Grammar Police (What ticks you off?)

[FRE]

I thought you understood Yiddish, Calboner. Clearly it is you who is talking out of his ass. It's a saying that means go jump in a lake. You're translating it literally. Anyone who knows Yiddish would know that saying.

Are you sure that that is correct? "Jump in the lake!" means to jump when you are already in the lake. "Jump into the lake!" means, while not in the lake, to jump so that you will land in the lake.

 

[FRE]

"Take a bath"?

That "take a" syntax is interesting. We also say the following:

Take a hike.
Take a look.
Take a walk.

A similarly interesting syntax is based on "get", such as the following:

Get in.
Get up.
Get down.
Get out.

Why don't we just say one of the following?:

Enter.
Arise.
Recline.
Leave (or exit).

 

[jtm011]

Are you sure that that is correct? "Jump in the lake!" means to jump when you are already in the lake. "Jump into the lake!" means, while not in the lake, to jump so that you will land in the lake.

You are welcome to do either. Which one would you prefer?

 

[FRE]

You are welcome to do either. Which one would you prefer?

Do a google search on "in vs into".

 

[jtm011]

Do a google search on "in vs into".

Maybe you should do a Google search of common sayings. The saying is "go jump in a lake" it's not go jump into a lake. Grammar aside this is a common saying and that trumps grammar.

 

[185248]

I often commit grammarcide. Guess you could call me a grammarcidal maniac.

Look that one up in the dictionary.

 

[FRE]

Maybe you should do a Google search of common sayings. The saying is "go jump in a lake" it's not go jump into a lake. Grammar aside this is a common saying and that trumps grammar.

In other words, what is correct is determined by common usage rather than by well educated people.

 

[jtm011]

In other words, what is correct is determined by common usage rather than by well educated people.

This isn't a question of correct or not. It's an issue of you arguing over a common phrase which may or may not be grammatically correct, and to then bring up the false issue of well educated only reflects on you.

 

[ConanTheBarber]

In other words, what is correct is determined by common usage rather than by well educated people.

"Fixed expressions" are (d'oh) fixed -- determined, yes, by common usage and by nothing else. All languages have them.
"Go jump in a lake" is a fixed expression.
Well educated people know this and don't fight it.

 

[ActionBuddy]

^ Boom!

 

[ActionBuddy]

Like many have said above, it is the misuse of "there", "their", and "they're", as well as "you", "your", "yours", and "you're", that annoys me the most.

I have to amend this previous post to include "u" and "ur"... I totally get it if you are texting or if "ur" a frantic teenager. But, in letters, site posts, blogs, etc., it just seems so lazy to me! It makes me roll my eyes, especially if it's someone older than 20 doing it... Lazy, lazy, lazy!... And, a terrible example for people who are trying to learn English via the Internet.

A/B

 

[NIMBUS]

If there is one thing that makes me wince, it's misplaced apostrophe's.

So what about Mother's Day - appearing everywhere at the moment?

I've always felt that it should be Mother's Day only if referring to your own mother. The day of MY mother.

Surely when referring to mothers globally it should be Mothers' Day? The day belonging to ALL mothers. After all, the TV programme is called Dragons' Den.

 

[Fuzzy_]

"This little tiny ant."

 

[tncentaur]

I think there are times to seek some latitude in a search for correctness--for example, consider the phrase 'a more perfect union' in the preamble to the US constitution. We all know that some adjectives do not admit to degrees of comparison: correct, straight, and perfect, etc. These are absolutes. If a line is straight, there can't be another that is more straight. Likewise, 'perfect' cannot be made more so. We all know what the framers meant to say, so we stay our criticism of their usage. I rather think we should do so with our discussion of Mother's/Mothers' Day.

 

[FRE]

I think there are times to seek some latitude in a search for correctness--for example, consider the phrase 'a more perfect union' in the preamble to the US constitution. We all know that some adjectives do not admit to degrees of comparison: correct, straight, and perfect, etc. These are absolutes. If a line is straight, there can't be another that is more straight. Likewise, 'perfect' cannot be made more so. We all know what the framers meant to say, so we stay our criticism of their usage. I rather think we should do so with our discussion of Mother's/Mothers' Day.

To establish a less imperfect union...

 

[tncentaur]

FRE,
You should have been there!

 

[FRE]

FRE,
You should have been there!

I still can be. I can use the same time machine that Obama's agents used to go back in time and change his birth records to make it appear that he was born in Hawaii and not in Kenya. When I get back to 18th century Philadelphia, I can change the preamble to the constitution.

 

[ActionBuddy]

Oh, Lordy!... Out of blind generosity, I am going to assume you aren't ignorant enough to believe the birth certificate bullshit.

 

[FRE]

Oh, Lordy!... Out of blind generosity, I am going to assume you aren't ignorant enough to believe the birth certificate bullshit.

People who believe in time machines believe it.

 

[bonerjams03]

redundancy in acronyms: ATM machine, PCR reaction