Words that people commonly use incorrectly ...

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Interesting, given how often we see/hear this used ... did she provide some recognized authority (e.g. Fowler's) to support her assertion?

I think the use of up/down can be quite useful from a teaching point of view - e.g. a resident of Windsor, Ontario driving UP to Detroit to see the Red Wings play hockey.

Yes - I think it's common usage to for "up" to mean "north" and down to mean "south". They drove down to San Francisco to go to school and came up to Washington to see us. People in San Fransisco go down to LA, and people in LA up to San Fransisco or Portland or Vancouver.

Up and down can also refer to heading into or leaving mountains or hills, though, regardless of direction.


*******

How about "can" and "may"? At Christmas, DD reminded me of how I taught the kds the difference. They might ask if they "can" have a cookie, and I would say "of course you can". Then as they were reaching for the cookie jar I would say "... but you may not". Looking back on it now, DD said it was a wonderful method. She didn't care for it so much at the time, though, when she was the one going for the cookies.

 

[bookworm]

Great thread!

What drives me a little crazy right now is the phrase, "my bad."
Honestly, where does that come from? It is common language now, especially among teens, and it makes me wince. I always want to say, "your bad what?" or "do you mean to say, "You are bad?"
It makes no sense to me that this should mean "I was mistaken" or "it was my fault." It continues to be tough to raise a child who uses proper grammar these days.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Some of us struggle when to use "who or whom"


Richard

 

[sstamm]

Great thread!

What drives me a little crazy right now is the phrase, "my bad."

Well, bookworm, that may not drive you crazy for much longer. Last time my DH said that to my teens (to imitate them) they told him, "oh Dad, we are SO over that!" Apparently that meant that the phrase "my bad" was no longer fashionable.

Go figure. (which is also a phrase that may drive some crazy!)

 

[Janette]

My parents were forced to quit school and go to work at very early ages. They worked very hard to pay for my college degree. I can remember being upset about some of the words used incorrectly in my home. Now I just wish my folks were around so I could hear them. I also inherited some mistakes that are hard to undo, but my 3-year-old granddaughter is trying to help me!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Some of us struggle when to use "who or whom"


Richard

Many of the "who" vs "whom" questions can be resolved if you just remember that "to who" is never correct. "To whom should I give the book.", not "To who should I give the book."

Most of the other problems come when the sentence is a question and "who" or "whom" is the first word. The usage simply depends on whether the unknown individual is doing the action (i.e., is the subject) or is receiving the action (i.e., is the object of the action. If the unknown person is the subject use "who". "Who is going to teach?".

When the unknown person is the object, then use "whom". "Whom will you teach?" "Whom do you love?" But "Who loves ya, baby?".

 

[tlwmkw]

Someone else mentioned nauseous. This is an interesting one because the original definition is "loathsome or inducing nausea" but common usage has changed the meaning.

Originally you would say "That rotting corpse on the side of the road is nauseous", but now people often say "I am nauseous" when they really mean they are nauseated. The older meaning would make this an odd thing to say. The modern dictionaries allow this usage (though the old OED from my schooldays still has the original meaning). It shows how even though we complain about misuse of words as time goes by the meaning changes- sometimes to the opposite of what was originally meant.

In a similar vein it is interesting to note that many of the famous poets like Milton and Shakespeare invented words and used them in their poetry. Paradise Lost is a classic example of this. I suppose people in those days complained about those punk poets polluting the language.

 

[azsunluvr]

I think my post of yesterday somehow didn't actually make it. I'll try again...

My husband's boss built a bunch of condominiums on a hill. He claims he condomized that hill.

My friend says her kids are "bolivious" to what goes on around them. I picture them lost somewhere in South America.

 

[LMD]

One that I commonly hear at work is "roto cup" instead of "rotator cuff"

 

[coppersmom1]

How about "web sight" instead of "website".

Also my friend once laughed at me for saying moot point. After she finished laughing she told me the correct phrase was "mute point".

 

[Janis]

Oh! And the big one. "I did good"

I agree - shouldn't it be: "I dun good"?

I happen to dislike the misuse of the word "arguably" when it should be "inarguably". Often it is used to suggest that the subject is "the best". If, in fact, it is "the best", then wouldn't it be inarguably the best and not arguably the best?

 

[Hoc]

How about the use of "i.e." (roughly translating to "in effect") when people mean "e.g." (roughly translating to "for example").

 

[Hoc]

Many of the "who" vs "whom" questions can be resolved if you just remember that "to who" is never correct. "To whom should I give the book.", not "To who should I give the book."

I've always advised people that, if you replace "who" with "he" and "whom" with "him," and the sentence does not look right, you have it wrong.

 

[AwayWeGo]

E.g. = For Example. I.e. = That Is.

