What is your biggest grammar pet peeve?

[divinemartyr]

I don't know that it is a grammatical mistake, however, I hate it when people say things are 'simular'. These people will often times write out simular as opposed to similar.

My biggest grammatical pet peeve has got to be switching your and you're. These concepts are so simple, yet so often mistaken.

I have to say I also hate it when people use "u" instead of just hitting two more keystrokes and typing out you.

Chad

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii

Originally posted by: xmellyx
Incorrect: Me and Joe went out.

Correct: Joe and I went out.

Gets on my bloody nerves.

On the flip side of that, I hate it when people use "Joe and I" as the object of the verb. For instance, "Mary gave mints to Joe and I" is NOT correct, "Mary gave mints to me and Joe" is correct.

Alot also bugs me, I don't really understand how anyone could think that's one word.

Using an apostrophe to make a plural.

The correct way to do that is: "Mary gave mints to Joe and me." You still have to put yourself last. Anytime I hear the words "me and (place name here)," I think of those people who say things like "me and Cooter went to the cow milking contest yesterday."

 

[sxr7171]

Here's one that hasn't been discussed in this thread yet: when people pronounce "espresso" - EXpresso. There is no "EX" in espresso even when it is spelled expresso. Besides espresso is the preferred spelling so that it can bewritten as it is pronounced.

I realize that this isn't a grammatical error, but the topic of this thread has expanded to include mispronunciation.




Also, having latin expressions in english are often an asset to our language and not a grammatical aberration.

The expression "per se" was mentioned in this thread as being obtrusive, while in fact it expresses an idea that would require far more than two words to express in english. It is an example of a way to use less words to express an idea, this is the also basis for having a better vocabulary. It lets you express yourself with fewer words and with words that are more specific and more clear in meaning. Every educated person knows what "per se" means.

 

[VTboy]

Expresso and Espresso are NOT pronounced the same. Expresso you say the EX like ik.

 

[VTboy]

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: Lounatik
One word that grates on my nerves is : Height. Why,oh why, do people insist on pronouncing it Hithe? It sounds so damn illiterate to me.

The -gh is silent numbnuts! Has the English language degraded this far? I don't say lithe for light, or hithe for height, then why do these fools say hithe?

Yes, I am totally insane. Thank you for your time.


Peace


Lounatik

Where do you live? I haven't heard anyone actually pronounce the "gh" in height before, and I live in Ohio.

I was just pointing out that according to webster you can say hitth

 

[upsciLLion]

When people spell ridiculous as rediculous.

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Originally posted by: VTboy
Expresso and Espresso are NOT pronounced the same. Expresso you say the EX like ik.

Silly question maybe, but what on earth is Expresso?

 

[VTboy]

Originally posted by: Allio

Originally posted by: SaigonK
Ask - Apparently pronounced axe by 90% of the population.

Any of the normal pathetic language that white guys use when trying to be black....

I've only heard somone say 'axe' in that context about three times in my life, and that was on TV. I think it was usually kids saying it.

Edit: think I figured out why. In New Zealand we say 'arsk' instead of 'assk', and saying 'arks' would just sound stupid!

Of course this isn't really grammar, it's pronunciation

On that note, I hate it when people say PRO-NOUN-SEE-ATION. It's PRO-NUN-SEE-ATION. Kind of funny to hear someone say 'I pride myself on my proNOUNCiation'

Another one: people who say 'somethink'.

Ok Pro-Noun-See-Ation is also correct. I know this for a fact that it can be said either nun or noun.

 

[VTboy]

Expresso and Espresso are the same thing. They however are not pronounced exactly the same. Almost the same but different.

 

[acemcmac]

Chicken Cheesteak

THERE IS NO SUCH THING!!!

Chicken != Steak !!! They are by definition total opposites!

It's a fried chicken sandwitch!!!

 

[SgtBuddy]

there their they're

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii

Originally posted by: xmellyx
Incorrect: Me and Joe went out.

Correct: Joe and I went out.

Gets on my bloody nerves.

On the flip side of that, I hate it when people use "Joe and I" as the object of the verb. For instance, "Mary gave mints to Joe and I" is NOT correct, "Mary gave mints to me and Joe" is correct.

Alot also bugs me, I don't really understand how anyone could think that's one word.

Using an apostrophe to make a plural.

The correct way to do that is: "Mary gave mints to Joe and me." You still have to put yourself last. Anytime I hear the words "me and (place name here)," I think of those people who say things like "me and Cooter went to the cow milking contest yesterday."

Why do you have to put yourself last? That sounds more like a style issue than a grammar problem.

 

[Eli]

None of the your/you're and here/hear stuff bothers me..

But what does..

is when people talk like this:

"how r u 2 day?"

 

[dethman]

i hate:

would of should of could of
for sell
lose/loose

come on people didn't any of you ever learn any grammar?

 

[ajpa123]

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: Allio

Originally posted by: SaigonK
Ask - Apparently pronounced axe by 90% of the population.

