Then/than gets me, every time. And yes, that’s what I was referencing, and yes, when I see it, my brain == that cartoon where a tightly wound spring inside a clock goes SPROING!!
Thanks for commenting and for filling out the poll – I have to say the answers I see there are relieving!
The absolute worst, though, was what inspired me to make this post:
“I have this thing about spelling and proper word structures. Some call it annoying and silly. Since I am a writer I find it inexplicably important to form a proper sentance.”
ARRRGH UNINTENTIONAL IRONY!!
Yes, I’m dead certain it wasn’t just self-aware wit.
I’m an English major. Thus, my rule is: DON’T SAY ANYTHING, IT IS OBNOXIOUS. But it breaks my brain EVERY TIME.
When people write “half to” instead of “have to” or “wreck havoc” instead of “wreak havoc” or any incorrect spelling… my brain automatically HAS to correct them. I can’t even edit a paper for content until I’ve corrected all the grammar, that’s ALWAYS the first thing I bring up.
I think it’s irresponsible to not know how to spell. Spelling is useful all the time, there’s no reason to not spell correctly. Am I lazy? yes, sometimes. I have certainly been known to spell “because” as “bcaues” or something like that and there are a few words I just can’t get right. But I have at least one friend who JUST CAN’T SPELL and never uses spell check and it drives me insane. She uses “pritty” and “concervative”. Frequently the difference is enough that I can’t even understand her anymore (not that those examples show that fully but it has happened). I thought it was just online writing but she sent me a paper to edit (only once, heh) and it was just as bad in the paper. She’s really smart! She just can’t spell at all.
My only rule about words is this: if you know what I meant, it doesn’t matter if I made up the word or its spelling. If the writing does not effectively communicate, then it should be improved upon. End of story. So if you dont know the difference between “affect” and “effect”, then I dont fucking know what you MEAN, and you need to LEARN the difference.
whew. yeah, I get worked up over this, especially because I never allow myself to complain about it. thanks.
It frustrates me most when it is clear that someone is not, at all, actually considering their words. Most of the time, they have no idea what those words they are using actually mean, and they’ve never considered using one word over another.
It’s kind of like living hand-to-mouth, literarily speaking.
see, it depends, though. if it were an intelligent friend, i would think, “typo.” if it’s your average idiot, i get pissy.
furthermore, how does one misspell I’m? if you’re referencing spelling it without the apostrophe, that’s just rigoddamndiculous.
the following also give me ulcers:
your/you’re
to/too
ad/add
lose/loose
then/than
affect/effect
…especially the first one.
Then/than gets me, every time. And yes, that’s what I was referencing, and yes, when I see it, my brain == that cartoon where a tightly wound spring inside a clock goes SPROING!!
Thanks for commenting and for filling out the poll – I have to say the answers I see there are relieving!
The absolute worst, though, was what inspired me to make this post:
“I have this thing about spelling and proper word structures. Some call it annoying and silly. Since I am a writer I find it inexplicably important to form a proper sentance.”
ARRRGH UNINTENTIONAL IRONY!!
Yes, I’m dead certain it wasn’t just self-aware wit.
I’m an English major. Thus, my rule is: DON’T SAY ANYTHING, IT IS OBNOXIOUS. But it breaks my brain EVERY TIME.
When people write “half to” instead of “have to” or “wreck havoc” instead of “wreak havoc” or any incorrect spelling… my brain automatically HAS to correct them. I can’t even edit a paper for content until I’ve corrected all the grammar, that’s ALWAYS the first thing I bring up.
I think it’s irresponsible to not know how to spell. Spelling is useful all the time, there’s no reason to not spell correctly. Am I lazy? yes, sometimes. I have certainly been known to spell “because” as “bcaues” or something like that and there are a few words I just can’t get right. But I have at least one friend who JUST CAN’T SPELL and never uses spell check and it drives me insane. She uses “pritty” and “concervative”. Frequently the difference is enough that I can’t even understand her anymore (not that those examples show that fully but it has happened). I thought it was just online writing but she sent me a paper to edit (only once, heh) and it was just as bad in the paper. She’s really smart! She just can’t spell at all.
My only rule about words is this: if you know what I meant, it doesn’t matter if I made up the word or its spelling. If the writing does not effectively communicate, then it should be improved upon. End of story. So if you dont know the difference between “affect” and “effect”, then I dont fucking know what you MEAN, and you need to LEARN the difference.
whew. yeah, I get worked up over this, especially because I never allow myself to complain about it. thanks.
“Half to” would just … arrrrgh-pop!
It frustrates me most when it is clear that someone is not, at all, actually considering their words. Most of the time, they have no idea what those words they are using actually mean, and they’ve never considered using one word over another.
It’s kind of like living hand-to-mouth, literarily speaking.
We’ll call it living slang-to-mouth.