Things you're shocked people don't know

[John Picard]

John Picard's example is a good illustration of people getting things the wrong way round, although I suppose that's a case of mixing up words which might sound the same rather than mixing up actua physical actions: I can never get my head round why people think that you can itch yourself instead of scratching yourself. "Will you itch my back?" Er, what? Similarly, the difference between lending and borrowing. "Can I lend a pen?" Yes, I'm sure you can, but they're really your pens so I'm not sure why you're asking me. Oh, you want to borrow one of my pens? Right. No.


Also, no one versus no-one makes me uncomfortable. I usually just write nobody and have it done with

I knew someone who used to say, "Hey -- borrow me a quarter."

 

[Odo You Didn't!]

John Picard's example is a good illustration of people getting things the wrong way round, although I suppose that's a case of mixing up words which might sound the same rather than mixing up actua physical actions: I can never get my head round why people think that you can itch yourself instead of scratching yourself. "Will you itch my back?" Er, what? Similarly, the difference between lending and borrowing. "Can I lend a pen?" Yes, I'm sure you can, but they're really your pens so I'm not sure why you're asking me. Oh, you want to borrow one of my pens? Right. No.


Also, no one versus no-one makes me uncomfortable. I usually just write nobody and have it done with

I knew someone who used to say, "Hey -- borrow me a quarter."

You can't see me but I'm tearing my hair out

 

[John Picard]

John Picard's example is a good illustration of people getting things the wrong way round, although I suppose that's a case of mixing up words which might sound the same rather than mixing up actua physical actions: I can never get my head round why people think that you can itch yourself instead of scratching yourself. "Will you itch my back?" Er, what? Similarly, the difference between lending and borrowing. "Can I lend a pen?" Yes, I'm sure you can, but they're really your pens so I'm not sure why you're asking me. Oh, you want to borrow one of my pens? Right. No.


Also, no one versus no-one makes me uncomfortable. I usually just write nobody and have it done with

I knew someone who used to say, "Hey -- borrow me a quarter."

You can't see me but I'm tearing my hair out

If you sat in my work area for a week, you'd literally go insane. You should hear what the so-called college graduates I work with say on a daily basis. Their writing skills are even worse. If you've watched King of the Hill -- well, Oklahoma is A LOT like that!

 

[Odo You Didn't!]

I knew someone who used to say, "Hey -- borrow me a quarter."

You can't see me but I'm tearing my hair out

If you sat in my work area for a week, you'd literally go insane. You should hear what the so-called college graduates I work with say on a daily basis. Their writing skills are even worse. If you've watched King of the Hill -- well, Oklahoma is A LOT like that!

I have seen King of the Hill

My old housemate says "I don't think I'll be avle." Yes, that's a v and not a b. She also says hyperchondriact. With a t. I understand that sometimes you hear a word and might understand what it means and not realise its exact spelling just by hearing it said, but man does it boil my pee! I also don't feel I can correct her without sounding like an insufferable know-it-all

 

[Roger Wilco]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbobnfaBhcg[/yt]

eta: seriously, that series of "competitive dad" youtube videos is the funniest fucking thing I've seen in a long time, Ì can't beölieve I've neverheard of this show.

 

[scotpens]

"Learn" and "teach" is one I've come across, as in "that will learn him" instead of "that will teach him". I agree it's...odd.

Not odd, just characteristic of the semi-illiterate. It's like saying "I stood in bed" instead of "I stayed in bed."

One thing that drives me nuts is people using principle when they mean principal, and vice versa. I mean, is it really that hard to remember which is which? Same for imply and infer, and flout and flaunt. "He boldly flaunted the law." Oh? What was he doing, waving a copy of the Constitution?

And, for the love of God, times and minus are NOT VERBS! You don't "minus" one number from another, you SUBTRACT it. You don't "times" one number by another, you MULTIPLY it.

 

[Odo You Didn't!]

Seriously, where do you people live that people are mixing up these words?

In my case, blame the standard of education in UK state-run schooling.

Well I know which is which and I went to state school so there's no excuse! These people are just lazy, thick, or an unhealthy combination of the two! I think some of the kids I went to school with thought it was cool to sound stupid or something. *shrugs*

 

[trampledamage]

Seriously, where do you people live that people are mixing up these words?

In my case, blame the standard of education in UK state-run schooling.

Well I know which is which and I went to state school so there's no excuse! These people are just lazy, thick, or an unhealthy combination of the two! I think some of the kids I went to school with thought it was cool to sound stupid or something. *shrugs*

I was taught English by a teacher who didn't know that the plural of roof is roofs. So, sometimes, you can blame the school.

 

[Trekker4747]

John Picard's example is a good illustration of people getting things the wrong way round, although I suppose that's a case of mixing up words which might sound the same rather than mixing up actua physical actions: I can never get my head round why people think that you can itch yourself instead of scratching yourself. "Will you itch my back?" Er, what? Similarly, the difference between lending and borrowing. "Can I lend a pen?" Yes, I'm sure you can, but they're really your pens so I'm not sure why you're asking me. Oh, you want to borrow one of my pens? Right. No.


Also, no one versus no-one makes me uncomfortable. I usually just write nobody and have it done with

I knew someone who used to say, "Hey -- borrow me a quarter."

I hear that on occasion. I see it as more of a figure of speech than the person actualy thinking that's a proper phrase.

 

[Starbreaker]

Seriously, where do you people live that people are mixing up these words?

There are lots of idiots out there. I've seen

BAKE SELL signs.


Here's something from the school newspaper where people can write in anonymous things... kind of like a gripe thing.

