A man I date should know what parenthese means...

[TeddyMcardle]

YANBU, not at all.

isn't it "parenthesis"

Do you mean brackets?

It's parentheses, isn't it, if it's plural?

Haha beertricks, how very true.

BTB
He should though.
Even if it is parentheses.

Ahem.

yes if he wants to date a pedant and geek

I am a geek, I have failed as a pedant though. The shame.

It's ok. If you're a grammar snob (like me) then that's part of who you are, and it's not out of the question to seek out like-minded people.

I knew it was time to dump my ex (after other reasons too) when a friend of mine used the word 'papist', and he didn't know what it meant, despite being a Catholic.

(I ended up married to the chap who used the word 'papist', incidentally.)

I agree. YANBU. I was going to post that it might be rare to find one. However DP has just astonished me by answering correctly, although he is an engineering graduate. So definately not U.

Isn't it an Americanism though? I'm not sure I've ever heard a Brit use the word.

Dh didn't know. Am calling a solicitor first thing.

parentheses
shakey you call that solicitor they'll understand ((hugs))

got to say (hate the wee asides in brackets) they are wanky

He has now countered with do I know what an oxymoron is? Theres no stopping him now. He'll be onto onomatipea and similies next.

Getting the rhyme wrong, innit beer?

YANBU.

Mind you, these things are not always reliable. I was once v impressed when a man I fancied like mad liked knew what a trebuchet was.

However I was much less impressed when I found out Exp (who is singularly stupid) also knew. Age of Empires has a lot to answer for

I thought it was some kind of parent language...

Oh yes, beer, I am a great fan of assonance .