the second example all of the nephews are named, thus this is a clarification of the term "nephews".
I don't know. I'm becoming confused.... :-\ Someone help!
Quote from: Kyna on July 09, 2008, 01:35:38 PM
and until you posted I wasn't sure how "commas" was supposed to be spelled.
apropos the spelling of comma, spell checkers have ruined me. i was bad to begin with, but i can't spell for crap now.
i'll throw out people who use apropos as a synonym for appropriate to sound smarter.
yeah, i guess we spend too much time debating this crap at work.... bunch of bored nerds
I thought it was just me. I used to be a decent speller and now, thanks to spell checker- my brain has rotted for spelling.
Quote from: DCXCV on July 09, 2008, 09:30:07 AM
Literally!!!!
I literally almost died laughing. really?...literally?
OMG totally! This literally makes my head explode with rage!
Another sentence-lengthening word that I don't like is "basically". It's basically just thrown in there as a way to make me, well, basically sound superior or smarter than you.
Idiot Tip: Use the word "essentially" instead. "Essentially" is essentially the same word as basically, but is essentially way smarter.
Bonus points: Use "however" instead of "but", and "hence" or "ergo" instead of "so" or "therefore". People will literally think you are like, basically Einstein.
(Edit: Confession time. I am guilty of saying "as opposed to" quite often. It's often not necessary at all, but I think I learned to throw it into conversation as a sentence-lengthening strategy to sound smart, as opposed to just letting the sentence finish and run the risk of sounding like I'm of normal intelligence.) :P
Quote from: ducpenguin on July 09, 2008, 12:43:54 PM
2 - When someone corrects someone for saying wash or Washington using an "r". e.g. ( ;D) Warsh and Warshington.
I am from Vancouver, Washington. While in California for two years people always thought I was from either Vancouver B.C., or Washington D.C. because they didn't really listen to what I was saying, they just assumed they knew what I meant. The only way I found to prevent this was to say "
Vancouver, Warshington." It may have sounded funny, but nobody got confused. I don't really do it anymore now that I am back home in the Northwest.
The Doc
double negatives kill me. I hate it when people use them and they lose respect instantly with me when they have sentences full of them.
Also, when someone is going to shorten "Until" to " 'till" and they spell it "tell". E.g. "I'm not going out tell 8."
Quote from: Dangerous Person on July 11, 2008, 12:35:03 PM
double negatives kill me. I hate it when people use them and they lose respect instantly with me when they have sentences full of them.
Also, when someone is going to shorten "Until" to " 'till" and they spell it "tell". E.g. "I'm not going out tell 8."
That's no way to not treat someone who is unlikely to not misunderstand that not using double negatives is not only unintelligent also not prone to eschew obfuscation.
sac
/or not
I don't have no understanding of your sentence, It dont make no sense.
Quote from: Dangerous Person on July 11, 2008, 03:29:17 PM
I don't have no understanding of your sentence, It dont make no sense.
Excellent! So there's no problem then... [thumbsup]
Precisely.
Gotta go with the they're/their/there problem. [roll]