How about the use of "i.e." (roughly translating to "in effect") when people mean "e.g." (roughly translating to "for example"). I just thought of it because there is an example of that in a header here on TUG right now.

They're some kind of goofy Latin abbreviations -- OK to use'm in English, but keeping'm straight is always a good idea.

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

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

How about the use of "i.e." (roughly translating to "in effect") when people mean "e.g." (roughly translating to "for example").

They're some kind of goofy Latin abbreviations -- OK to use'm in English, but keeping'm straight is always a good idea.

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

The memory aid I learned was to regard "i.e." as "it equals"; i.e., use "i.e." when you are restating something using different words. Use "e.g." when you are providing examples; e.g., look at how i.e. and e.g. are used in this post.

Q.E.D.

 

[CalifasGirl]

Latin is fun

The memory aid I learned was to regard "i.e." as "it equals"; i.e., use "i.e." when you are restating something using different words. Use "e.g." when you are providing examples; e.g., look at how i.e. and e.g. are used in this post.

Q.E.D.

i.e. in Latin is "id est," or that is. The dictionary says that you use it like the phrase "in other words."

e.g. in Latin is "exempli gratia," or for example. It can be followed with a list of examples.

QED is "quod erat demonstrandum," or which was to be demonstrated. This is used in mathematical proofs.

 

[MULTIZ321]

They're some kind of goofy Latin abbreviations -- OK to use'm in English, but keeping'm straight is always a good idea.

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

And to further amplify - e.g. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase Exempli Gratia which translated means "for the sake of example" but usually is shortened in English translation to "for example".

i.e., is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase Id Est (sometimes you will see the Latin phrase given as Illud Est), both which translated mean "that is"

as previously stated, these abbreviations are not interchangeable.


Richard

 

[normab]

Here's a few more.

Use of past participles instead of simple past:

I seen instead of I saw

It stunk instead of it stank
It shrunk instead of shrank
sang/sung


Here's another one that is too common.

It busted instead of it burst

This thread has been great--it is wonderful to see that I am not the only anal-retentive person when it comes to spelling and grammar. Thank you all for validating me and my desire to write well !!

 

[Jaybee]

Aw...Come on, guys! 6 pages, and no one has mentioned one that drives me bonkers? That would be using "loose", when it should be "lose" ...as in...
"Be careful with your new coat, or you might loose it." Aaarggh!

...and I read an interesting phrase on another board the other day, talking about how people worship the "old mighty dollar".

I'd like to cast another vote for a most irritating, and it's so commonly used, it's taking over the world... "I could care less" indicates that you do care. "I couldn't care less" says you don't care at all. Sometimes I feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, but no one likes to be corrected. Thanks for the chance to vent. Great thread!

 

[John Cummings]

Aw...Come on, guys! 6 pages, and no one has mentioned one that drives me bonkers? That would be using "loose", when it should be "lose" ...as in...
"Be careful with your new coat, or you might loose it." Aaarggh!

...and I read an interesting phrase on another board the other day, talking about how people worship the "old mighty dollar".

I'd like to cast another vote for a most irritating, and it's so commonly used, it's taking over the world... "I could care less" indicates that you do care. "I couldn't care less" says you don't care at all. Sometimes I feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, but no one likes to be corrected. Thanks for the chance to vent. Great thread!

I agree with you 100% on loose vs lose. It amazes me how many people use loose instead of lose.

 

[brockville]

How about - 'to be honestly truthful' ? If you are truthful you are being honest.

Or - 'prostrate cancer' instead of 'prostate cancer'.

Or one of my favourites - I had a friend who used the word 'vivacious' when she meant 'facetious'. "Oh Bob, don't be so vivacious!"

 

[Hoc]

I agree with you 100% on loose vs lose. It amazes me how many people use loose instead of lose.

Or "your" instead of "you're." Its and it's have been mentioned above. Along the lines of being "honestly truthful," has "totally destroyed" been raised?

The care and feeding of proper grammar are a difficult business.

 

[andypoole]

'of' instead of 'have' As in 'I should of' when they mean 'I should have'

We hear it all the time on our side of the pond and it drives me nuts!

 

[pcgirl54]

accept, a verb (to receive,regard as true,yes) vs except ,a preposition (to exclude)

http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/difficulties/acceptexcept.html

affect ,a verb (simulate,influence, to touch emotionally) vs effect,a noun or verb(bring about,sense of something, result)

 

[AwayWeGo]

Whoa! Language Flubs In The Mother Country? Who Knew.

'of' instead of 'have' As in 'I should of' when they mean 'I should have'

We hear it all the time on our side of the pond and it drives me nuts!

Romantic & chauvinist that I am, I always figure the sloppy talkers (& writers) are over here & the folks operating the Mother Tongue properly are over there.

Who'd a-thunk?

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