Spelling Errors! Its LOSE not LOOSE

[Elrond39]

One usually sees an used with historical rather than history. Since the accent is not on the first syllable, people tend to think an historical sounds more correct than a historical. I remember a cover of Time Magazine (I think) with An Historical (something) in big bold letters.

However, the rule is that an is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. Therefore, correct usage is
a history
a historical
an honor
an unusual
a usual

Cool, thanks. Learned something.

That's my problem with people getting all tetchy over this sort of thread: it shouldn't be considered as a horrible thing (which they do), because it's a way for people to improve their language skills and present themselves as informed and educated individuals. Pointing our, sarcastically, that this is as high on your priority list as famine and war merely proves the point that you are unwilling to correct your grammar and present yourself in such a way that people can take you seriously. Let alone the fact that such a comment is ridiculous beyond belief: I think I speak for the majority here when I say that we don't intend to place grammar at the height of such a list. We just want to improve the little things over which we actually have this power.

It certainly is ironic, though, that the people so quick to point out the uselessness of our endeavors (American spelling, yes) are apparently not able to correct their own grammar.

And on that note:

Poor grammar and spelling is unarguably less annoying than people whom feel the need to point out others errors in threads.

Sorry, iGav, it won't happen again. (Though I see 3 mistakes.)

 

[Glen Quagmire]

But really people, it's a forum for f**ks sake... not an english class *sighs*. These threads crop up every so often, and I just think... how f**king anal do you have to be, to feel the need to correct someone on a forum I can just imagine how every little missed placed . , ' " etc must feel like a long, slow f**k up the arse, I dread to think of the frenzy they get worked in to when they receive a text message.

How very eloquent. Swear words, sexual content. A post to which the rest of us can only aspire. Pathetic. Oh, and it's "misplaced", not "miss placed". Is that all you have to offer? Petty insults?

Writing standards matter no matter what the medium - be it email, in a letter or wherever. If a person can't be bothered to ensure that their post (or whatever) is spelt correctly, then why should I bother reading it? Why should I waste my time trying to decipher a load of poorly-punctuated nonsense? I have better things to do with my time, to be frank, especially if the communication in question is as appalling as that quoted at the top of this post.

The English language, especially in its written form, can be wonderfully expressive and lyrical. Quite why some people seem to feel the need to wreck it due to poor education or simply not caring (by far a worse crime) is beyond me. I am not singling you out, iGav, but you do provide a convenient example of what riles me.

Still, ignorance is bliss and all that. Continue on your merry way.

 

[xov]

What happens if you drop your aitches?

An 'ooligan in an 'at was riding an 'orse ...

 

[Nermal]

I know some of the people who campaigned for that. It's not just 'sign language' - it's New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), which is native to NZ and evolved through several hundred years of the deaf community there.

I didn't mean to offend anyone, but I believed that sign language isn't really a language. The OED defines a language as "the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way."

However, I'm not trying to start an argument.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

What happens if you drop your aitches?

You develop a glottal stop to compensate. At least, that's what we do around my way and it's always worked fine for me.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

The OED defines a language as "the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way."

Language can also be defined as 'any nonverbal method of expression or communication', which in my book at least works to describe sign language.

 

[Nermal]

Language can also be defined as 'any nonverbal method of expression or communication', which in my book at least works to describe sign language.

It certainly does. I will accept that I was mistaken.

 

[wimic]

I'm generally not anal, but there seems to be a shocking rise in posts that have atrocious spelling errors. I understand when someone makes a typo.. or tries to spell something really hard.. but basic mistakes? Come on! E.g.

"I don't want to loose my job"

What? Is your job tight? Its LOSE.. not LOOSE! LOOSE is the opposite of tight. The correct term is "I don't want to lose my job" I find this mistake almost everywhere.. including front pages of prominent web sites and/or magazines. Its almost as if the dictionary is going to be re-written to include this term for "Loss/Lose"

Next one is .. "Its there cat.. they can do what they want".. its THEIR.. not THERE. Or "Their going to come tomorrow".. its.. um.. "They're or They are"

The funniest one I've seen is "I was not aloud to go in there" ALOUD?!!!! Its allowed. lol. Another one was "I'm so board today"

Anyone else find this surprising?

This is, quite possibly, one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to spelling errors.... I've argued until I was blue in the face with people about this before.

i think the trouble is that words like OOZE have two Os, therefore making it seem only logical that LOOSE would be pronounced L-OOZE... which, in fact, is spelled lose..

