Tue Jan 24, 2012, 12:37 AM

laconicsax (14,860 posts)

What spelling/grammar errors really irritate you?

Apostrophe misuse used to top my list with the inability to use the correct version of a word that rhymes with "hair," starts with "th," and has three variants, but those days are behind me now, so seeing some moron write "my shoe's are over their" doesn't irritate me so much as it makes me roll my eyes.

Now, I'm finding that dropping the last half of "though" and pretending that it's the same word is slowly driving me mad. Given a sentence like, "I love snickerdoodle's tho there kinda boring..."

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109 replies	Author	Time	Post
What spelling/grammar errors really irritate you? (Original post)	laconicsax	Jan 2012	OP
Throwing in apostrophes where they don't belong.	The Velveteen Ocelot	Jan 2012	#1
Absence of an apostrophe can indicate possessive.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#2
You beat me to it.	UnrepentantLiberal	Jan 2012	#22
"I could care less" is meant to be said in a thoroughly sarcastic tone.	eppur_se_muova	Jan 2012	#74
Yes, lay, lie are so totally misused.	RebelOne	Jan 2012	#73
That is my biggest peeve, too.	GoCubsGo	Jan 2012	#109
irregardless	pokerfan	Jan 2012	#3
Argh!	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#5
Ah	pokerfan	Jan 2012	#9
in the same vane I would say "making ends meat"	limpyhobbler	Jan 2012	#18
"Blimp on the radar"? That's a good one!	The Velveteen Ocelot	Jan 2012	#52
I definately have never thought of this.	EastTennesseeDem	Jan 2012	#4
definitely n/t	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#6
to, too, two	Angry Dragon	Jan 2012	#7
, and they're. n/t	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#8
laundrymat, double is, and impact as a verb	grasswire	Jan 2012	#10
Double "hads" too!	pink-o	Jan 2012	#28
do do	SCantiGOP	Jan 2012	#44
Your "double is" is a type of	enuegii	Jan 2012	#45
The misuse of it's is really irritating. I think there is a 50% error rate.	pinniped	Jan 2012	#11
I sometimes think that the letter "s" should just get an apostrophe as part of the character.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#12
LOL....All Ss should receive an apostrophe. It actually doesn't look that bad.	pinniped	Jan 2012	#16
I think apostrophes should get apostrophes.	Lasher	Jan 2012	#19
I'm reminded of a certain sign.	TexasTowelie	Jan 2012	#13
All of them.	REP	Jan 2012	#14
Used to drive me nuts, however,	HERVEPA	Jan 2012	#66
"Though" has a sort of quaint retro charm, sets you	dimbear	Jan 2012	#15
then vs. than. Rather then explain I give this example.	limpyhobbler	Jan 2012	#17
People put apostrophe's in the wrong place's!	UrbScotty	Jan 2012	#20
Could care less	tjwmason	Jan 2012	#21
Maybe Americans just care too much?	rucky	Jan 2012	#26
I've heard it claimed that it's "ironic"	muriel_volestrangler	Jan 2012	#30
Not being an english major, I'm never sure	UnrepentantLiberal	Jan 2012	#23
Don't they teach that in elementary school?	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#76
Was that directed at me?	UnrepentantLiberal	Jan 2012	#86
Pretty sure it was.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#93
LOL	UnrepentantLiberal	Jan 2012	#94
Proud anti-intellectuals that try to launder their ignorance	Populist_Prole	Jan 2012	#24
Your ellipsis is getting away from you. n/t	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#77
That's easy: people misspelling my name, of course!	LeftishBrit	Jan 2012	#25
I've never had that problem.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#78
Although other people's mistakes do irritate me ...	surrealAmerican	Jan 2012	#27
'could of'/'would of'	muriel_volestrangler	Jan 2012	#29
The word "lose" spelled "loose." nt	raccoon	Jan 2012	#31
AMEN!	Adsos Letter	Jan 2012	#88
"For all intensive purposes"	Shrek	Jan 2012	#32
I ain't never used none impropular englishes.	HopeHoops	Jan 2012	#33
Never.	Swede	Jan 2012	#34