Any of the normal pathetic language that white guys use when trying to be black....

I've only heard somone say 'axe' in that context about three times in my life, and that was on TV. I think it was usually kids saying it.

Edit: think I figured out why. In New Zealand we say 'arsk' instead of 'assk', and saying 'arks' would just sound stupid!

Of course this isn't really grammar, it's pronunciation

On that note, I hate it when people say PRO-NOUN-SEE-ATION. It's PRO-NUN-SEE-ATION. Kind of funny to hear someone say 'I pride myself on my proNOUNCiation'

Another one: people who say 'somethink'.

Ok Pro-Noun-See-Ation is also correct. I know this for a fact that it can be said either nun or noun.

Good one, Allio! :beer:

I did a google on pronounciation and found tons of results. Do that many people make this common mistake of spelling it with the extra 'o'? Or is that an accepted way of spelling it in other countries.

I just educated myself a little on these words and thought i would share my findings . Funny how much i suck at english!

Pronounce, pronunciate, pronunciation.
Announce, annunciate, annunciation.
Enounce, enunciate , enunciation.

announce - to make known publically
pronounce - to declare officially, ceremoniously, authoritively or as opinion. To pass judgement. (or use the organs of speech to produce the components of spoken language)
enounce - to set forth or state (or pronounce distinctly (articulate))

:Q

 

[Hector13]

Originally posted by: daniel1113
My favorite pet peeve was already mentioned, but here is another one that I hear all the time.

I hate it when you are in a conversation, and a question is asked, such as "Want to go to the store?"

It's "DO YOU want to go to the store."

there is nothing wrong with leaving out the implied subject and even the "do" in this case.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii

Originally posted by: xmellyx
Incorrect: Me and Joe went out.

Correct: Joe and I went out.

Gets on my bloody nerves.

On the flip side of that, I hate it when people use "Joe and I" as the object of the verb. For instance, "Mary gave mints to Joe and I" is NOT correct, "Mary gave mints to me and Joe" is correct.

Alot also bugs me, I don't really understand how anyone could think that's one word.

Using an apostrophe to make a plural.

The correct way to do that is: "Mary gave mints to Joe and me." You still have to put yourself last. Anytime I hear the words "me and (place name here)," I think of those people who say things like "me and Cooter went to the cow milking contest yesterday."

Why do you have to put yourself last? That sounds more like a style issue than a grammar problem.

You have to, it's just like we were taught to say "Bill and I went to the shooting range." as opposed to "I and Bill went to the shooting range." It is the proper way to express that a friend and you went somewhere or did something. You can confirm that with any SAT prep book you may lying around at home.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: VTboy
Expresso and Espresso are the same thing. They however are not pronounced exactly the same. Almost the same but different.

I agree that they are the same thing, but both spellings are pronounced "ESS-presso." It is the correct way to refer to a cup of coffee made with pressurized water at a certain minimum pressure. I hate it when the person at the counter at Starbucks likes to repeat my order with the wrong pronunciation. This doesn't usually happen at the better coffee places. In that sense the expresso spelling is not the preferred spelling, it was probably a bad transliteration from the original italian.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: Allio

Originally posted by: SaigonK
Ask - Apparently pronounced axe by 90% of the population.

Any of the normal pathetic language that white guys use when trying to be black....

I've only heard somone say 'axe' in that context about three times in my life, and that was on TV. I think it was usually kids saying it.

Edit: think I figured out why. In New Zealand we say 'arsk' instead of 'assk', and saying 'arks' would just sound stupid!

Of course this isn't really grammar, it's pronunciation

On that note, I hate it when people say PRO-NOUN-SEE-ATION. It's PRO-NUN-SEE-ATION. Kind of funny to hear someone say 'I pride myself on my proNOUNCiation'

Another one: people who say 'somethink'.

Ok Pro-Noun-See-Ation is also correct. I know this for a fact that it can be said either nun or noun.

Sure Webster may say that you can say PRO-NOUN-SEE-ATION, but really you'll look pretty bad saying it that way. As for expresso, I see that Webster says that iks-presso is the correct pronunciation for the word, but nobody who knows coffee will pronounce it that way (or even spell it that way). They even defined esspresso incorrectly by saying that pressurized steam is used to make it, while it is pressurized water that is used to make espresso. Pressurized steam would simply burn the coffee grounds.

There was a book that I saw at Barnes and Noble that went through every common mispronunciation in english today and they had some strong views on which pronunciations were the socially acceptable ones even when there was more than one "correct" pronunciation for a word according to a dictionary. Some people will pronounce culinary as CULL-IN-ARY but in order not to be laughed at in culinary circles you will start to pronounce it CULE-IN-ARY. There are many more like that.

I don't expect that everyone should know exactly which pronunciations are correct in all cases, but when a person selling you an espresso can't pronounce it right (half the time they can't even make it right); it can be annoying.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: Lounatik
One word that grates on my nerves is : Height. Why,oh why, do people insist on pronouncing it Hithe? It sounds so damn illiterate to me.

