May
Wording Pet Peeves
Before I get started, I want to state up front that I’m not a Grammar Queen. I’m not sure I could diagram a sentence and sometimes I screw up my tenses. But I’ve got the basics down (I think, I hope) and I really hate it if I send an email or do a post with some blatant error in it. This usually occurs when I’m rushing and don’t proof.
This isn’t true of everyone. I think there are a good number of people out there who are either lacking in basic writing skills or just plain lazy. That’s why I’m bringing up my favorite wording pet peeves. And, I’d like you to chime in with yours. Because I’m sure that we share many of the common irritations. And it’s always fun to find common ground with new friends.
I’ll start with the BIG THREE:
1. Their, There and They’re. These have to be the most misused words in the English language.
2. Your, You’re- There are SIGNS for businesses that use this incorrectly.
3. Its and It’s- Knowing when to use which one is key.
Everyone who offers one pet wording peeve will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of When She Was Bad.
And, in case you’re interested, my current book, One Night Stand, takes up where When She Was Bad left off.
I couldn’t even TRY to pass myself off as a grammar queen but I do have my pet peeves! The three you listed are right there at the top of the list but I also tend to get annoyed with common word mistakes (although I know I’m a culprit on many of them).
These drive me the craziest:
May 13th, 2008 at 7:39 amaffect/effect
everyone/every one
awhile/a while
Here are a couple that get to me:
May 13th, 2008 at 8:57 amno/know
principle/principal
My biggest pet peeve is a phrase: “I could care less.” I just want to scream, “COULDN’T. COULDN’T care less.”
May 13th, 2008 at 10:20 amAlex — I used to be the worst when it came to that phrase! I actually never really thought about the fact that I was saying it wrong until my mom revealed that it was a pet peeve of hers. I finally started catching myself when I said it and now it seems I might have fixed my bad habit!
Random… I always thought the phrase was “for all intensive purposes” until I worked for a publishing house and realized that it’s “for all intents and purposes.” Oops!
May 13th, 2008 at 10:33 amA lot is two words. I hate it when people use it as one word. I also cringe when people confuse lose and loose.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:52 pmI think most of my peeves have already been mentioned. Oh, apart from one - the use of the word gotten. I hate “gotten”. This is a country thing - I know it’s correct in the US, but it’s not a word down here in NZ. My English teacher wouldn’t even let us use “got” in a sentence. I still wince every time I see this word because of her stern lectures.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:23 pmThrough, threw
Sell, sale, sail
I’ve caught myself a few times not paying attention and typed one while meaning the other.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:03 pmI guess “alright” has become all right, but I don’t like it. And “anyways” for anyway drives me crazy.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:42 pmI think it’s a bit easier for my to find some pet peeves, because English isn’t my native language. Here are some:
May 14th, 2008 at 11:26 amthen-than
no-now-know
off-of
Stephanie J,
You’re my winner. Email me from my website http://www.cindykirk.com and let me know your mailing address and I’ll send you a copy of When She Was Bad!
Thanks to all who commented
May 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pm