There are some phrases that drive me crazy:
- "We're/I'm preggo!" Please stop. Get pregnant by all means, but call it something else.
- "The reason for ___ is because..." So grammatically incorrect it gives me shivers.
- Anything involving the phrase tender mercies. A little (well, a lot) overused in the last 3 years. Not to mention how it's often wrongly used.
- And since so much communicating is done through emails and blogging these days, here's another one that bugs me: Periods and commas go INSIDE the ending quotation marks (Ex: "Happily Ever After.") (Can you tell I'm an editor?)
- And while I'm on a roll...the difference between their and there is SO EASY, and yes there is a difference. Another pet peeve...
15 comments:
I totally agree. I once wrote into the Deseret News on a comment post just to complain about others' grammar and spelling. "Irregardless" is one that drives me crazy. (NOT a word!) Anyway, I did it just to see the comments that others would say afterwards. And I was shocked that most people agreed! Editors unite!
I got a kick out of these because I am probably one of those people that annoy you :). Maybe that is why I am a nurse! AP English, let's face it, was not my favorite subject!! But I do hate it when people write "Your" instead of "You're." Come on, that one is so easy to remember!
Kristina, you don't annoy me. And people don't annoy me; the things they sometimes SAY annoy me. :) I thought of another one: since you're one of my sisterS-in-law...
I love all of these. My main pet peeves comes with the languages (yes, multiple). I hate how people call the pastries "canolis" when they are already in the multiple form (they would be "canolo" if singular). Also, I hate it when people use "same difference" out here in MA. There really is no same difference. Really. But those are just a few of my pet peeves.
Ooh - definitely preggo. I hated that the moment I heard it. And preggers right along with it. Kind of like twinners. Please.
I do have to say though, that one of the things that bothers me is the frequent and blatant use of 'always' and 'never' in conversation. It really is quite rare for things to occur always or never.
PS: If you are citing a quote in MLA format the period goes after the quotation mark. ;) But I believe that's the only time it's allowed (unless you're British).
Okay, I thought of another one. . . "Book of Mormons" instead of BookS of Mormon.
I was taught by a BYU English professor that it should be "Copies of the Book of Mormon." Not "Books of Mormon," or "Book of Mormons." I think Cheri and I had that discussion as well.
I love the discussion.
I hate the words: preggers, preggo, preggie (like Fergie), flusterated, wush (for wash), draw (for drawer)...and the list could be added onto, but you get my meaning.
I'm with you on "prego" I never did like the term. I'm really going to have to watch my grammar. I hope you'll still be my friend if I spell something wrong.
Good ones. (or should it be goodS one? ;-))
In case you missed my shout out to editors, National Punctuation Day was last week. You'll have to check out my post on it.
Cheri, you are awesome. I love this post! I have to agree with the preggo thing...please call it something else!
BTW-I must say that I was a little hesitant to comment on this post only because I'm sure you'll find mistakes here or on my blog!
ha ha! Great post, Cheri! I love the sisterS-in-law part. Classic.
That blog "seriously so blessed" used to be so funny to me, but lately all of the errors in grammar on her blog are getting to me. Of course, typos happen to the best of us on occasion. But some folks really need to retake thEIR 6th grade English class!
I loved this post... and I'm likely guilty of many mistakes (that I just typed as "escapes" for some strange reason). This brings me to my question about parentheses. Does the period belong before the closing parenthesis (?) such as this ".)" or is it after the closing such as this ")." or does it depend if the thought in parentheses is a complete thought/sentence or just a partial thought? I really would like some direction on this :).
Lisa, so glad you asked!
If you start your sentence in the parenthesis (a complete thought), then the period goes inside. If it's an additional part to a sentence that can't stand alone, it goes outside.
Ex: It was so fun (and we had a great time).
Ex: It was so fun! (We had a great time.)
And I love Seriously, so blessed, but have the hardest time reading all her spelling/grammar errors! But the good laughs are worth sucking it up and dealing with the mistakes. :)
how about "whole nuther." I'm trying to quit, but I hear it WAY too often.
Thanks so much for your explanation... I will have to work on that. My next issue is with spacing after a period. I have just been told after YEARS of two spaces after a period that now it is incorrect and that we are supposed to only do one or risk "rivers of white space" in our documents and on the web. It is going to take me a long time to change this habit, but I think I've made it through my first comment doing it correctly.
I love Seriously, So Blessed too. Some days I wonder if the author stalks all of OUR blogs to get her ideas from. However she gets her ideas, she is brilliant! Her blog is a hoot. But that's a whole nuther post (I couldn't resist).
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