[High Praise! to Dinosaur Comics]
So… what grammar hills are YOU determined to die on?
For me, I will go down hippie-punching media “professionals” who use the phrase “center around” instead of “center on” or “revolve around”.
[High Praise! to Dinosaur Comics]
So… what grammar hills are YOU determined to die on?
For me, I will go down hippie-punching media “professionals” who use the phrase “center around” instead of “center on” or “revolve around”.
I suppose that this is usage, rather than grammar (but so is the “begs the question” thing, with which I agree), but, English, pronouns have gender (in some other languages, so do nouns), people have sex. It is absolutely incorrect to refer to somebody’s “gender”.
The list would be long, but it’s hard to think of them on the spot.
I’m glad they brought up the “begs the question” problem — it grates on my ears, but takes too long to explain to people why it’s wrong. — And one has to question whether, if everyone starts using it in the wrong way, does that become its new meaning?
“If he would have done this” or “would have done that . . . ” — No.
But I’m not ready to die on that hill, either.
The Oxford comma I will forever defend. “We need sandwiches: bologna, peanut butter and jelly” — is that two kinds of sandwiches or three? If consistently used, the serial comma prevents this kind of misinterpretation.
There are certain phrases that don’t make sense or sound stupid to me. Examples:
“if you will” (Referring to a word they’ve used, if I will what?)
“turn of phrase” (Phrases don’t ‘turn.’)
“having said that” (Having said what, exactly? You’re right; no one’s listening to you.)
“What goes around, comes around” (If it goes ‘around,’ how could it not come around again? This one is meant for someone with an IQ of about 70.)
And my number one pet peeve of all time:
“Absolutely!” (Are you sure? Absolutely! Wait…)
The phrase, “In this reporters opinion,” always bugs me.
Why is the word “didn’t” so hard for 98% of the population to pronounce?
@5: I did not know that!
I prefer to junk punch anyone who uses the word “impactful”. Also, using decimate when they mean devastate earns a junk punching (I’m looking at you Sean Hannity).
I nominate: “…But you gotta’ act fast.”
“Anyways” is not a f@#*@$ word.
“Just four easy payments of $39.95!!!”
If you say ‘pop’ instead of ‘soda’, you are somewhere between dogs and microwave ovens on the evolutionary scale.
However, I nominate ‘The most bang for your buck!’ (Unless you are referring to a high caliber bullet to take down deer.)
I am annoyed by the use of the term ‘genocide’ when the speaker means ‘massacre’.