Grammar quirks

[Harriet]

I can look at something and say "It does not look right" and adjust accordingly. 

This is how I do it too! My eyes stop at that point and go, "Something wrong there. What is it? Oh, now I see."

I'm really mad at the internet, because now "its" looks wrong. I've seen "it's" used incorrectly so many times, my eye sometimes fails to "catch" it now.

Most of my peeves have been mentioned so I'll bring up one that might just be a thing for me and not so much generally...

"Backup" used as a verb. Also applies to "setup." I think this comes from the tech world. Those are nouns, people! You should back up your work every night, so you have a backup if your hard drive fails.

[Giggity]

There's a poster on here who overkills with hyphens. He would write something like "I need to back-up my data every night. My personal-computer, which I got at a bright-blue store, is a piece-of-work."

[Secret Squirrel]

Freshman year of college, English teacher writes:

A                            lot               on the blackboard

Says, "if I see it wrong you will write 100 sentences using it correctly"   

This!!!    My biggest pet peeve!   I get it all the time "I like it alot."    Bugs the crap out of me...I always want to write back, It's a lot.  Two words. 

I another thing is when I get a, what is supposed to be a professional, email and I get sentences like:  "hey i just wanted to let you now that i can c u tmrw at 9 kthx kimmie "  (text speak - I hate that)

Or:  "Hey I Just Wanted To Let You Know That I Can See You Tomorrow At 9.  Thanks Kimmie"  (every work is capitalized)

[Yvaine]

"Coronating"?  Really?

*faints*

There was a newspaper near where I grew up that took this a step worse. This is an area where a lot of people have that "ar" for "or" accent--as in Highway "Farty." So...the local high school had a "carnation" ceremony for their homecoming queen. And no, they did not mean the flower.

[rose red]

This isn't so much a grammar quirk, but more of a punctuation issue. It drives me crazy when people use "..." between sentences rather than correct punctuation. I know a lady who works in a professional office and this is an example of her email: "Hey takeheart... Sorry it took so long... looking at everything that we have going on-I don't think that we will be able to make any at this time... We do appreciate the offer... Thank u"

That makes my eyes strain and make me dizzy.  Doesn't proper punctuation take less time and keystrokes anyway?  I just don't get it.

[Harriet]

Wow. In the brief time since I posted, I received the following (separate) emails:

"Due to inclimate weather, tonight's event will be postponed."

"I appreciate your quick reply, in lieu of the very short notice."

[GreenHall]

Regarding affect and effect; I had a college professor who was determined that we would leave his class knowing the difference/using both words correctly.  He was less impressed than I was at my 'ingenuity' of using change or result in any sentence where affect/effect would be used.  I know that part of my problem was KNOWing that he was looking at those specific words had me second guessing myself.

My college friend broke me of the habit of 'Anyways'.  Any time I used it, she replied 'Anyways is not a word.' I eventually got it through my thick head, and now whenever I hear 'Anyways' I have to bite my tongue not to quote her.

I have a coworker who says ax for ask and it makes my hair stand on end.

[Venus193]

Another verbal tick that I hate in print:  "Jus' sayin'."

It sounds very low-class.

[Yvaine]

Another verbal tick that I hate in print:  "Jus' sayin'."

It sounds very low-class.

Tic. 

[starry diadem]

Another verbal tick that I hate in print:  "Jus' sayin'."

It sounds very low-class.

tic!

But it's fine in dialogue, if it's in keeping with the character.  That's the point at which my grammar head gets all explody - to create real and vibrant characters, I can't have them all speaking the Queen's English, with perfect grammar and received pronunciation.  They have to use slang and misuse the language.  The writing of characters and dialogue is where the artist and the pedant clash.

[Redneck Gravy]

I have a dear friend that ends every sentence with "and everythang"    (no i)

We we went down to the lake and everythang, and then we caught a mess of catfish and everythang.  So mom cleaned em and everythang.  Then dad came in and fried em up and everythang. 

A little of that goes a long way!

[lady_disdain]

Another verbal tick that I hate in print:  "Jus' sayin'."

It sounds very low-class.

My problem with the phrase isn't that it is low class but how uninterested and lazy it sounds and how it is used when someone knows that they shouldn't have said something but went ahead anyway*. I feel like answering "No, you don't just say. You either mean something or you don't. You either think it is relevant, entertaining or informative or you don't. And if you don't, keep your mouth shut."

*no s. Not anyways.

[SoCalVal]

Use of "their" referencing a singular noun -- e.g. "A teacher should put their stuff away here" rather than "A teacher should put his/her stuff here" (ironically, I just saw that on this thread).

Not using "were" for a conditional (I don't know if I am using the correct term) -- e.g. "If I was rich, I'd buy a big house," vs. "If I were rich, I'd buy a big house."

Using direct pronouns where indirect pronouns should be used -- it really gets me when the person speaking/writing is someone who has a degree related to writing, such as journalism or English.

[SoCalVal]

And you yourself always come last. That's easy to remember - this is an etiquette board, and etiquette says I should let KayMarie go first, right?

DF and I just had a "discussion" about that the other day.  He claims that it was taught to him in English class that the person speaking comes first.  I couldn't successfully explain to him that is not the case.

[GreenHall]

And you yourself always come last. That's easy to remember - this is an etiquette board, and etiquette says I should let KayMarie go first, right?

DF and I just had a "discussion" about that the other day.  He claims that it was taught to him in English class that the person speaking comes first.  I couldn't successfully explain to him that is not the case.

I can't remember a citation at this point, but I remember reading this one on a list of 'Things that are not actually incorrect'.  I want to say that there was no grammatical rule for 'I' being last, but it was an etiquette based 'rule'. (And now I may have to go play with Google.)