there/their	no_hypocrisy	Jan 2012	#35
The use of the subjective form of a personal pronoun as the object of a preposition.	Iggo	Jan 2012	#36
When you breathe you are taking a breath.	yellerpup	Jan 2012	#37
Oh so many....	1gobluedem	Jan 2012	#38
Incorrect use of "I" vs. "me"	cyberswede	Jan 2012	#39
Yep, yep, yep.	Iggo	Jan 2012	#43
Marshall Law	MadrasT	Jan 2012	#40
None really. I guess it depends on the situation.	bigwillq	Jan 2012	#41
"cut and dry"	geardaddy	Jan 2012	#42
Yea for yeah.	rrneck	Jan 2012	#46
ya	Kali	Jan 2012	#53
Or maybe german "ja" short for "jawohl". Pronounced "yah"?	rrneck	Jan 2012	#55
yeah, that's true	Kali	Jan 2012	#58
All this thumb typing	rrneck	Jan 2012	#65
The vast majority of my posts on DU are typed with my thumbs.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#80
I have to do it one fingered.	rrneck	Jan 2012	#83
Like they say, practice makes perfect.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#84
"The floor needs swept."	cyberswede	Jan 2012	#47
A few funny ones...	Glorfindel	Jan 2012	#48
My grade school teacher taught me, "The Principal is your pal."	Iggo	Jan 2012	#70
then/than, affect/effect	Kali	Jan 2012	#49
Corn Beef, Ice Tea, Tooth Comb....	PassingFair	Jan 2012	#50
its and it's	treestar	Jan 2012	#51
It's page 1 of Strunk and White	pokerfan	Jan 2012	#57
all the person has to do is ask whether the contraction applies	treestar	Jan 2012	#68
Using "to go" instead of "to say"	KansDem	Jan 2012	#54
"could care less"	sibelian	Jan 2012	#56
I can't figure out what punctuation to use at the end of a subject line.	siligut	Jan 2012	#59
to waiter: "I'll GET a cheeseburger and fries"	grasswire	Jan 2012	#60
Next question: How many people here have been/are paid to correct errors like these?	grasswire	Jan 2012	#61
Me!	geardaddy	Jan 2012	#69
Only one: "literally" when it's not.	hunter	Jan 2012	#62
I literally died when I read that.	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#81
Nuclear as "nucular"	Initech	Jan 2012	#63
	UnrepentantLiberal	Jan 2012	#64
When Obama was first elected I used to joke	Initech	Jan 2012	#106
The husband left me a note the other day...	Wait Wut	Jan 2012	#67
LOL!	cherokeeprogressive	Jan 2012	#91
I love hanging out with teachers.	Wait Wut	Jan 2012	#100
As a former copy editor, I could write a list of grammar and spelling errors	RebelOne	Jan 2012	#71
"try and" for "try to"	treestar	Jan 2012	#72
Could of, would of, should of ...	eppur_se_muova	Jan 2012	#75
moot/mute	riderinthestorm	Jan 2012	#79
to instead of too	mrs_p	Jan 2012	#82
If I can understand it, I'm good.	jobycom	Jan 2012	#85
In addition to all of the above	kimi	Jan 2012	#87
I know it is stupid, but using hung instead of hanged	Digit	Jan 2012	#89
"Tough road to hoe".	cherokeeprogressive	Jan 2012	#90
Loose when they meant Lose n/t	renie408	Jan 2012	#92
No matter how hard I try, I can't spell definatly right	Inchworm	Jan 2012	#95
It's based on the word "finite" (meaning "limited").	Iggo	Jan 2012	#97
They don't irk me half as much as the Grammar Nazis.	hobbit709	Jan 2012	#96
But they knows English gooder than the rest of us! nt	WolverineDG	Jan 2012	#98
A superiority complex	pintobean	Jan 2012	#99
Because correcting people on their grammar is exactly like genocide, right?	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#102
whatever you say.	hobbit709	Jan 2012	#103
Authoritarian streak?	laconicsax	Jan 2012	#104
Between HIM and I (Many, many, many make this error...even supposedly intelligent people) nt	Laura PourMeADrink	Jan 2012	#101
The common errors bother me	laundry_queen	Jan 2012	#105
"close with" instead of "close to"	jcboon	Jan 2012	#107
Thank goodness I had a Catholic school education	blueamy66	Jan 2012	#108

Response to laconicsax (Original post)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 12:54 AM

The Velveteen Ocelot (34,730 posts)

1. Throwing in apostrophes where they don't belong.

You use an apostrophe to indicate possessive, not plural! Drives me nuts.

