I’ve always found this one annoying, too. There are countless other examples of phrases that people simply utter without really thinking about what they’re saying, but this one is the worst offender.
But this isn’t my personal biggest pet peeve in US English. The phrase I really hate is “a whole ‘nother.” People say this all the time — I even say it myself once in a while — but if you really think about it, it’s not even possible to properly write it. And it just sounds so damn hickish. I used to think it was a Kansas thing, but people up here in the Northwest say it, too.
http://spandg.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-biggest-english-peeve.html
001 // Brian Ford // 10.08.2007 // 12:41 PM
I certainly cringe about a few things (anyways instead of anyway, for one) but I try not to correct people unless I’m doing it in order to be a dick to someone I know fairly well.
What I hate more than any particular US English issue is when people try and act all hoity-toity about their own perfection when I’ve never ever met a person who doesn’t get “something” consistently wrong. Usually, the people who are the most likely to jump on someone else for one particular pet peeve are the same people who mangle the language in countless other ways.
Correcting grammar is just another way for some people to feel superior.
But, that’s a whole ‘nother story.
002 // Andrew Ingram // 10.08.2007 // 6:53 PM
This is my favourite site in the whole world: http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors
I read it from time-to-time it’s amazing what I’ve learned from it.
003 // Gez // 10.08.2007 // 8:10 PM
How weird to have you link to my little hobby blog when I’ve seen you speak on web standards and follow your twitters (my twitter id is GezD).
Anyway, despite being a bit of a self confessed grammar stickler, I agree with Brian that an individual’s lack of knowledge shouldn’t be used as a stick to beat them with and I too would usually only pick friends up on errors (much to their chagrin).
We vent our frustrations on GrammarBlog and that seems to help, it’s a bit of fun, that’s all, I hope no one takes me seriously when I express a desire to firebomb a restaurant for writing “sandwiche’s” on their menu.
He is also right when he says everyone makes mistakes but if we ignore those mistakes we end up with phases like ‘I could care less’ becoming part of the common phrasebook.
004 // dotsara // 10.08.2007 // 8:38 PM
(Could you really care less? Well then why don’t you? Boo.)
My knee-jerk reaction to correct people’s grammar comes from being an English major, but I will say: I don’t do it most of the time. Unless they’re asking a usage question. Because otherwise, to Brian’s point: it comes off badly.
However… one of my favourite rants/lists is this: http://tomatonation.com/?p=578
005 // Dan Conner // 10.18.2007 // 9:10 AM
followed links about Erin McKean from today’s brief message and found this on her wikipedia entry.