The English language is both a beautiful and confusing thing

 

[vniow]

Merom not 'memron'.

Its actually spelled 'Moron'. Just like this thread.

 

[thedude110]

For it may paradoxically help us to understand once again poetry and its use of ambiguity.

Link?

Am a bit starved for poetry talk at the moment and your picking at ambiguity has piqued my interest.

 

[Elrond39]

How very eloquent. Swear words, sexual content. A post to which the rest of us can only aspire. Pathetic. Oh, and it's "misplaced", not "miss placed". Is that all you have to offer? Petty insults?

Writing standards matter no matter what the medium - be it email, in a letter or wherever. If a person can't be bothered to ensure that their post (or whatever) is spelt correctly, then why should I bother reading it? Why should I waste my time trying to decipher a load of poorly-punctuated nonsense? I have better things to do with my time, to be frank, especially if the communication in question is as appalling as that quoted at the top of this post.

The English language, especially in its written form, can be wonderfully expressive and lyrical. Quite why some people seem to feel the need to wreck it due to poor education or simply not caring (by far a worse crime) is beyond me. I am not singling you out, iGav, but you do provide a convenient example of what riles me.

Still, ignorance is bliss and all that. Continue on your merry way.

Oh, my! English used in its proper form! And a well-reasoned argument as well! Good job!

Its actually spelled 'Moron'. Just like this thread.

But isn't a thread an inanimate object? And can such a characteristic be attributed to it in light of this fact?

Slowly, but surely, this thread is moving toward poetry and philosophy.

 

[Cube54]

Am I the first to post this? I didn't read any posts that covered the topic.

The 2 most horrible words in the English language when used together. Which seems to be in every other sentence, especially in America.

-> you know

Well, no I didn't

 

[KingYaba]

Do people know how to press command shift colon on their keyboards? That is, if you type posts using Safari or TextEdit?

 

[gauchogolfer]

Do people know how to press command shift colon on their keyboards? That is, if you type posts using Safari or TextEdit?

Why go to that trouble? I prefer to enable 'check spelling as you type' to keep a constant eye on things.

 

[mkrishnan]

Do people know how to press command shift colon on their keyboards? That is, if you type posts using Safari or TextEdit?

I didn't. But then I also prefer in-line checking. It's the single best thing about Safari, in my book, and *the* thing I miss when I am using Firefox. Of course if you go and add "Memron" and "degregate" and so on to it, you're still SOL!

 

[KingYaba]

Trouble? You are only pressing three keys!

 

[MultiM]

thanx, i achually staid late at werk to read this hole discushen...

Very funny!

 

[Cube54]

This is, quite possibly, one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to spelling errors.... I've argued until I was blue in the face with people about this before.

i think the trouble is that words like OOZE have two Os, therefore making it seem only logical that LOOSE would be pronounced L-OOZE... which, in fact, is spelled lose..

The English language is both a beautiful and confusing thing

Trust me, I'm originally from Calgary

Calgary women are loose and the Calgary Flames will lose!

 

[bousozoku]

Am I the first to post this? I didn't read any posts that covered the topic.

The 2 most horrible words in the English language when used together, which seems to be in every other sentence, especially in America.

-> you know

Well, no I didn't.

You didn't do a few things.

 

[Cube54]

You didn't do a few things.

, which

Darn Mac keyboard every time I go to type the word witch I drop the comma and forget the w. Just being polite I guess.

 

[bousozoku]

, which

Darn Mac keyboard every time I go to type the word witch I drop the comma and forget the w. Just being polite I guess.

Are you giving me another opportunity here? That's quite generous of you.

 

[Cube54]

Are you giving me another opportunity here? That's quite generous of you.

Your Call Find out You know

 

[MACDRIVE]

How about probably?

If you're from a trailer park in West Virginia, you would write it as prolly.

Irritates me to no end.

 

[c23roo]

What I really appreciate is...

What I really appreciate is the wonderful reaction one receives when one attempts (however humbly presented) to correct spelling/grammatical errors that others have made. In attempting to clean up the sloppiness, people take great offense when you wish that, say, an official document representing your company/school/hospital/organization is at least written in reasonably proper language and grammar.

I can forgive much of the postings/text messages/email content - as people are not as likely to proofread (which is a different thing from spell-checking - many don't know this).

I don't mind so much having the sarcastic - 'Oh, thanks, English major!' - as I usually reply, "No, English speaker."

- c

 

[n8236]

I need to lern how to reed