Grammar quirks

[Diane AKA Traska]

My brain is breaking over the word "contracepting," which has been showing up in the political sphere recently.  On the one hand, it's not a word!  On the other hand, there's no quick and snappy verb meaning "using contraception," so I can understand why.  There's no good way to say "We're contracepting ourselves out of existence!" unless you make up the word "contracepting."

I... actually like the word.  It's a clean word that makes sense, not only in the term "using contraception", but also when you actually break the word down, as in "actively trying not to conceive".  I can understand the opposition due to it not being a real word, but no word is a real word until it's invented, right?

[Slartibartfast]

My brain is breaking over the word "contracepting," which has been showing up in the political sphere recently.  On the one hand, it's not a word!  On the other hand, there's no quick and snappy verb meaning "using contraception," so I can understand why.  There's no good way to say "We're contracepting ourselves out of existence!" unless you make up the word "contracepting."

I... actually like the word.  It's a clean word that makes sense, not only in the term "using contraception", but also when you actually break the word down, as in "actively trying not to conceive".  I can understand the opposition due to it not being a real word, but no word is a real word until it's invented, right?

That's about the conclusion I've grudgingly come to, but it still makes my head hurt 

[Free Range Hippy Chick]

Should it not be 'contraceiving'?

[Diane AKA Traska]

To be completely grammatically correct, yes.  But, the root is contraception, and trying to get people to move past that would be difficult at best.

[Shoo]

I often see people write standing "on line" instead of "in line."  To me that makes no sense.  The line is something you stand in, not on.  I don't think it's possible to stand on a line of people.  I've seen Americans use this phrase as well as non-Americans. 

[Giggity]

Two things that are pretty much the same thing: those are "one and the same."

"One in the same" doesn't even make SENSE.

[Lovemykids]

I often see people write standing "on line" instead of "in line."  To me that makes no sense.  The line is something you stand in, not on.  I don't think it's possible to stand on a line of people.  I've seen Americans use this phrase as well as non-Americans.

I usually hear this from my friends who grew up in the New York/New England region.  One of them told me that when she was young and going to public elementary school, each class would have to line up on a parking lot line in the morning before being led into school by the teachers.  This was her explanation for "standing on line."  I don't know if it's one of those word origins that's been made up to fit the phrase, but it's what she told me . . .

[Editeer]

I don't believe this has been mentioned yet -

She called me out of my name -- meaning

She called me a name.

First one makes NO sense, second one says it exactly. Can't figure it out.

I believe that "She called me out of my name" means "She called me something other than my correct name" with the implication that she did it deliberately to be disrespectful.
 
So, "She called me out of my name" could mean--
"She called me a stupid git"
or
"She called me Bobby when she knows I prefer Robert."


As for "standing on line"--I grew up in New York, and we indeed said "on line" instead of "in line." This was way before the Internet and the whole idea of doing things "on line" (on a network). I have no idea where it came from, though.

[demarco]

I often see people write standing "on line" instead of "in line."  To me that makes no sense.  The line is something you stand in, not on.  I don't think it's possible to stand on a line of people.  I've seen Americans use this phrase as well as non-Americans.

I usually hear this from my friends who grew up in the New York/New England region.  One of them told me that when she was young and going to public elementary school, each class would have to line up on a parking lot line in the morning before being led into school by the teachers.  This was her explanation for "standing on line."  I don't know if it's one of those word origins that's been made up to fit the phrase, but it's what she told me . . .

I grew upon Massachusetts and always said "in line" as did everyone else I knew.  It was not until I met my NYC raised boyfriend that I ever heard anyone say "on line." It sounded so wrong and, you are right, Shoo, it makes no sense.  I tried to break him of it to no avail. I married him anyway.  He still says it his way and I say it mine. 

I suspect this started out being regional and spread.  I hear a lot of people say it now. 

[oz diva]

'In line' and 'on line' do seem to be regional things. 

Along the same lines, in some areas people 'fill out a form'.  In others they 'fill out a form'. 

Most New Yorkers I know 'stand on line to fill out a form'.

And here we queue.

Ps you've got the same phrase twice there.

[Thipu1]

'In line' and 'on line' do seem to be regional things. 

Along the same lines, in some areas people 'fill out a form'.  In others they 'fill out a form'. 

Most New Yorkers I know 'stand on line to fill out a form'.

And here we queue.

Ps you've got the same phrase twice there.

I fixed that, thank you.

BTW, I understand that 'filling in a form' is the standard in Australia. 

[baglady]

I have an acquaintance from the Midwest who says things happen "on accident." I've always heard/said "by accident."

I fill out forms by filling in the blanks.

[Mental Magpie]

I'm from northwestern PA; I say both "by accident" and "on accident", depending on the rest of the sentence.

"I did it on accident."
"It happened by accident."

[Gyburc]

My current grammar pet peeve is the use of the word 'whereby', which seems to have become the word of choice for radio presenters in the UK.

Whereby means 'because of which' or 'as a result of which', but it's constantly being used as a synonym for 'in which' - so for example 'This is a situation whereby person X is doing Y...'

It drives. me. nuts. For goodness' sake, if you're determined to use a complicated word to try to sound clever, get it right!

signed,

Gyburc who shouts at the radio quite a lot. 

[oz diva]

'In line' and 'on line' do seem to be regional things. 

Along the same lines, in some areas people 'fill out a form'.  In others they 'fill out a form'. 

Most New Yorkers I know 'stand on line to fill out a form'.

And here we queue.

Ps you've got the same phrase twice there.

I fixed that, thank you.

BTW, I understand that 'filling in a form' is the standard in Australia.

Actually both sound plausible to me. Perhaps I fill it in more than out.