Words that people commonly use incorrectly ...

[Kal]

irregardless instead of irrespective

You know (an athlete is allowed to use no more than 15 x per minute)

"my friends" (a politician's word)

911 (a noun, a verb and an adjective)

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

"all intensive purposes"

as well as "all intents and purposes". That phrase can usually be eliminated without any loss of meaning - and if it can't be eliminated a simple phrase, like such as "in all cases" or "in all circumstances" will do the same job.

 

[johnmfaeth]

And Muslim vs. Muslum, that is even tougher.

Bear vs bare

and in the timeshare world - closing company vs. title company

 

[normab]

I love this topic.

How about infer and imply?

And the use of "as per" instead of "per". This one afflicts 50% of working professionals.

My favorite written grammatical mistakes--

1. Apostrophes everywhere. Apparently people do not know when they are supposed to be used so they put them in arbitrarily.

2. "Their" instead of "there". "Your" instead of "you're".

My favorite spelling error--repoire instead of rapport. I can't count the number of people who use this word but have no clue how it is spelled.

 

[janapur]

Conversate drives me nuts too!

Expecially, pacificly, you did good, and it bugs me when people say I could care less instead of couldn't care less.

Jana

 

[trishpmc]

Some use "the reason being" instead of "because."

 

[Fern Modena]

Or the new catch phrase "I have issues with that." I don't think they mean they are subscribed to whatever it is. I think they mean "I have a problem with that." Why can't people say what they mean?

 

[Fern Modena]

- - - - - - - - - oops - - - - - - -

Dreaded Double Post.

 

[grest]

...what sounds like "axe" instead of "ask"...!
Connie

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

The totally unnecessary use of "In order to". "In order" is never needed. Example:

• In order to illustrate I will compare them in a list.
• To illustrate I will compare them in a list.

 

[Kay H]

It looks as if a lot of TUGgers have frayed nerves. I hope "it looks as if "is correct instead of it looks like. Maybe it should be "it sounds like" but since I read it instead of hearing it, I chose "it looks as if".:ignore:

 

[Jestjoan]

Word Police Exams

Fun grammar tests for all y'all. Don't forget to print your diplomas.

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/wordpolice/examrecord.htm

Hand out some citations, if you dare.

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/wordpolice/citation.htm

 

[Steve]

The one that bothers me is one that you hear all the time...even among professionals and on the TV news. It's people using "less" when they mean "fewer".

What people say:

Less people attended the football game than the teams expected.

What they should say:

Fewer people attended the football game than the teams expected.

In other words, people use the word "fewer" less often than they should.

Steve

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

It looks as if a lot of TUGgers have frayed nerves. I hope "it looks as if "is correct instead of it looks like. Maybe it should be "it sounds like" but since I read it instead of hearing it, I chose "it looks as if".:ignore:

"It looks as if …" is correct. The rule to follow is that if you can use "as", then "as" is the correct word.

A similar situation occurs with "which" and "that". If you can use "which", that is the word to us. Consider:

• Timeshare vacations, which are relaxing, are a pleasure.
• Timeshare vacations that are relaxing are a pleasure.

Use "that" to introduce a restrictive clause. In the example, if only some timeshare vacations are relaxing "that" is the correct word. If all timeshare vacations are relaxing "which" is the correct word.

Major legal cases have been decided on the use of "that" or "which".

 

[Gerie]

hysterical rather than hilarious to describe something very funny

scared rather than startled when unexpectedly exposed to something/someone (unless it really is scary)

orientate as a verb to describe what is done at an orientation

the use of the apostrophe to show plural

their rather then his or her (Each boy wrote their name on the list.)

 

[AwayWeGo]

Omit Needless Words Except When You're Stalling For Time.

The totally unnecessary use of "In order to". "In order" is never needed. Example:

• In order to illustrate I will compare them in a list.
• To illustrate I will compare them in a list.

The Elements Of Style (Strunk & White) says to omit needless words. "Make every word tell," it says.

