Thank you, thank you for continuing to send me your grammar/punctuation/word usage pet peeves. Here are ten more to discuss:
- If you don’t like the word snuck as the past tense of sneak, sorry. It is a word and a legitimate past tense of sneak. However, sneaked is also good and probably preferred.
- You can converse with someone. If you do, you have a conversation. However, you do not conversate. Conversate is not a word, fancy as it might sound.
- Someone sent me a video of an Australian politician (I believe she was a politician) who made up a word: utteration. The verb is to utter. The noun is utterance, not utteration.
- Less and fewer are still used incorrectly everywhere to the point that the distinction is fading away from the English language. People tend to use less pretty much all the time, even when fewer is correct. The rule is simple: Use fewer for plural nouns or things that can be counted: I have fewer dresses since I cleaned my closet. Use less for singular nouns and things that cannot be counted: There is less sugar in these cookies than in the ones I made. There. Simple!
- We often hear people use the phrase “graduate high school.” There should be a preposition in there: “graduate from high school.” You are not graduating the high school. Graduate is usually an intransitive verb (no direct object). However, you can use graduate with an object: The college graduated 300 students last week. You can see the difference in usage between the two examples.
- Many people have a problem with the phrase “no problem.” When someone thanks you for doing something, you can say, “You’re welcome” rather than “No problem.” Even worse: “No problemo.”
- Someone asked me why those meetings that citizens are now having with their representatives are called “town halls” rather than “town hall meetings.” I don’t know, but that seems to be the phrase that is used. I would assume the reason is that one is shorter than the other.
- Apparently the non-word brung is still around. The correct word is, of course, brought: bring, brought, have brought.
- Do you know Chester Drawers? Well, neither do I, but many people (probably including me many, many years ago) refer to him when talking about that large piece of furniture that holds your clothes. The correct term is chest of drawers, which is exactly what it is.
- I was suppose to go to the bank today, but I forgot. The correct phrase is supposed to. Same with use to: it is used to.
Keep your annoyances coming; I love to hear about them, and I learn new things!
Next week: By request, a couple of words often misused these days.
Grammar Diva News
I am finishing up my latest book, The Best Little Dictionary of Confused Words and Malapropisms. It will be out this summer.
What about the use of the verb, “curate” to mean to edit a word or to choose very carefully the elements of an assembled item to, in fact, create this object. The verb, “curate,” should only be used in the context of building exhibits for museums and, yet, individuals in non-museum disciplines are using this word. I see and read it all the time, including on the radio.
I believe the meaning of “curate” has been extended lately. The dictionary does add this definition, and I have definitely heard social media experts talk about curating information for posts: “to pull together, sift through, and select for presentation, as music or website content”
I’m not sure if my comment about the word “cliche” registered here with your blog. People often declare that some situation or statement is “so cliche,” but it’s not. It is, of course, “cliched,” given that “cliche” is a noun being used in an adjectival sense. I hear the incorrect usage of the word frequently, even among the media.
Yup. Much of what we hear in the media is not quite right. Perhaps “so cliche” has become an idiomatic expression, but you are right. It should be cliched. Cliche is a noun, not an adjective.
“Conversate” IS a word–one with a history that goes back a long, long way: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/is-conversate-a-real-word
This doesn’t mean a person has to like “conversate” or–more important–use it. But the fact that “conversate” has been part of our language for longer than any of us have been alive should keep us from judging others who use it.
If I were still teaching and came across “conversate” in a paper, I would advise my student that SOME people will probably react negatively, as they do with other real words–such as “ain’t” or “gonna.” The careful writer needs to anticipate reactions. But that doesn’t mean not using a word just because it may displease readers.
Some of our greatest writers –for example, Shakespeare, Mailer, Salinger, Dick Gregory–have taken chances using new or nonstandard words. But these writers knew what they were doing.
So when encountering an oddity like “conversate,” before writing it or using it in conversation, weigh the consequences, but don’t embrace the false believe that it isn’t a word. If you do, count on the fact that some grumpy contrarian will look it up and prove the opposite.
Gonna is a word? I know ain’t is — and irregardless. OK. I believe you on conversate, but you are right. When writing something, keep in mind that some people will be unfamiliar with nonstandard words and may think they are not words. For example, my spell check has underlined conversate!
Whether or not it is grammatically incorrect, the use of the phrase “gifted me” makes me cringe. “I gifted my friend a new book.” “My friend gifted me an old bucket.” Wouldn’t the word “gave” work and sound better, and doesn’t the word “gifted” seem a bit pretentious? What is your stance?
I agree with you. However, gift can be used as a verb with an object. In your first example the direct object is book and the indirect object is my friend. I would prefer to use gift, however, as a noun and use the verb to give.
Thank you for being my mentor. I always check my knowledge of the English language with your fantastically written articles.
Thank you so much for the compliment. I try hard!
I’ve never used “Chester Drawers.” I’ve never even heard anyone use it. I refer to it as a “dresser.” or chest of drawers.” Maybe it’s an east coast thing?
No, I have native Californian friends who use it! I think it is just a misunderstanding of what the phrase really is and is has been mispronounced over and over again until people think that pronunciation is correct.
sorry if this is a duplicate–I have a problem when a speaker uses the phrase—if you have any questions, give myself a call.
Oh, I agree. That use of myself: Yuck! And wrong.
When did “year” join phrases like “10-year anniversary”? I see and hear it all the time. It’s redundant and incorrect, since “anniversary” comes from the Latin “annus” (year) and “versus” (turned).
Good point! And everyone says it! It does seem to be more common recently. 10th anniversary will do.
Are not, likewise, – ‘drives you nuts’ , ‘made me nuts’, so on, same way slang; not ‘cute’ though, in any sense ?!
Drive me nuts, etc., I would think is an accepted idiomatic phrase.
“It drive me nuts” sounds strange, though, no?
If you break it down it does sound strange. But then, many idioms do: pulling my leg? hit the hay? driving me up the wall?
Suppose and Happen have the same destiny . They sound right no matter how you use it.
ex: I happen to see it. I suppose I believed my eyes.
Thanks for the comment. Please explain further.
Re comment #1, what is the past tense of “sink”? It’s “sank,” right? So many people, often in print, say, “It sunk,” when they mean “it sank.” Same with “shrink” and “shrank,” not “shrunk” for past tense. Or have these incorrect words acquired acceptance because of their broad usage?
The past tense of sink is sank. The past participle (used with has, have, had, etc.) is sunk. It has sunk, but it sank. It shrank, but it has shrunk. For that one, however, you can you use have shrank or have shrunk. However, it shrunk is not right!
Umm, “broad usages” (incorrect, nevertheless) in popular culture have made phrases/titles like “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” sound normal/correct/acceptable. (But they still are not.)
But then there’s “To boldly go…” which helped make the split infinitive acceptable.
Yes, the language is evolving. And no – sometimes we do need to dig in our heels, and resist change.
It’s all about where you draw the line. And what’s not OK now, but will be OK in 1, 5, 10 years…
Sure makes it tough on us copyeditors/copy editors!
I agree with you, Rosina. Thanks for the comment. And we will dig in our heels! Or dig our heels in ? 🙂
Chester Drawers. Funny never thought of it. I have always said it too.
No problem, for thank you. Sounds flippant . It Used to bug me. Use and used another one like suppose and supposed right? But I slip up with no problem once in a while. My hubby says I gonna rather than I’m going to .
The slang sounds cute, but I am sure it drives you nuts!
I had students who wrote essays using gonna! Made me nuts, I hafta say!