Ways people crap on the English language online which bug the heck out of you...

[Spiffy]

We all make mistakes. We should start with admitting that.

Heck, I'm sure I've made several just in this one post.

That said, what are the mistakes you see OVER AND OVER again, the stuff which makes you wonder exactly how many English classes the writer text messaged their way through (ignoring the actual class, I mean)?

Here's one from me. I misuse apostrophes occasionally. Mostly leaving them out when sometimes they are needed. But I've seen a LOT of doozies with the reverse. Use of a possessive apostrophe in place of a simple plural.

For example, on another current topic elsewhere there's the appearance of the phrase "mini's". Describing multiple mini-series books. Not "minis" but "mini's". Like Mini is a person owning them. I found myself thinking... "the heck" for a moment, but then it occurred to me that I've seen this weird use of "apostrophe s" for a plural thousands of times over the past few years online.

So what are your online nitpicks?

[Dr Ray Palmer]

Originally Posted by Spiffy

Here's one from me. I misuse apostrophes occasionally. Mostly leaving them out when sometimes they are needed. But I've seen a LOT of doozies with the reverse. Use of a possessive apostrophe in place of a simple plural.

Yes, the apostrophe in the simple plural bugs me, but the one that I find even more unbelievable is the apostrophe in verbs ending in s. Or any word ending in s, really. Frequently these are all combined and you see crazy sentences like, "Geoff John's write's lot's of my favorite book's." What the hell?

My other biggest grammar pet peeve, which isn't confined to writing, is the misuse (or abuse) of the word "myself" when people don't know whether they should use "I" or "me," or because they think it sounds posh. Reality show contestants are the worst but I also hear it at work all the time. I want to scream every time I hear some pompous blowhard say, "Myself and Amber are in control of this situation," or "Please turn in your forms to Mary or myself." AIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!

[Michael P]

Two big ones for me, although pretty much every other common language-raping is tied for a close third.

First, the eternal "its/it's, your/you're, there/their/they're, to/too/two" thing. I understand that it's a common confusion, but that's exactly why teachers give it specific attention in school. And after a few decades of using the language under your belt, you should have a solid grasp of it. It's not like the words are rarely used or anything.

And the second is like it: I simply cannot stand shit like "u" for "you," "2" for "to" or "too," "r" for "are," and so forth. It's childish and annoying. Unless you're a dog who's been turned into a cyborg killing machine by the army, type out the full fucking word, you lazy bastard.

Originally Posted by Dr Ray Palmer

My other biggest grammar pet peeve, which isn't confined to writing, is the misuse (or abuse) of the word "myself" when people don't know whether they should use "I" or "me," or because they think it sounds posh. Reality show contestants are the worst but I also hear it at work all the time. I want to scream every time I hear some pompous blowhard say, "Myself and Amber are in control of this situation," or "Please turn in your forms to Mary or myself." AIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!

"Allow myself to introduce... myself."

For similar reasons, I dislike Americans who use "whilst" in the place of "while" in an attempt to look sophisticated. You're not Eric Idle, pal, and you never will be; you're a Midwestern neckbeard who's letting me know he lacks an actual personality.

[diana_fan]

Originally Posted by Michael P

For similar reasons, I dislike Americans who use "whilst" in the place of "while" in an attempt to look sophisticated. You're not Eric Idle, pal, and you never will be; you're a Midwestern neckbeard who's letting me know he lacks an actual personality.

Wait ... what?!

I've lived in the United States my whole life, and have probably heard/read "whilst" less than a handful of times.

Americans actually do that?

[hangmanjury]

"could of" or "should of".

I'm sorry, but I'm a Filipino, and there's no way to my ears that "of" sounds like "have."

[Michael P]

Originally Posted by diana_fan

Wait ... what?!

I've lived in the United States my whole life, and have probably heard/read "whilst" less than a handful of times.

Americans actually do that?

Stupid dorks do, yes. As such, it's much more common online than in real life.

Originally Posted by hangmanjury

"could of" or "should of".

I'm sorry, but I'm a Filipino, and there's no way to my ears that "of" sounds like "have."

It's a dumbass misspelling of the contractions "should've," would've," etc.

[Red Jack]

Originally Posted by hangmanjury

"could of" or "should of".

I'm sorry, but I'm a Filipino, and there's no way to my ears that "of" sounds like "have."

"Could've," however, does sound like "could of."

Easy error.

[diana_fan]

Originally Posted by Michael P

Stupid dorks do, yes. As such, it's much more common online than in real life.

Now I'm going to be looking all over for it. Heh.


I don't know that it "bugs the heck out of me," but people confusing "who's" and "whose" does irritate me. Though I'm sure I've done it.

[bfrank]

nothing really bothers me, save for the use of "irregardless"......

as too the rest, so long as I can understand u, its not two much of a big deal....lol

[Vakanai]

I like capital letters, proper spelling, limited use of acronyms, and coherent structure.
Oh, and using the same needless word over and over again. Usually 'like' 'usually' and 'and.' An example being starting off every sentence with with the word and.

[Sabrinaset]

I don't mind a typo or two, but when you make so many of them in a post that I wonder if you're drunk ...

[diana_fan]

Originally Posted by Sabrinaset

I don't mind a typo or two, but when you make so many of them in a post that I wonder if you're drunk ...

Well, I'm often drunk, so ...


What really bothers me, probably more than anything, are multiple typos in professional sites/publications. It just seems wrong. So very wrong.

[Spiffy]

Its/It's (possessive vs. contraction) is one that always slips my mind, because you know... in other cases with other words the apostrophe IS used with a possessive. I know it, but it occupies some strange corner of my mind which refuses to pay attention.

But that's ONE major deficit. The plural possessive thing with ordinary words? That's a whole CLASS of words, and it makes NO SENSE to mess it up.

And yeah. Geoff John's. When someone is NOT talking about something he owns? I see it non-stop and it bugs the crap out of me too.

Also one that's just straight up spelling (and I've harped on this one before)... "ridiculous" as "rediculous". Come on. Most web browsers have a built in spell check these days. That little red underline thing, yes?

nothing really bothers me, save for the use of "irregardless"......

Oddly enough, while I don't use it myself, that one's never bugged me that much. But hey, I respect it getting under your skin.

Lack of capital letters at the beginning of a sentence? I'm almost used to that. I don't LIKE it, but I GET where it's coming from (Hey! I just went back and corrected my own "it's/its"! Score!!!!!). It's simply a habit.

But just not KNOWING stuff, like what a plural really is? That's not habit, that's ignorance.

[diana_fan]

Originally Posted by Spiffy

I
Lack of capital letters at the beginning of a sentence? I'm almost used to that. I don't LIKE it, but I GET where it's coming from (Hey! I just went back and corrected my own "it's/its"! Score!!!!!). It's simply a habit.

Hey -- no caps was good enough for e.e. cummings.

It's definitely good enough for any of us!

[hangmanjury]

Originally Posted by Red Jack

"Could've," however, does sound like "could of."

Easy error.

Except one is a contraction, and the "of" is used in place of the uncontracted.