Does poor grammar or word usage bother you?

[portocall]

A speech impediment is completely understandable - and is not bad grammar. I have a gentleman in my office who stutters and it visibly bothers him - especially when someone takes notice or tries to finish his sentences. I have found that it's easiest to try and get him to relax so he can concentrate on what he's trying to say and put his focus where he needs it. I have worked with others who had lisps, and it's the same thing. It seems that if it's noticed, has attention called to it, it becomes worse. Besides, it doesn't alter the importance of what they are trying to say - just may take a moment longer to get there. And correcting someone with a speech impediment is just plain wrong and mean-hearted.

Nope - having a severe impediment is completely understandable and is not a problem in my eyes. Poor grammar is someone who just doesn't bother trying to communicate clearly. I say keep right on making them red-faced with steam coming out their ears. See if you can't get that eye-bulge next time. :

Thanks, but sometimes it does sound like bad grammer, well maybe not grammer, but for example... salmon comes out with a sort of "L" sound, even though it is supposed to be silent. (I know, my tounge just doesn't let it stay silent) You would be surprised as how much that one word can bother people... even a waiter corrected me once, every time he came to check on us I just raved about the salmon... and drove him batty. The problem for me is that I am deaf in one ear, and have a frequency hearing loss in the other, but was able to overcome most issues so most people have no idea unless they wonder why I only talk on the phone using my left ear.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I am guilty of pronouncing crayon and crown the same. Nobody corrected me on it until I was in college. Perhaps it's a regional thing? The problem is, it's so ingrained into me that even though I am aware of it I still say it that way.

It also took me a long time to be convinced that hearth is pronounced harth and not herth. I still think herth sounds better. The problems with having a reading vocabulary that far outstrips your speaking vocabulary.

There was one I heard a teacher say several times today. She kept using "wore" when she should have used "worn." I can't remember the exact context.

 

[Babboo]

Thanks, but sometimes it does sound like bad grammer, well maybe not grammer, but for example... salmon comes out with a sort of "L" sound, even though it is supposed to be silent. (I know, my tounge just doesn't let it stay silent) You would be surprised as how much that one word can bother people... even a waiter corrected me once, every time he came to check on us I just raved about the salmon... and drove him batty. The problem for me is that I am deaf in one ear, and have a frequency hearing loss in the other, but was able to overcome most issues so most people have no idea unless they wonder why I only talk on the phone using my left ear.

LOVE IT! saLmon! and the waiter got irritated over a sa L mon steak!

That's not a problem - I can't really complain at all. Sharky will attest to this - lately I have developed the problem of getting "L"s and "R"s reversed in many words where they are used together - and my favorite drink is an "Arnold Palmer" which is coming out "Ahnerd Pahmel" some times. And yes, I suffer from partial deafness in both ears but only have the hearing aid for one (couldn't afford both and insurance would only partially cover one anyway - maybe I can get the mate this year). I have frequency loss - mainly in the right - so I can completely understand the speech problems.

But again I say - that is not a grammatical issue. People turning red-faced and getting antsy to correct you need to either get over themselves or just deal with it. IMO you need to keep on doing what you're doing - sounds like you're having fun.

 

[wvdisluv2]

"irregardless" drives me nuts!!!

 

[KristaTX]

Poor grammar bothers me, but hypercorrection annoys me much more than that.

I feel that way, too .

And while it is completely informal, I'd have to argue that "y'all" is a word and is basically a contraction for "you all" . I think the subject of "y'all" might even be poll-worthy .

 

[wehavesix]

I used to work with someone who always said "Pacific" like the ocean instead of "specific".

Was it my husband? He used to do that a lot until I pointed it out to him. In his defense, he is hearing impaired and doesn't always recognize small differences in words until and unless someone takes the time to tell him. Not that it would be polite to go around assuming someone needs to be corrected. Most people wouldn't know he's hearing impaired because his speech is normal other than mispronounced words now and then. At any rate, I do know what you mean.

I hate to hear people say they could care less when what they really mean is that they COULDN'T care less. To say you could care less means you DO care.

 

[photobob]

In response to a couple of posts, y'all and fixin' are perfectly acceptable here in Alabama, in fact they're encouraged. To be clear for you northerners, y'all is plural not singular and a contraction of you all. A common and proper use of the word fixin' would be "Honey I'm fixin' to got to the store to get some beer, you need anything?"

Here is a big pet peeve for me and I hear it all the time. "I could care less." That statement actually indicates that you do care if you could care less. Actually what you mean is that you "couldn't care less."

"it is very unique." Unique means one of a kind, it either is or isn't unique. There aren't varying degrees of uniqueness. Ok, I know that one is rather petty but it still bugs me!

 

[photobob]

Was it my husband? He used to do that a lot until I pointed it out to him. In his defense, he is hearing impaired and doesn't always recognize small differences in words until and unless someone takes the time to tell him. Not that it would be polite to go around assuming someone needs to be corrected. Most people wouldn't know he's hearing impaired because his speech is normal other than mispronounced words now and then. At any rate, I do know what you mean.

I hate to hear people say they could care less when what they really mean is that they COULDN'T care less. To say you could care less means you DO care.

Looks like we had the same thought at the same time!