The -gh is silent numbnuts! Has the English language degraded this far? I don't say lithe for light, or hithe for height, then why do these fools say hithe?

Yes, I am totally insane. Thank you for your time.


Peace


Lounatik

Where do you live? I haven't heard anyone actually pronounce the "gh" in height before, and I live in Ohio.

I was just pointing out that according to webster you can say hitth

That's a new one. Quite surprising. It also tells me that Webster really needs to get with the times on some of these pronunciations.

 

[VTboy]

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: VTboy
Expresso and Espresso are the same thing. They however are not pronounced exactly the same. Almost the same but different.

I agree that they are the same thing, but both spellings are pronounced "ESS-presso." It is the correct way to refer to a cup of coffee made with pressurized water at a certain minimum pressure. I hate it when the person at the counter at Starbucks likes to repeat my order with the wrong pronunciation. This doesn't usually happen at the better coffee places. In that sense the expresso spelling is not the preferred spelling, it was probably a bad transliteration from the original italian.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Expresso is NOT pronounced Esspresso I know this for a FACT. I have seen many many dictionarys ALL OF THEM say to pronounce it as ikspresso. NONE of them say to pronounce them the same. LEARN YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU SPEAK.


On a side note. While most people say fortA for the word forte it really should be pronounced fort. The e should be silent.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

Originally posted by: allisolm
When people ask "How much do you like?"
When it should be "How much do you lack?"

Okay, I'll admit I'm having a little trouble with this one. Is it a local or regional usage or my limited imagination or what? I'm having trouble coming up with one real circumstance under which someone would be asking me "How much do you lack?" let alone enough times that mispronunciation would make it annoying. I can envision the butler (if I had one) saying "Excuse me. madam, but how much do you lack being finished with the newspaper as the master has expressed a desire to read the sports section?", but after that I'm stumped. Maybe I just don't hang out with the right crowd. Examples maybe?

Happens a lot here in the south. Mostly it is just replacing the word lack with like. I put it in the sentence for context. Around here the more common usage is "whattdoya like being done?" or something equally annoying.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: VTboy
Expresso and Espresso are the same thing. They however are not pronounced exactly the same. Almost the same but different.

I agree that they are the same thing, but both spellings are pronounced "ESS-presso." It is the correct way to refer to a cup of coffee made with pressurized water at a certain minimum pressure. I hate it when the person at the counter at Starbucks likes to repeat my order with the wrong pronunciation. This doesn't usually happen at the better coffee places. In that sense the expresso spelling is not the preferred spelling, it was probably a bad transliteration from the original italian.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Expresso is NOT pronounced Esspresso I know this for a FACT. I have seen many many dictionarys ALL OF THEM say to pronounce it as ikspresso. NONE of them say to pronounce them the same. LEARN YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU SPEAK.


On a side note. While most people say fortA for the word forte it really should be pronounced fort. The e should be silent.

While you are reading dictionaries I am reading "The Joy of Coffee" and many other Coffee specific books that clearly state that espresso is the prefered (or the only correct spelling according to some) english spelling as it is spelled as the word should be pronounced. People who still choose to use the expresso spelling should realize that the correct pronunciation is ESS-presso. If you knew what you were talking about, you would know this instead of shouting at me. Maybe you should learn your facts before you shout.


If you need quick proof, notice that www.epicurious.com does not even list "expresso" it only lists espresso and it shows the correct pronunciation for the word. People who use the iks-presso pronunciation are probably the same who say I-talian instead of it-alian. If you knew anything about coffee you would know better than to sound like a rube.

 

[steveeast112]

good / well
who / whom

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: VTboy
Expresso and Espresso are the same thing. They however are not pronounced exactly the same. Almost the same but different.

I agree that they are the same thing, but both spellings are pronounced "ESS-presso." It is the correct way to refer to a cup of coffee made with pressurized water at a certain minimum pressure. I hate it when the person at the counter at Starbucks likes to repeat my order with the wrong pronunciation. This doesn't usually happen at the better coffee places. In that sense the expresso spelling is not the preferred spelling, it was probably a bad transliteration from the original italian.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Expresso is NOT pronounced Esspresso I know this for a FACT. I have seen many many dictionarys ALL OF THEM say to pronounce it as ikspresso. NONE of them say to pronounce them the same. LEARN YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU SPEAK.
On a side note. While most people say fortA for the word forte it really should be pronounced fort. The e should be silent.

We're ignoring the fact that the word Expresso is a corruption of Espresso in the first place, and is no more valid in my opinion than people saying 'Laptop' incorrectly as 'Labtop'.

Also, 'forte' is pronounced, as you put it, 'fortA' - go and speak to an Italian. Next you'll be telling us that the word 'Cafe' should be pronounced to rhyme with 'safe'...