To point out there is no such word as ALOT

[DropYourSword]

A. Lot. Two words. Simples!

Maybe I'm a bit of a grammar and spelling Nazi. I know its easy to make errors on Facebook, forums etc. I don't continuously correct other peoples spelling and its easy to make errors when you are typing quickly. I usually post via my phone so am using a predictive text app that can sometimes make some howlers. But a lot is not difficult to get right. It's not long or complicated, and doesn't even need and kind of memory aide to remember (anyone recall one coffee two sugars, or big elephants can always understand small elephants). And SO MANY people seem to think it's one word??

[DontWannaBeObamasElf]

I know someone who writes 'atoll' instead of 'at all'. Drives me up the wall.

[Bogeyface]

Not important enough for me to get wound up about tbh. I try not to spell things wrongly although I have occasionally got my there/their mixed up when typing too quickly but I dont lose sleep over it.

Can someone explain to me the coffee/sugar and big/small elephant thing please, never heard of them!

[Lweji]

Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants - because?

No idea about sugar or coffee

[Bogeyface]

Ah, that makes sense although I cant see why anyone would need it!

I wonder if the one coffee two sugars is one c and 2 esses in necessary?

[Dawndonnaagain]

Rules for fewer and less:
If it can be counted it's fewer, so: Fewer bees, less honey, you can't count honey. However, doesn't work with everything, chickens, for example. It would be fewer chickens, fewer eggs, because you can count the eggs.

[Trills]

I don't think there's actually any good reason for "fewer" and "less" to exist.

Apart from being wrong, is there any scenario in which using the wrong word would cause confusion?

I find it interesting how these distinctions arise.

I suppose it's the same as "many" and "much". How many bees, how much honey.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Oh, may I add the completely redundant 'like' that is appearing in the written word, now.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

trils would it not be allot an allotment to a lot of people?

[Lweji]

I don't know if you can allot allotments because the word allotment shows that they have already been allotted. So, it might be redundant.

[Trills]

In my village allotments are allotted by a lottery.

(that's a lie)

[seesensepeople]

...and the plural of forum is fora.

[JenaiMorris]

and the plural of espresso is espressi, the singular of panini, panino. But neither is really in common English usage.

[Lweji]

Shouldn't it be:

"In my village allotments are allotted by an allottery."?

It actually exists (googled it), which is a major disappointment, as I thought I had made up a word. Darn!

And don't start on google as a verb...

[thebody]

OMG head girl alert!//😃

[Lweji]

I remember the Newscientist (last century or so) telling contributors that they should not use google as a verb, as Google (TM or R, whatever) was not happy about it.

It has made it to the Oxford Dictionary.Evil laughter...

[JenaiMorris]

I was at a meeting with some Microsoft bods, when someone dared to suggest they might google something.

Zealous intern-type glared, 'don't you mean Bing?'. Twas vair funny.

[Trills]

The plural of espresso in Italian might be but I think that espresso and panini have been Anglicised enough that they should take the common pluralisation behaviour.

[Lavidaenrosa]

Sir Mix alot says YABU

[daisychain01]

I think fora is the Latin plural of Forum. Along the lines of stadia being the plural of stadium. But they both look weird!

[DropYourSword]

Plurals can be odd.

One goose, two geese.
One mongoose, two mongooses.

[PhallicGiraffe]

If everyone uses the word ALOT, then it becomes a real word, that is valid. Language isn't set in stone, and constantly changes. There is no rule saying ALOT can't be a word. So stop being a grammar nazi!

[Tortoisegirl]

Can I add....."Gonna".....aggghhhhh........ Please no!!
also an aspirated h as in haitch rather than aitch but suspect this may change soon as so many people are using it even though I will have to stab them!