It's 'whine' not 'whinge'

[Miss Chicken]

I think I have improved my grammar by participating in such threads. It has been a long time since I was at school and I have forgotten some of the rules.

 

[RoJoHen]

The one I hate the most is when people use an apostrophe in a plural such as saying

I bought some DVD's today.

An apostrophe "s" is acceptable when used to pluralize an abbreviation or acronym. It seperates the "s" from the abbreviation.

I'm sorry, but no.

It's like when people put an apostrophe in "1990's" when referring to that decade. It's just wrong.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Have any of these topics complaining about grammar or spelling ever worked out? Either it's an acceptable alternate spelling from another country, or the people claiming to be experts wind up disagreeing, with both sides having legitimate arguments. I've yet to see one of these topics come to a definitive conclusion on anything.

Maybe people need to not be so rigid when it comes to language and realize it's a constantly changing thing.

No, there are definitely mistakes-- and general low standards-- when it comes to spelling and grammar. Words have correct spellings, so to not use them is wrong. Phrases that are contradictory or nonsensical or grammatically unsupportable-- like "could of" or "could care less" or "wrecking havoc"-- are wrong. Some aren't necessarily grammatically wrong, but lack a certain logical accuracy-- liked "based off" instead of "based on."

Of course there are incorrect spellings and grammatical errors, but that wasn't my point. My point was when it comes to starting threads or debates within threads that seek to correct those mistakes, whether real or imagined, TrekBBSers have a pretty lousy batting average. Maybe they need to lighten up a bit and go with the flow if they can easily comprehend what the person is saying, or at the very least do a little research into what they're correcting before they start a topic or debate about it.

Generally, one of three things happens in these discussions from what I've observed:

1) You pull a Trekker, in which case you constantly correct people while inevitably making one or more mistakes of your own in the same post. It never fails.

2) One person who claims to be an expert winds up arguing with another person who claims to be an expert, and often both of them are right according to their preferred rulebook or prior schooling. There was a debate about the use of "and" to start a sentence in TNZ just the other day where both sides were technically correct. You can see that going on in this very thread in a few instances.

3) The word or grammatical error is not actually an error at all, but simply a regional or language difference, or perhaps recent slang that has entered the vernacular, in which case you'll often wind up with someone saying a variation of "You Yanks think the whole world revolves around you" or "You Brits talk funny."

I just think people here get way too hung up on grammar and spelling errors that they are more often than not wrong about.

Oh, certainly, all that is true and it does obfuscate the issue. And there's also the problem of people who actually seem to take pride in their low standards and act as if being right is a personality deficit. I come from a family of those.

 

[Trekker4747]

This SITE mostly backs both of us up.

Somewhere else I read said to use the "'s" for plural where the abbreviation is being used as a noun.



I give it pass on things like "DVD's" but it drives me up the wall when people use an apostrophe to pluralize a regular word.

 

[RoJoHen]

This SITE mostly backs both of us up.

It actually seems to clearly back ME up (I'm a little drunk, so I could be wrong).

An exception can also be made for numbers and abbreviations, although some consider this old fashioned, illogical and unnecessary.

• "I bought many CD's in the 1990's." Incorrect.
• "I bought many CDs in the 1990s." Correct.

Where is my copy of "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White?

 

[Trekker4747]

This SITE mostly backs both of us up.

It actually seems to clearly back ME up (I'm a little drunk, so I could be wrong).

An exception can also be made for numbers and abbreviations, although some consider this old fashioned, illogical and unnecessary.

• "I bought many CD's in the 1990's." Incorrect.
• "I bought many CDs in the 1990s." Correct.

Where is my copy of "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White?

It says right there "An exception can also be made for numbers and abbreviations though some consider this old fashioned..."

Then goes on to show, presumably, the correct style.

Anyway, as I said, a pass should be given for "DVD's" and maybe "1990's" but certainly not something like "I ate a bunch of carrot's today!"

 

[RoJoHen]

I guess I was focusing more on the "illogical and unnecessary" part that you just left out.

 

[John Picard]

Oh! "Seperate".

The one I hate the most is when people use an apostrophe in a plural such as saying

I bought some DVD's today.

An apostrophe "s" is acceptable when used to pluralize an abbreviation or acronym. It seperates the "s" from the abbreviation.

 

[Jadzia]

I put apostrophes where I want them. I don't really have rules. Whether it's right or wrong, I tend to use them with numbers and acronyms: 1980's, DVD's, because I think it adds visual clarity.

And while we're on the subject of Klingons, they don't put apostrophes in funny places do they?

K'Vort
M'Char
Ch'Tang
K'mpec

 

[captcalhoun]

that's a glottal stop.

 

[CorporalClegg]

that's a glottal stop.

I think they should be banned from all science fiction writing for five years.

"Hey, we need an alien sounding name."

"What about B'ob?"

"Perfect!"

 

[RoJoHen]

I put apostrophes where I want them. I don't really have rules. Whether it's right or wrong, I tend to use them with numbers and acronyms: 1980's, DVD's, because I think it adds visual clarity.

Unfortunately, it actually makes things more confusing for those of us following the rules.

 

[Sakrysta]

The thing most annoying me right now is not a spelling or punctuation or grammar error - it's a pronunciation.

Every time Jack Bauer says the word "nucular" I want to throw something at the screen. How I wish Kiefer Sutherland had a friend who would gently pull him aside and explain how ignorant he sounds whenever he mispronounces "nuclear."

 

[backstept]

NOOKA LER

 

[John Picard]

NOOKA LER

"UNLEASH THE ATOMICS!!!!"

 

[JustKate]

I think I'm one of the culprits but I am British so I don't have to feel like such a prat about it. (I have just checked the post in question and I did do it)
I have to use my spellchecker on every single post of mine in order to catch the major errors in spelling. My grammar,alas, is a different issue altogether. (I think there is one grammatical error in that sentence but I can not be sure).

Not in that one there's not.

Still as long as we are all mature and understanding about how people write, none of us will become right gits about it.

See, we Brits still have something to offer to the English language, even if it is only the swear words.

Ooh, yes, git is a great one, too, as is berk and clot (neither of which have I seen very often, but I long to!).

I love whinge - it's a fabulous word. I only wish somebody would graft it into American English so I could use it and nobody would think I was misspelling whine. Also prat. British English has a real gift for describing irritating/stupid people.

Graft away. We definitely need those words in circulation.

I have that power? Cool! When did that happen?

 

[captcalhoun]

what about codswallop? that's a great word. and people whinging about people using the word 'whinge' are talking codswallop.

 

[ITL]

what about codswallop? that's a great word. and people whinging about people using the word 'whinge' are talking codswallop.

A useful word in an argument, to be sure:

"You don't half talk a load of old codswallop, you great spawny-eyed parrot-faced wazzock!" and so on.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I'm a big fan of the word hornswoggle, and try and work it into conversation wherever possible (admittedly, not often).

I think people wouldn't feel as bad if they were taken in by Nigerian email hornswogglers, for example. It makes the scamming more whimsical.

 

[cultcross]

"crosspatch" is another word of great usefulness that is sadly languishing as a British regionalism.

Someone who is being grumpy or short-tempered is a crosspatch.