A few more:

"I could care less." NO. You couldn't care less. If you could care less, it implies you do care. You are trying to say you don't care at all; that is, you couldn't care less.

"Your" instead of "you're." "Your" is the possessive of "you." "You're" is the contraction of "you are." They are not interchangeable.

Same goes for their/they're/there and it's/its.

"Bated breath" is correct; "baited breath" is wrong.

Misuse of lay/lie. Lay is a transitive verb; lie is intransitive.

Loose instead of lose.

Phenomena as a singular noun is wrong - phenomena is plural; phenomenon is singular.

Kudos is singular - there's no such thing as a kudo (kudos is Greek for praise or honor).

There are a lot more but I can't think of them all right now.

What spelling/grammar errors really irritate you?

1. Throwing in apostrophes where they don't belong.

2. Absence of an apostrophe can indicate possessive.

22. You beat me to it.

74. "I could care less" is meant to be said in a thoroughly sarcastic tone.

73. Yes, lay, lie are so totally misused.

109. That is my biggest peeve, too.

3. irregardless

5. Argh!

9. Ah

18. in the same vane I would say "making ends meat"

52. "Blimp on the radar"? That's a good one!

4. I definately have never thought of this.

6. definitely n/t

7. to, too, two

8. , and they're. n/t

10. laundrymat, double is, and impact as a verb

28. Double "hads" too!

44. do do

45. Your "double is" is a type of

11. The misuse of it's is really irritating. I think there is a 50% error rate.

12. I sometimes think that the letter "s" should just get an apostrophe as part of the character.

16. LOL....All Ss should receive an apostrophe. It actually doesn't look that bad.

19. I think apostrophes should get apostrophes.

13. I'm reminded of a certain sign.

14. All of them.

66. Used to drive me nuts, however,

15. "Though" has a sort of quaint retro charm, sets you

17. then vs. than. Rather then explain I give this example.

20. People put apostrophe's in the wrong place's!

21. Could care less

26. Maybe Americans just care too much?

30. I've heard it claimed that it's "ironic"

23. Not being an english major, I'm never sure

76. Don't they teach that in elementary school?

86. Was that directed at me?

93. Pretty sure it was.

94. LOL

24. Proud anti-intellectuals that try to launder their ignorance

77. Your ellipsis is getting away from you. n/t

25. That's easy: people misspelling my name, of course!

78. I've never had that problem.

27. Although other people's mistakes do irritate me ...

29. 'could of'/'would of'

31. The word "lose" spelled "loose." nt

88. AMEN!

32. "For all intensive purposes"

33. I ain't never used none impropular englishes.

34. Never.

35. there/their

36. The use of the subjective form of a personal pronoun as the object of a preposition.

37. When you breathe you are taking a breath.

38. Oh so many....

39. Incorrect use of "I" vs. "me"

43. Yep, yep, yep.

40. Marshall Law

41. None really. I guess it depends on the situation.

42. "cut and dry"

46. Yea for yeah.

53. ya

55. Or maybe german "ja" short for "jawohl". Pronounced "yah"?

58. yeah, that's true

65. All this thumb typing

80. The vast majority of my posts on DU are typed with my thumbs.

83. I have to do it one fingered.

84. Like they say, practice makes perfect.

47. "The floor needs swept."

48. A few funny ones...

70. My grade school teacher taught me, "The Principal is your pal."

49. then/than, affect/effect

50. Corn Beef, Ice Tea, Tooth Comb....

51. its and it's

57. It's page 1 of Strunk and White

68. all the person has to do is ask whether the contraction applies

54. Using "to go" instead of "to say"

56. "could care less"

59. I can't figure out what punctuation to use at the end of a subject line.

60. to waiter: "I'll GET a cheeseburger and fries"

61. Next question: How many people here have been/are paid to correct errors like these?

69. Me!