The Oxford English dictionary should add "could of"

[DyslexicScientist]

Everyone knows what it means, and quite a lot of people use it. Just seems very stuffy to not add it. English is an adaptive language.

They've already added omg and a smiliey face was the word of the year. So they are not adverse to change.

[DyslexicScientist]

And "should of"

[overwhelmed34]

Yabu

[Gottagetmoving]

It doesn't 'mean' anything.

[ghnocci]

No. No no no no.

[TheCarpenter]

YABU

[BrianButterfield]

The OED might well add 'could of'. They are not guardians of the English language, they merely record it's usage. They added OMG as it is a word that is used in English, not because they regard it as 'proper' or believe it should be used.

[TheSeptemberIssue]

Why should they add a lazy alternative which is two letters short of the actual words?

[OfaFrenchmind2]

YABU.
Seriously, do people have standards nowadays?

[Seeyounearertime]

Well OP you could of given a definition and you should of really.

[BrianButterfield]

I DID NOT ADD THAT APOSTROPHE IN ITS! Damn autocorrect!

[reni2]

They should add wha'evva, too then, "Everyone knows what it means, and quite a lot of people use it.".

[Indantherene]

Just because some people can't write correct English doesn't make it right.

[Goingtobeawesome]

No fucking way

Could of is an affectation. It sounds shit. It jars. It's wrong.

[MaisieDotes]

People say "could've", "would've" and "should've" and that's ok.

Writing it down as "could of" is incorrect.

It won't be in the dictionary. Ever.

[0PHELIA]

NOOOOOOOO

And

DFOD

[BrianButterfield]

They will add any word that gets used sufficiently often to be recognised as a word in English. They do not distinguish between words people approve of or not.

[GrouchyKiwi]

YABVVVU

They should add YABU, though.

[helenahandbag]

No! Even seeing it written here makes me want to punch my own teeth out.

[YellowOfficeBlock]

Absolutely no way!!

If I read anything that uses "could of" "would of" etc it just jumps out at me immediately as wrong and then I can't take seriously whatever is being said.

[goodnightdarthvader1]

No. It's a written mistake based on an aural (hearing) pronunciation. "ve" sounds like "of" to (lazy) ears.

[EvaBING]

No way.

[MaisieDotes]

brian "could of" isn't a word.

[0PHELIA]

PLEASE LOOK AT THIS

[overwhelmed34]

Next they will be adding 'another thing coming' (ouch hurts my brain just to type!)

[0PHELIA]

It's called "Future perfect tense".