TJ

tlv204

I have no idea if you're on or not, but I would like to thank you for the link to your blog and the ensuing grammar comments last night.  Because of you, I have decided to bookmark that page and keep an ongoing list of idiotic grammatical mistakes that have somehow never been corrected, since we all know middle aged people that make them.  If and when I ever get my own English classroom/teaching position, I here and now VOW to spend at least a week fixing these mistakes before they become reasons for these students to remain unemployable for their entire adult lives. I can't believe more teachers don't do this actually, considering how many of them are grammar police.  I mean we teach grammar, but I really think I need to spend an entire unit just on these mistakes since I feel like several of them are never addressed in school.  So, THANK YOU. 

Also, I agree with you about the Oxford comma.  And am glad that Christianity can be a path to homosexuality.

tlv204

Also, when I was little, I heard my dad say "Jesus Christ" a lot instead of "real" cussing, but until I was a solid 10 years old, I thought he was saying "Cheese and rice," and repeated his supposed words for years.

temerityjane

Ha! You're welcome. Those comments are hilarious and ridiculous.

It's not just grammatical mistakes that get me, though they are huge. They can be written off to typos and such, sometimes.

What KILLS ME is stuff like the example msmerymac gave last night - a friend who says "granite" when she means "granted." To me, that signals that while she knows she's heard other people use that word in similiar situations, she doesn't quite grasp exactly what it is she is saying, or she would realize that "granite" makes no sense.

Same with adults who grow ALL THE WAY UP saying "supposably." How? Doesn't your family love you? If they did, they'd have stopped you by now.

mandapanda78

You both might understand why I had a little rise in blood pressure yesterday when someone I work for said, "disconcerning". The word is "disconcerting" and I can't believe I have to answer to you.

TJ I want to send you a copy of a report from my office that is prepared by the same person every week with the worst grammatical errors ever. It hurts my soul. And these reports are presented at a meeting with the Branch President. And no one says anything to the woman who prepares them. 

RachNRich

TJ---I spent my entire morning reading the comments ( just glanced last night)---and I am in love with your blog (I've said this before)...because those comments were just amazing.

And it took me forever to understand what Walla meant. LITERALLY.

temerityjane

manda, that kind of stuff gives me hives. I swear, I start to itch.

The thing that had started the post for me, actually, was something like that - supposed "serious" or "professional" writer that contained such a ridiculous error that I couldn't take the rest of the article seriously. It was on a wedding website - Off Beat Bride or something like that - and the author said "without further adeiu."

If you're saying "without further adieu" instead of "ado," it's clear you don't actually have any idea what you are saying, so it's a pretty safe bet you shouldn't be saying it, let alone writing it into a semi-professional write up about your company.

pirategal03

I feel you on the "granite" "granted" thing.

In my job we deal with a lot of "fiscal" years, it's really hard not to correct some of the supervisors when they talk about last "physical" year.  There's actually one supervisor who will "correct" you if you say "fiscal", she'll say "mhmm physical" every time.

mandapanda78

"without further adieu" is making me gigglesnort. Yes, no need to say "adieu", just get out and take your horrible word use with you.

tlv204

Oh yes, I definitely will not limit this to grammatical errors.  I'm dead serious about this; there has to be a reason there are so many idiots out there.  I may not reach everyone, but if I prevent 5 people from saying "I should of done my homework," my life will be worthwhile.

Maybe I'll make it a weekly thing, like a daily sentence edit only with a "don't be an idiot" overtone.  Then their final will be NOTHING but "dontbeanidiotisms," or as you so eloquently described them, winceable mistakes.

mandapanda78

TJ I can't read your blog while I'm at work. 'Cause this whole "I'm not laughing- I'm coughing! Really!" act isn't fooling anyone.

temerityjane

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_tj-13?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d3b65271-11b0-4630-bfaa-d27f70b8678aPost:0e4bdcc3-4237-46eb-ad6f-24ffb455bdda">Re: TJ</a>:
[QUOTE]TJ I can't read your blog while I'm at work. 'Cause this whole "I'm not laughing- I'm coughing ! Really!" act isn't fooling anyone.
Posted by mandapanda78[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Please tell me that happened with the Snickers post. Because I was really pleased with the balance of justified outrage and humor in that one, and Buddy was just like, "it's just aight for me, dawg" when he read it.</div><div>
</div><div>Sorry to, you know, demand such praise. He just makes me SO MAD when he doesn't find me hilarious!

</div>

mandapanda78

Snickers was awesome! Oaty Oats is killing me.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_tj-13?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d3b65271-11b0-4630-bfaa-d27f70b8678aPost:42fb65fd-8ce8-4a1e-9e02-f5dfaafad5c0">TJ</a>:
[QUOTE]Also, I agree with you about the Oxford comma. 
Posted by tlv204[/QUOTE]

Wait... what's the stance here? I use 'em, but I was taught proper British English in school and I just can't shake it.

tlv204

FOR the Oxford comma.  One of the commenters on TJ's blog sited this sentence as an example why it should always be used:

“They say a reason for the region’s hollowed-out faith is a pervasive theology that departs from traditional Biblical interpretation on issues such as the divinity of Jesus, the exclusivity of Christianity as a path to salvation and homosexuality.”

Despite several teachers trying to make me use fewer commas (and I know I use too many) I cannot shake it.  It just doesn't make SENSE without that comma there.  It's not a real list anymore!

alixzafiris

True enough