WHY WOULD THIS PAPER ALLOW TRASH TO E WRITTEN ABOUT PEOPLE TO HURT THEM OR PUT THERE JOBS ON THE LINE - YOU KNOW PEOPLE BELIEVE TRASH OVER THE TRUTH - PUT THE BIG WHEELS BELIEVE LIES OVER THE TRUTH

IF YOUR ARE GOING TO LIE ABOUT THE HOUSEKEEPERS - PLEASE COME SEE US AND LIE TO OUR FACE??? YOU KNOW WHERE WE STAY???

WHY WANT THE KIDS TELL HOW WE CLEAN UP AFTER THEM - BUT A LIE IS BETTER - DO SAY THESE LADIES CLEAN

 

[Amaris]

There are lots of idiots out there. I've seen

BAKE SELL signs.


Here's something from the school newspaper where people can write in anonymous things... kind of like a gripe thing.

WHY WOULD THIS PAPER ALLOW TRASH TO E WRITTEN ABOUT PEOPLE TO HURT THEM OR PUT THERE JOBS ON THE LINE - YOU KNOW PEOPLE BELIEVE TRASH OVER THE TRUTH - PUT THE BIG WHEELS BELIEVE LIES OVER THE TRUTH

IF YOUR ARE GOING TO LIE ABOUT THE HOUSEKEEPERS - PLEASE COME SEE US AND LIE TO OUR FACE??? YOU KNOW WHERE WE STAY???

WHY WANT THE KIDS TELL HOW WE CLEAN UP AFTER THEM - BUT A LIE IS BETTER - DO SAY THESE LADIES CLEAN

You can't exscape Starbreaker, our little walking libary.

 

[Timby]

And, for the love of God, times and minus are NOT VERBS! You don't "minus" one number from another, you SUBTRACT it. You don't "times" one number by another, you MULTIPLY it.

There's a variation on that, particularly notable on the Internet, which drives me bonkers.

Someone makes a post with an idea. People like it, and they immediately post things such as, "Thirded," "I'm fourthing that idea," etc.

God damn it. "Second" is a verb, meaning a formal statement of support for someone else's suggestion. Using other numbers as a verb? No. No. To all those who do this, die in a fire.

 

[Kestra]

There's a variation on that, particularly notable on the Internet, which drives me bonkers.

Someone makes a post with an idea. People like it, and they immediately post things such as, "Thirded," "I'm fourthing that idea," etc.

God damn it. "Second" is a verb, meaning a formal statement of support for someone else's suggestion. Using other numbers as a verb? No. No. To all those who do this, die in a fire.

Thirded.

 

[Amaris]

There's a variation on that, particularly notable on the Internet, which drives me bonkers.

Someone makes a post with an idea. People like it, and they immediately post things such as, "Thirded," "I'm fourthing that idea," etc.

God damn it. "Second" is a verb, meaning a formal statement of support for someone else's suggestion. Using other numbers as a verb? No. No. To all those who do this, die in a fire.

Thirded.

I'm fourthing that idea!

 

[Starbreaker]

I plead the fifth.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Sixty-Nined.

 

[AstroSmurf]

^ You kids are just mean.


And I admit that I will sometimes start typing a post on the interweb and forget what the proper spelling is for something. I love trying to use "everyday" for "every day". Of course it is never intentional. I just type waaaaay to fast and tend to be a little more interested in what I am saying rather than how I am saying it. Besides, I am usually posting something while doing about four different things. You kids are lucky you get punctuation half the time.

 

[scotpens]

Someone makes a post with an idea. People like it, and they immediately post things such as, "Thirded," "I'm fourthing that idea," etc.

I think that started as a bit of intentionally facetious wordplay. Like expressing agreement by saying "Me too!" and someone else says "Me three!" In other words, it's meant to be cute.

That reminds me of the very Groucho Marx-ish bit in Woody Allen's Love and Death:

— "Her seconds will call on you."

— "Seconds? I never gave her seconds."

— "My seconds will call on your seconds."

— "My seconds will be out. Have them call on my thirds. If my thirds are out, go to my fourths."

 

[Timby]

There's a variation on that, particularly notable on the Internet, which drives me bonkers.

Someone makes a post with an idea. People like it, and they immediately post things such as, "Thirded," "I'm fourthing that idea," etc.

God damn it. "Second" is a verb, meaning a formal statement of support for someone else's suggestion. Using other numbers as a verb? No. No. To all those who do this, die in a fire.

Thirded.

You are a bad, bad person. Why do you hate me so?

 

[TorontoTrekker]

"Learn" and "teach" is one I've come across, as in "that will learn him" instead of "that will teach him". I agree it's...odd.

I've always assumed that that was another figure of speech - I know I've used it while being fully aware that "learn" is not meant to be used that way. It's like when I say to a friend, "I are smrt." (That's not a typo - when I say that, I'm not pronouncing the 'a'.) I know what I'm saying, and that it's wrong - but I'm saying it that way to achieve a certain effect. (Speaking of effect, people need to learn the difference between "effect" and "affect"! Argh.)

My old housemate says "I don't think I'll be avle." Yes, that's a v and not a b. She also says hyperchondriact. With a t. I understand that sometimes you hear a word and might understand what it means and not realise its exact spelling just by hearing it said, but man does it boil my pee! I also don't feel I can correct her without sounding like an insufferable know-it-all

There was a commercial here a while ago for Interac, which is our inter-bank system that allows you to use your ATM card at machines owned by other banks. People often call it "Interact", so the commercial specifically says, "Interac. Without the 't'." Since it's printed on the ATM machines and on the cards, I'm not sure why people keep making that mistake.