The grammar and spelling thread

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#2758204 10-Aug-2021 21:02

freitasm:

Wheelbarrow01:

Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but it grinds my gears when trawling real estate listings on Trademe to see multiple agents describe properties as being in a "highly sort after location".

A "journalist" that writes a story for NZ Herald and puts down "offender has admitted 'trolling' Instagram and Facebook" when it is obvious they meant "offender has admitted trawling Instagram and Facebook".

They're just a bit confused.

Everybody knows that "journalists" from the NZ Herald trawl reddit (and sometimes geekzone maybe?) for news, but troll instagram and facebook themselves.

KiwiSurfer

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#2764854 22-Aug-2021 13:40

1024kb:
Rikkitic:

Use any phone you like. Just don't spell it fone.

Uhmm, Vodafone?

It makes my eye twitch every time I read Vodafone. 😐

FineWine

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#2764883 22-Aug-2021 14:41

Any bastardisation of the English language from the way I was brought up makes my eyes twitch.

Though most bastardisations have been brought about by Advertising and Marketing (weasel or buzz words) which are mostly lazy attempts at sounding clever and the products desirable. Lite, from the late 1950's being an example, though apparently it has been around a bit longer. Then you have derivative words like radio - Latin for ray or beam and of course acronyms like laser - "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation".

Then we have spell checkers. My personal hate is the missing apostrophe from you're to your, even in so called scholarly texts.

Also people spell incorrectly from day one plus it is how they speak a word anyway. e.g. somethink instead of something. Brought and Bought seem to be interchangeable.

I lived in Australia for 30 years and in that time the merger of Maori and English has been phenomenal. So come the 22nd century what will the New Zealand spoken language be called and taught in schools. Would Shakespeare understand our spoken and written language of today?

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

Rikkitic

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#2764893 22-Aug-2021 15:14

FineWine: Would Shakespeare understand our spoken and written language of today?

Would we understand Shakespeare's spoken and written language today? Most people don't without some preparation.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

geekIT

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#2778125 14-Sep-2021 10:33

For those of you who prefer to use the English language correctly, and abhor the modern tendency to ignore proper punctuation, I heartily recommend a small book entitled 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves', written by a very witty British lady named Lynn Truss. The subtitle: 'The Zero Tolerance Guide to Punctuation'. It's both instructive and very humorous.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

Gurezaemon

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#2786955 30-Sep-2021 12:54

elpenguino:
Gurezaemon:

Commas are important. They're the difference between:

Let's eat, Grandma! and Let's eat Grandma!

Yes, or that example with the horse and the uncle.

Another one.

How to cook crack and clean a crab
Step one: use commas

Get your business seen overseas - Nexus Translations

robjg63

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#2786956 30-Sep-2021 13:00

"Should have" - not "should of" (I know "should've" sounds like "should of" - but its wrong - especially when its written that way!).

Often seen on geekzone - and it really annoys me every time....

"I want some advise on blah blah" - You want advice!

I can advise you and give you advice - but you can't get advise from me.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

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eracode

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#2786965 30-Sep-2021 13:14

Gurezaemon:

"How to cook crack and clean a crab."

Wasn't that a recipe book written by Walter White - under his nom de plume Heisenberg? However there is uncertainty about that, in principle. 🤔

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

elpenguino

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#2787036 30-Sep-2021 13:47

robjg63:

"Should have" - not "should of" (I know "should've" sounds like "should of" - but its wrong - especially when its written that way!).

Often seen on geekzone - and it really annoys me every time....

"I want some advise on blah blah" - You want advice!

I can advise you and give you advice - but you can't get advise from me.

Yes, that's a common one, I'll have to practise getting better at it.

The distinction between 'c' and 's' form seems arbitrary - it seems unlikely the two forms came from different word roots.

Just one of the many messy, difficult to learn things about Englandish.

Despatch, dispatch anyone?

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Behodar

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#2787100 30-Sep-2021 15:37

British: licence (noun), license (verb)
American: license for both

British: practice (noun), practise (verb)
American: practice for both

If the Americans are going to get rid of the distinct C/S forms, why can't they do it consistently?!

elpenguino

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#2787105 30-Sep-2021 15:53

Behodar:

If the Americans are going to get rid of the distinct C/S forms, why can't they do it consistently?!

That's a bit much to ask. This is the group of speakers that gave us 'burglarize' when we already had the perfectly good verb burgle.

I hope that has answerated you.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

RunningMan

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#2787183 30-Sep-2021 17:02

robjg63: [snip] "Should have" - not "should of" (I know "should've" sounds like "should of" - but it's wrong - especially when it's written that way!).

Should've used a couple more apostrophes.

eracode

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#2787190 30-Sep-2021 17:17

RunningMan:

robjg63: [snip] "Should have" - not "should of" (I know "should've" sounds like "should of" - but it's wrong - especially when it's written that way!).

Should've used a couple more apostrophes.

Hoist. Petard. Irony.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

MadEngineer

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#2787238 30-Sep-2021 17:25

elpenguino:
robjg63:

"Should have" - not "should of" (I know "should've" sounds like "should of" - but its wrong - especially when its written that way!).

Often seen on geekzone - and it really annoys me every time....

"I want some advise on blah blah" - You want advice!

I can advise you and give you advice - but you can't get advise from me.

Yes, that's a common one, I'll have to practise getting better at it.

The distinction between 'c' and 's' form seems arbitrary - it seems unlikely the two forms came from different word roots.

Just one of the many messy, difficult to learn things about Englandish.

Despatch, dispatch anyone?

Do tell us more about your de/dispatch gripe?

I often use one or the other, for example “I have put your order out for despatch by the dispatch team”.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Behodar

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#2787241 30-Sep-2021 17:30

"difficult to learn" ≠ "gripe".

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