Do The Spelling And Grammatical Errors On DU Bother You?

[THUNDER HANDS]

Are you a grammar Nazi?

Do you get bent out of shape by misspellings?

Or do you just figure that, hey, its a public message board - not a 8th grade English exam?

[AntiSmirk]

1. Know Knot Rilly

[swag]

2. Stupid poll, looser.

[kick-ass-bob]

3. I said 'no' but...

only if they are typos.
"loose" drives me nuts...
:crazy:

[trotsky]

4. The term "Grammar Nazi" bothers me even more.

n/t

[fugue]

12. It bothers me, too

Grammar exists for a reason. Language is a clumsy tool at best, but unless the human race becomes universally telepathic, it's the best we'll be able to do. Grammar helps keep language in usable shape as a means of communication.

There's nothing I hate more than the comeback "Oh, you know what I meant." Obviously I did, or I would not have been able to correct the person's grammar. If the person is not careful, however, the next time I may well not know what they meant. The writer's observation, although true, is entirely irrelevant.

(For those who would jump on me for using "they" as the third-person singular indeterminate: until the Victorian age, "they" was the correct pronoun for this purpose. The Victorians got bent out of shape because "they" is plural and insisted on "he." I think we need to reject this along with many of their other mistaken notions and return to our language's roots. I proudly use "they" for the third-person singular indeterminate.)

[trotsky]

15. Well put.

Thank you for stating that. Clear and precise communications are not a fascist plot; they are necessary for society itself. It is no exaggeration to say that wars have been fought over miscommunication.

(BTW - I always try to use "they" as well - I first read about it in Rosalie Maggio's Bias-Free Word Finder. A great reference!)

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. I didn't mean any offense by it

I didn't even know the term until I was a writer on my college newspaper and the copy editor referred to herself as a 'grammar nazi.'

If you'd prefer, I'll use the term 'grammar Bush' from now on. :D

[clydefrand]

5. Grammatical errors?

I must tell you that my English professor in '59 told her students that there is no such thing as "grammatical errors". Her reasoning? The word grammatical means correct usage; therefore, one can not have grammatical errors. But one can have errors in grammar!

I have always remembered those words. Do you think she was correct or not? Just asking.

Here's what dictionary.com says:

1. Of or relating to grammar.
2. Conforming to the rules of grammar: a grammatical sentence.

Taking the second definition above, then one can not have a grammatical error if one conforms to the rules of grammar.

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. ah

very tru

;)

[BOSSHOG]

8. Fond memories of English Teachers

My lasting memory from Her; Never say "I don't think." As in I don't think we are there yet.

[BOSSHOG]

6. I've discovered that most Grammar Nazis

type on glass keyboards. I strongly urge my fellow DUers to proof your posts before you send them and do not use spellcheck. Keep a dictionary by your computer and use it.

[qb]

9. Grammar Schmammar. Just tell me what you think.

If I can make out the meaning, it's fine with me.

[alpizzy]

10. No...

it would bother me on a Midterm not on a forum. We're all busy and in a hurry ...mistakes happen. So what. I'm not looking for perfection here, the content is more important. I have much bigger issues to stress about.

[Philostopher]

11. The so-called 'grammatical error' that bothers me the most ...

is when people use 'Democrat' as an adjective. But it doesn't bother me because I'm a pedant so much as because it's either a Dem who's steeped too long in right-wing talking points or one of the six or seven fourteen-year-olds over at FR who hasn't figured out the nuances of political language yet and thinks it's okay. Makes my 'alert' trigger finger itchy.

The rest of it only bothers me occasionally -- and no more here than it does when I see the same errors go on day after day in real life, among well-educated people who should know better. But if I had kittens every time I saw somebody make an error like that, I wouldn't be able to walk through the house.

[LiberalEsto]

13. It's not Moran, it's Moron, you Morons!

There. Now I feel better.
As an English major, writer and sometime proofreader, I can't begin to tell you how irritated this particular misspelling makes me.

[RebelOne]

14. Would someone please post the moran photo?

It's misspelled intentionally.

[madrchsod]

19. it`s moran

you haven`t seen the photo?

[blondeatlast]

25. Anyone have the famous photo handy? nt

[jus_the_facts]

16. NO.....but * 'isms make me wanna.....

*projectile* :puke:

:hi: Dahlin'! :hug:

[madrchsod]

18. pell check

and edi are really what/cool? sure helps me ceck ny post`s befo i submit.

[DrZeeLit]

20. Yes... BUT... when Kerry wins, I'm taking a pledge...

...and giving up my Grammar Nazi title.

We'll all see how many days I can go without correcting someone's grammar or spelling.

I promise.
(I'm gnawing my knuckle)

Kerry On!

[kick-ass-bob]

27. Yes! I can't wait until Bush looses!!

:evilgrin:

[DrZeeLit]

32. Hey! No grammar mistakes! I said AFTER Kerry wins, so...

... I can't be held responsible until that even occurs.

So, stop with the LOOSE LOSERS, eh?

Kerry On!

[LDS Jock]

21. No, why get upset over something like that?

Save your anger for something important.

[sister moon]

22. It doesn't bother me

half as much as pompous windbags and those who feel the need to parade their self importance and moral/spiritual/intellectual superiority around in front of an audience. I just want to poke them in the eye.

[blondeatlast]

23. I'm an ex-HS English teacher, and they don't bother me,

as long as they are understandable.

Near complete lack of punctuation, however, drives me nuts as it makes posts almost totally incoherent.

A period just once or twice helps so much!

[redqueen]

24. It used to bother me

but I've become a little more laid back about this recently.

[kick-ass-bob]

28. I've helped you with that, haven't I?

Your welcome.

:evilgrin:

[redqueen]

34. No, you haven't.

:P

[kick-ass-bob]

35. then your knot welcome.

:grr:

[Simon Le Bon]

26. Yeah.

Most people should be able to pass an eighth grade English exam.

[jukes]

29. must more important

things to worry abowt!

[Wat_Tyler]

30. Yeah. If anyone has any spelling mistakes, they go on ignore.

I'm not intolerant, I just can't be bothered by morons. :D

[dr.strangelove]

31. Grammer Nazi's piss I off

If you wanna use slang, jus' do it. If you want to use ALL CAPS, all lowercase, a mIxTUrE of both with or without any punctuation marks go ahead and do it. Feal frey to tipe wiht missspelins two.

[hyphenate]

33. My greatest beef with misspellings

and bad grammar is that people who do it on a regular basis will continue to spell those words incorrectly, and will never really know how to spell them correctly. It's deteriorating the English language to the point where communication on a higher level will be degenerated.

On the other hand, however, this is not a formal mode of communication, and there doesn't need to be a set grammar rules as closely guarded as a schoolroom, and I, for one, do not worry about typos. Some "street language" (as with "z" instead of "s") doesn't bother me, because it's obvious that's what it is, and rules are different for that kind of slang. However, if someone is attempting to do a serious Op-Ed piece, or writing in a more serious tone, I prefer to see that they know what they are doing in terms of their grammar and spelling.

[MissMillie]

36. Yes, it bothers me

but not enough for me to ever call anyone on it.