Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovebird
OK, I came across a post venting about grammar nazis. She hates it when someone ignores the content of what she said, zeroes in on one little typo, and shames her for it. Well, I don't blame her. That's the same as when people find they can't argue with the logic in something I said, but they want to put me down some other way, and they come at me with, "Yeah? Well, you're fat." It's rude to go around nitpicking people's grammar, especially in a way that ridicules them.
Unfortunately, there's a problem here.
I answered, "I see both sides." I then went on to explain exactly what I said above, but added, "On the other hand, I learned the difference between 'there' and 'their' in second grade, and it confuses me when adults don't know which one to use." This met with a sentiment full of profanity, but devoid of punctuation and capital letters, while someone told me, "get over it" and "sounds like a personal problem." This was my first introduction to the group, so I left it.
Here I address the general "you," not any specific person. If you have a learning disability or a comprehension disorder, I understand. If English is not your first language, I understand. If your typing skills are low, I definitely understand. If you are using technology that autocorrects you to death, I understand. However, if the only reason you don't know "to" from "too" is that while the teacher was explaining it, you were busy carving your name in your desk and texting your friends about how you couldn't wait to get out of this lame class and party, then I'm not the one with the "personal problem" who needs to "get over it." I won't go around correcting your grammar, but when someone else does, it isn't my fault if it makes you "feel stupid."
My opinion only. Yours may differ. You have that right, same as I do.  |
I agree with all of your caveats, but have to admit...the to/too thing and the there/they're/their and the you're/your thing drives me, quietly, nuts. I realize it can seem a**l retentive which is why I rarely, if ever, comment on it. I just clench my teeth, briefly swear under my breath as my TMJ catches, again...and go on.
I also dislike all the acronyms that seem to run rampant, not only in texting, forums or message boards and I can actually visualize an eventuallity of text based communication relagated to 'words' of 5 letters or preferably less. Adding to my dismay, is my growing ability to read them.
I temper this annoyance with a little cautionary tale of my own, but this exchange was verbal. Whilst in work one day, one of my coworkers was snidely commenting on the pronounciation of the word 'library', as said by another coworker i.e. it was being pronounced "libary". The first coworker was making great hay of it, and the poor victim was feeling decidedly picked on...I watched and listened, and at one point said.."Hey, as long as we know what she's saying..does it really matter?" and tried to defuse the situation.
Literally 2 minutes later, the first coworker received a call regarding a fund raiser to be hosted by the Marine Corps in our area....she announced the call to us with a rather chipper, "Well, the fund raiser is going to happen as planned." I asked where...
Her reply: "At the Marine Corps" and she pronounced the second word 'corpse'. I looked her and burst out laughing.
"Ahh," I retorted. "As long as it's not at the Libary."