In writing, that's great advice. In talking, it's not always so great -- for instance, if I'm stalling for time, stringing out phrases while collecting thoughts, hemming & hawing while striving mightily not to let on, etc.

Meanwhile, folks who like The Elements Of Style will love Wilson Follet's Modern American Usage. In effect, Follet takes up where Strunk & White leave off.

It's all right in my book for ordinary walking-around doofuses like me & most of the TUG-BBS crowd to make spelling errors, blunder into grammatical imperfections, misuse semi-tricky words, & all that. What gives me heartburn is when the high-paid professional writers & professional talkers do it.

The Chief Of Staff hates it when I talk back to the TV set, as I sometimes do when 1 of the bigtime high-paid professional talkers utters some piece of verbal boneheadedness that even I can spot as an out & out flub. I can't help it if I'm getting cranky with advancing age -- it's not without cause. So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Kal]

"It looks as if …" is correct. The rule to follow is that if you can use "as", then "as" is the correct word.

A similar situation occurs with "which" and "that". If you can use "which", that is the word to us. Consider:

• Timeshare vacations, which are relaxing, are a pleasure.
• Timeshare vacations that are relaxing are a pleasure.

Use "that" to introduce a restrictive clause. In the example, if only some timeshare vacations are relaxing "that" is the correct word. If all timeshare vacations are relaxing "which" is the correct word.

Major legal cases have been decided on the use of "that" or "which".

Could you diagram that sentence.

 

[JLB]

past and passed

 

[pawolf]

One phrase mistake that bothers me is people who say "could care less" when they mean "couldn't care less".

Paul

 

[MULTIZ321]

Alan,

You stole my thunder. I was going to chime in and say Strunk & White are alive and well in Tug Land.

I haven't read Follett's "Modern American Usage", and don't know if he's still alive,
but obviously his spirit is alive and well here too.


Richard

 

[teachingmyown]

advice--advise

ARGH!!!

 

[AwayWeGo]

Wilson Follet R. I. P.

Alan,

You stole my thunder. I was going to chime in and say Strunk & White are alive and well in Tug Land.

I haven't read Follet's "Modern American Usage", and don't know if he's still alive,
but obviously his spirit is alive and well here too.


Richard

Follet died before he finished writing Modern American Usage, which was completed by Jacques Barzun, who's pushing 101 now.

The version of Modern American Usage I linked in the other entry about it is newer, possibly more current than the original Follet-Barzun edition, I don't know. In any case, it's an outstanding book. For style mavens, it's as rewarding just for browsing & reading as it is for reference.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[JLB]

or they're

2. "Their" instead of "there".

 

[MULTIZ321]

Alan,

Is that the Modern American Usagage copy that was revised by Erik Wensberg?


Richard

P.S. Thanks for the update on Wilson Follett.

 

[isisdave]

Are you fazed when others claim to be phased?

It's a little off the topic, but what about "I could care less." Like fingernails on blackboards. Remember blackboards?

"it's" for "its" and the spontaneous insertion of an apostrophe into almost any word that ends in "s"

"infer" (to conclude from observation) vs "imply" (to suggest). "Are you implying I can't tell the difference?" "Well, I did infer that from your composition."

"surprise" and "astonish": Noah Webster was discovered with his mistress by his wife. "Why Noah! I'm surprised!" "No, my dear," was the reply; "I am surprised; you are astonished!"

"Jealousy" and "envy": the former is unreasonable attachment to what you have, the latter a desire for something belonging to another. But commonly we hear "jealous" used in place of "envious."

"To beg the question": Even quite responsible journalists misuse this one nowadays. I am convinced every editor in the nation has retired. It does not mean "to suggest or give rise to a question." It means something like "to commit an error of logic." A statement "begs the question" when the assertion it makes is not supported by logic.

"Borne" vs "born". There are actually two verbs "to bear." Offspring are born. Loads and troubles and grammar mistakes must be borne.

"Pour" for "pore": "He spent the afternoon pouring over his dermatology text."

"Decimate" (kill ten percent) is incorrectly used to mean "kill almost all."

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. I should be safe for another year or so!