|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
What--you don't appreciate all their hard work?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Amazing  but banishing words will not make a difference, people will still use them. actually its over use of the words, that makes them annoying.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
What--you don't appreciate all their hard work? All their "hard work" consists of collecting a bunch of whiners' puling and micturating about some other people using language different from the way they do and demanding that mommy make them stop.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075 |
Agree with you, Faldage, in a general sense. However, as this list was compiled by a University, presumably for use of their students, I do have some sympathy. I used to be deeved continually by the sloppy use, by some of my students, of the English language in essays, where the whole point is to make precise and cogent arguments to support whatever theory the writer is espousing. Inaccurate use of words is, at best, irritating and, at worst, can lead to ambiguity or even inaccuracy.
But academic writing is a case on its own and in no manner would I advocate its application beyond the demesne of the Ivory tower.
I'm immortal until proven otherwise
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
On myabe not so much of a tangent, I saw used somewhere today the word "its" meaning "it is", by somebody who ought to have known better. And I wondered whether the long-term use of teeny tiny keyboards will eventually get rid of punctuation altogether.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
It's for its and vice versa are pretty common mistakes by people who do (not ought to, but do) know better. Unfortunately that knowing better doesn't always seem to make it to the fingertips. The same is true for your/you're, there/their/they're and the like. This is exacerbated by the simple fact that we are all our own worst proofreaders. What I find particularly funny is when someone couches a complaint with the "we have a perfectly good word for that, we don't need another one" argument when the word being complained about has a subtle difference from the one being proffered as the correct choice and the same person turns around and complains about subtle distinctions being lost when two words are confused.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
? Likely I misunderstood you, but what you described seems quite logical to me. Someone points out that there is a subtle distinction then complains that the distinctions are getting lost.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,361
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
674
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