 

[photobob]

I enjoy starting a thread that catches on!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I dunno, I got used to reading Chaucer (Late Middle English) and Shakespeare (Early Modern English) in college and used to read Marlowe and the Cavalier poets for fun. I became comfortable with a certain amount of vigorous lawlessness in the English language, and I've never lost my taste for it.

When I taught English, all those many years ago, I insisted on good grammer and taught strong rhetoric. These days when I write for business purposes, I obey current conventions for ASE and continue my use of rhetoric. However, I encouraged my students to enjoy their dialects at home and I must admit to cultivating my own accent and using it whenever I can get away with it.

I will always enjoy and appreciate misappropriation of language, punctuation, usage, and other creative applications, whether appropriate and based on a certain clarity of understanding or not.

English is, after all, not a polite language that attends conferences and obeys the speed laws. No, we're heirs to a language that beats up other languages in dark alleys and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.

 

[KristaTX]

To be clear for you northerners, y'all is plural not singular and a contraction of you all.

It's been funny to me when my northern DIS friends try to call me (singular), "y'all" . I am not "y'all", but I can be part of a group known as "y'all" .

It's actually a very useful word. If "you" is used in a room with more than 2 people in it, I can't figure out how anyone knows who the speaker is talking to. To an individual, to certain individuals, or to the whole group ? I think that is probably why in some places they say "You guys". It prevents the confusion about whether "you" is being used in a singular or plural manner. Y'all = You guys

 

[Babboo]

And while it is completely informal, I'd have to argue that "y'all" is a word and is basically a contraction for "you all" . I think the subject of "y'all" might even be poll-worthy .

Indeed it is. Y'all, by the way, is simply the singular form of the proper contraction of you all. If it were plural it would be ALL y'all.

I'll give you some examples. When asking a friend a question, you might say, "Did y'all want a beer"? and this means you are asking your friend if they would like a cold beverage. Not to be confused with the statement, "I have enough beer for all y'all"! Obviously directed to all assembled.

I have YET to figure out what a y'uins is and don't even try explaining "youse".

Y'all is as clear as it can be. Y'all is no less proper than "haven't", "won't", "I've", "you're", and so forth.

Y'all get that?

 

[tasha99]

I guess I'm in the minority--most grammar and spelling errors don't bother me at all. I view many of the examples here as differences in dialect rather than true errors, anyway. I also think people use different linguistic registers in different social settings; someone who is "fixin' to walk to the store" probably wouldn't write that in a business letter.

One thing that does bother me is misspelling the word "grammar." Even that wouldn't bother me except that I often see it in Internet arguments. I just hate it when someone stoops to insulting another poster's spelling or grammar (usually because their faulty logic isn't winning them any points.)

 

[Charade]

My wife says "ideal" when she means "idea". Drives me knuts.

 

[phamton]

I'm just happy that the OP spelled "grammar" correctly.

 

[KristaTX]

Oh, and "All y'all"?? While still very informal, it emphasizes that everyone in a room containing many people is included, and not just a smaller subgroup. Usually it is used inquisitively as part of a question for clarification. As in, "Are all y'all going to the football game ??".

While I'd never write it (except to defend it), I contend that "All y'all" is simply a term of generous inclusion .

 

[tasha99]

I dunno, I got used to reading Chaucer (Late Middle English) and Shakespeare (Early Modern English) in college and used to read Marlowe and the Cavalier poets for fun. I became comfortable with a certain amount of vigorous lawlessness in the English language, and I've never lost my taste for it.

When I taught English, all those many years ago, I insisted on good grammer and taught strong rhetoric. These days when I write for business purposes, I obey current conventions for ASE and continue my use of rhetoric. However, I encouraged my students to enjoy their dialects at home and I must admit to cultivating my own accent and using it whenever I can get away with it.

I will always enjoy and appreciate misappropriation of language, punctuation, usage, and other creative applications, whether appropriate and based on a certain clarity of understanding or not.

English is, after all, not a polite language that attends conferences and obeys the speed laws. No, we're heirs to a language that beats up other languages in dark alleys and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.

So true! I like your perspective. I was an English major as well (and now I'm in school doing postbac work that includes some linguistics). Middle English and Early Modern were my favorite periods. Having to write papers about Early Modern works has made me a better proofreader--trying to use Spell Check in college wasn't worth the headache.

 

[Handbag Lady]

The word usage that bothers me is when people can't spell voila.



I read a thread here once and the writer exclaimed, "WALLA, and there it was!"

It took me the longest time to figure out what she meant, and when it dawned on me, I died laughing.

 

[KristaTX]

It's even funnier to me when they spell it "viola". Sometimes when I have the appropriate place for "voila", I'll say "VIOLA!!" just because it's so funny.

 

[Babboo]

I always chuckle with this kind of topic - I am always reminded of misheard lyrics. To me that is more grating than poor word choice or bad grammar.

My all-time favorite lyric twist was a room-mate in college who was singing his heart out to a great Creedence Clearwater Revival song and got into the chorus - was REALLY having a great time singing,

"Dont go around tonight,
Well, its bound to take your life,

There's a bathroom on the right!"

I stop dead in my tracks. Turned off the record (yes - it was vinyl - and yes, I'm THAT old) and asked him to repeat that part. Steve was utterly convinced it was a bathroom on the right that was bound to take you life.



I didn't have the heart to correct him - I just put the record back on and sang bathroom right along with him.

Sorry - didn't mean to hijack your thread - just put me in mind of it. All y'all can go back to what you were doing.