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Original poster

The Oxford English dictionary should add "could of"

223 replies

DyslexicScientist · 16/12/2015 14:09

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
DyslexicScientist · 16/12/2015 14:09

And "should of"

OP posts:
overwhelmed34 · 16/12/2015 14:11

Yabu Xmas Shock

Gottagetmoving · 16/12/2015 14:11

It doesn't 'mean' anything.

ghnocci · 16/12/2015 14:12

No. No no no no.

TheCarpenter · 16/12/2015 14:12

YABU

BrianButterfield · 16/12/2015 14:12

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 · 16/12/2015 14:13

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

OfaFrenchmind2 · 16/12/2015 14:13

YABU.
Seriously, do people have standards nowadays?

Seeyounearertime · 16/12/2015 14:13

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

BrianButterfield · 16/12/2015 14:13

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

reni2 · 16/12/2015 14:14

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

Indantherene · 16/12/2015 14:15

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

Goingtobeawesome · 16/12/2015 14:15

No fucking way

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

MaisieDotes · 16/12/2015 14:16

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 · 16/12/2015 14:16

NOOOOOOOO

And

DFOD

BrianButterfield · 16/12/2015 14:16

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 · 16/12/2015 14:17

YABVVVU

They should add YABU, though.

helenahandbag · 16/12/2015 14:17
Shock

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

YellowOfficeBlock · 16/12/2015 14:17

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 · 16/12/2015 14:17

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

EvaBING · 16/12/2015 14:18

No way.

MaisieDotes · 16/12/2015 14:18

brian "could of" isn't a word.

0PHELIA · 16/12/2015 14:18

PLEASE LOOK AT THIS

overwhelmed34 · 16/12/2015 14:19

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

0PHELIA · 16/12/2015 14:20

It's called "Future perfect tense".