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Grammar Gripes and Other Psycholinguistic Squawkings

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Baraka_Guru, Aug 6, 2011.

Page 4 of 25
  1. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    Advise vs. advice. -- "Please advice me about what I should do." How hard is it to keep these two straight?

    Revert. "He has yet to revert to my email about the advice I was seeking." Revert means to return to the original state. It does not mean reply.
     
    Charlatan, Aug 31, 2011
    #61
  2. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    Overuse of the word "tons" as the direct object du jour, when "many," "numerous,"or "a lot" would be better. Even right here on TFP.

    ...there are tons of small local quick food places.....(thanks, amonkie)
    ...love tandoori chicken. There are tons of options out there..(thanks, Baraka_Guru)
    ...ass, which for some odd reason works out well for me. I use to watch tons of movie... (thanks, streak_56)
    ...I also did tons and tons of research, and that breed just seemed like a great fit. I even...(thanks, Borla).
    ...I actually have tons of e-books already...(tons of e-books?? Thanks, amonkie, this one is especially good;))
    ...a grumpy wife, tons of family and a lot of baking while it's 90 degrees outside doesn't lead to being...(thanks, Frostbyte)
    ...fancy marinade, tons of spices... Go easy on it, and enjoy. (thanks, Borla. A bit overseasoned, perhaps?)
    ...I've been listening to tons of music, trying to find a good song. (thanks, Ranger Joe)
    Tons of MUSIC???
    Something weighty, like this, perhaps?
    PDQ_NotationGag.png

    Lindy
     
    Lindy, Sep 5, 2011
    #62
  3. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    I don't have an issue with the use of tons in this manner. Usage on a forum is less formal.

    I would, however, prefer it to be spelled, tonnes. :p
     
    Charlatan, Sep 5, 2011
    #63
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    I should have said that there were "tonnes" of other ways to express large amounts. lol :D

    Lindy
     
    Lindy, Sep 6, 2011
    #64
  5. Smackre

    Smackre Vertical

    Location:
    Ghutt, Ohio
    Oh no someone spelled something wrong! end of the world!
     
    Smackre, Sep 6, 2011
    #65
    • Like Like x 1
  6. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    Smackre, just to keep you up to speed, it was a metric joke rather than a spelling mistake. :rolleyes:
     
    Charlatan, Sep 6, 2011
    #66
  7. Smackre

    Smackre Vertical

    Location:
    Ghutt, Ohio
    I was not referring to you Charlatan. Just in general.
     
    Smackre, Sep 6, 2011
    #67
  8. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    No problem. I was just amusing myself.
     
    Charlatan, Sep 6, 2011
    #68
  9. uncle phil

    uncle phil Moderator Emeritus (and sorely missed) Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    pasco county
    repeat after me: there are, there are, there are...

    (NOT there is...)
     
    uncle phil, Sep 6, 2011
    #69
  10. Zen

    Zen Very Tilted

    Location:
    London
    Squawk of pleasure:

    I learnt a new word last night:
    Copacetic
    Very happy moment :)
     
    Zen, Sep 6, 2011
    #70
  11. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    There are no hope for you, uncle phil!;)
     
    Lindy, Sep 6, 2011
    #71
    • Like Like x 3
  12. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I don't think this has been brought up here yet....

    Today on Facebook (go figure, right?), I saw people neglecting commas in direct addresses all over the place!

    It breaks my little heart.... :(

    ...especially because I see this happen on TFP too....
     
    Baraka_Guru, Sep 8, 2011
    #72
  13. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Baraka, what are you talking about?

    :p
     
    snowy, Sep 8, 2011
    #73
    • Like Like x 1
  14. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    You know exactly what I'm talking about, snowy.... :p
     
    Baraka_Guru, Sep 8, 2011
    #74
    • Like Like x 1
  15. roachboy

    roachboy Very Tilted

    i am at war with commas. they turn up, unnecessarily, everywhere.
     
    roachboy, Sep 8, 2011
    #75
  16. Cayvmann

    Cayvmann Very Tilted

    Location:
    Central North Carolina
    to != too
    there != they're != their
    no != know
    your != you're

    The usuals.

    etc., etc.
     
    Cayvmann, Sep 8, 2011
    #76
  17. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    While we're at it: redundancies.

    "Et cetera" is abbreviated as etc. and means "and other things" or "and so on."

    Dude, you only needed one.... :p
     
    Baraka_Guru, Sep 8, 2011
    #77
  18. roachboy

    roachboy Very Tilted

    folk like bahamadia can say et cetera et cetera as many times as they like.
    unless you flow like that, though, you shouldn't.
    recognize your lack of flow.
    be at one with it.

    btw i hate capital letters. i think they're stupid and unnecessary and aesthetically unattractive.
    sentences are signalled in their beginning and ending states perfectly well by punctuation and spacing conventions.
    the only reason caps are used is a kind of intellectual inertia.
    except when people make lovely capital letters, or do lovely things with them as visual objects.
    but as conventions in everyday writing, they are like the other peeves mentioned in this thread are.
    irregardless, i use them in many situations in which it seems meet to do so...fictions! bidness lettahs! rezooms!
    etc. etc. etc..

    an unrelated but important item:
    every once in a while i hear someone pronounce hors d'oeuvre like they're saying the name horace doover really quickly.
    i do not know why anyone would say the name horace doover at all, and still less say it really quickly.
    this does not constitute a peeve.
    it's just something at which i marvel.

    what is a peeve is not being allowed to end a sentence with a preposition.
    goddamn it, we should feel free to let our prepositions dangle.
    it is the sort of thing up with which none of us should put.

    also, i hate btw. but i use it. why is that? WHY IS THAT?
     
    roachboy, Sep 8, 2011
    #78
    • Like Like x 1
  19. uncle phil

    uncle phil Moderator Emeritus (and sorely missed) Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    pasco county
    OMG - rb said irregardless... :(
     
    uncle phil, Sep 8, 2011
    #79
  20. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I know. That was the best part.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Sep 8, 2011
    #80
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