Being proud, I have absolutely no idea where apostrophes or commas go.
It's the primary reason I ain't wrote my Otto Biography yet. I'd hate to confuse my readers as much as I confuse myself.
Words and Phrases that really annoy
- Thread starter captp
- Start date
It's the primary reason I ain't wrote my Otto Biography yet. I'd hate to confuse my readers as much as I confuse myself.
The apostrophe is used to indicate a contraction (can not - can't; it is - it's) or possessive (Joe's vehicle; Tim's house). It is not used for plurals (2 cows, not 2 cow's).
My wife has 8 years of Kollege English under her belt. (No idea how many years above her belt? As a matter of fact, she probably has English all over herself, as she never wears a belt....) Anyway, I have a live in Editor and Proofreader, but I like kreative writing or riting, that "w" has always bugged me. A waste of good ink if ya ask me.
I think alternate spelling makes for good brane stretching.
Tu bad Ben Franklin's funetik speling sistum nevr kot on
Amen!
Well, with all its price increases Starbucks is planning to change their name to TenbucksI thought about 5/3 bank when the Dollar Tree increased prices to $1.25. How they could follow suit and become 5/4 Dollar Tree.
I tried Googling this, but found nothing. Does anyone have a citation for whether "This wine drinks like a..." is technically correct from a grammatical/syntax perspective and why or why not?
I suppose "This car drives like a truck . . . ." does not sound off to me. "drinks like" does have a certain potential feelings of error, though!
@The Knize the car example certainly sounds much more logical. On the other end, I also heard references to “this steak eats like a Filet” which I think is even more egregiously nonsensical and bizarre. The steak doesn’t eat—it gets eaten!
Also I remember an unnecessarily long discussion about how to phrase oyster pricing—my manager could not decide if it was “$3 by the each” or “as the each” to which we jokingly replied no, it’s “as eaches” or some other nonsense… why she didn’t merely say “individually” or EACH, I do not know.
Also I remember an unnecessarily long discussion about how to phrase oyster pricing—my manager could not decide if it was “$3 by the each” or “as the each” to which we jokingly replied no, it’s “as eaches” or some other nonsense… why she didn’t merely say “individually” or EACH, I do not know.
"whole entire"
I do not suggest that anyone has to be quite this careful with their writing, and I, rather obviously, tend to not even proofread my posts on B&B, but one should be able to go back over something they have written word by word and justify each and every word. Each word should have a function and a function that is not duplicated by another word.
That does sound even more off, but I am still not convinced it is ungrammatical or an example of bad syntax. (I think I need to look up what "syntax" actually is!)
I think lots of bad writing is using excess words. Just so! What does "by the" or "as the" add to the meaning, if if those phrases were correct, which I do not think they are! Indeed your example seems to be exactly what the word "each" was designed for. Would someone ever really look at the phrase "$3 each" and consciously decide "that phrase needs some more words in order to be precise." I think what happens in a lot of writing, and talking for that matter, is folks use more words than needed at first, and then the revision process includes shortening things up.
I do not suggest that anyone has to be quite this careful with their writing, and I, rather obviously, tend to not even proofread my posts on B&B, but one should be able to go back over something they have written word by word and justify each and every word. Each word should have a function and a function that is not duplicated by another word.
There is a context to my examples that is also worth mentioning: the business was a ludicrously expensive steakhouse, with management trying to maintain the appearance of intellect and competence. My boss was highly skilled and intelligent, though perhaps not equally gifted in fineries of grammar and communication. Her attempts were quite entertaining.
I suppose there is an old saying that folks often use "big" words when they are trying to impress others and that often backfires. This may be a part of the same phenomena!
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
Perhaps "avoid tautology".
Pronouncing picture as "pitcher"
Eschew obfuscation
Dale Jr said " this car is driving like a dump truck "
I'll accept Dale Jr as an authority!
88
As everyone here knows, I'm still watching Hallmark Christmas Movies on my Friendly TV subscription. Here's what has been grating my cheese lately:
Someone will ask, "Do you mind if I........?"
To which the response is ALWAYS, "of course. Make yourself at home" or some such.
Has the laws of readin' and writin' and speakin' CHANGED since I was in skool?!
Shouldn't the proper answer be: "no, I DON'T MIND if you sit there or make yerself at home or poke your own eye out if that's what you want to do."
Am I nuts or is writing for TV different than in the real world?
Someone will ask, "Do you mind if I........?"
To which the response is ALWAYS, "of course. Make yourself at home" or some such.
Has the laws of readin' and writin' and speakin' CHANGED since I was in skool?!
Shouldn't the proper answer be: "no, I DON'T MIND if you sit there or make yerself at home or poke your own eye out if that's what you want to do."
Am I nuts or is writing for TV different than in the real world?
- Thread starter
- #339
Writing for TV different from the real world? What kind of fantasy world did you just step out of?
"Ze plane! Ze plane boss!"Writing for TV different from the real world? What kind of fantasy world did you just step out of?
