AIBU to die inside a little bit every time I see 'could of'?

[MeetMeInMontauk]

Yep, it's another sanctimonious grammar-Nazi thread, so I'm going to get in early and tell all the bleeding heart virtue signallers who usually jump on these threads to do one, straight out of the gate. I'm interested in the experiences of others regarding what appears to be some sort of epidemic (at least on Facebook) or a near-ubiquitous grammatical blind spot in modern written English. For context, I live in an upcoming area of the SE but with an inescapably working class heritage and large council estate community, although this trend is by no means limited to the local FB community pages and is something that I see from even university-educated friends. How has 'could of' snuck in almost unremarked? Obviously as a corruption of the enunciation of the contraction 'could've' when spoken, but even then it makes no sense, if given even the slightest thought. Noone is saying, for example, 'Did you of one of my biscuits?', but the application of 'could of' seems almost universal in some circles. I accept that its contextual use means that nearly everyone involved understands the meaning and intent, but it's an inaccuracy that appears to be gaining continued traction. Does it make anyone else cringe, or do I just need to get back in my cage and chill the fuck out?

It's also "There ARE a few people", not "There's".
Add to this, people who say "done" instead of "have done" or "did". Unbelievably irritating.

"Sneak peak" is one that really grates on me too. Also "minuet" for minute which, like "defiantly", is surprisingly common.

I am quite tolerant of changes in language and I don't mind a few Americanisms such as snuck, but I am fairly pedantic about spelling. I expect I will somehow have hoist myself by my own petard in this post though.

Did anyone see this on the front page of the Telegraph yesterday before they corrected it? Ouch.

I could of written this myself. I defiantly hate this, rarely gets my back up. People who right like this cant have gone to school much as there English is so poor. They should read more book's and learn how to speak proper.

I do say en haitch es sometimes. I'm educated enough to know that your rant about that pronunciation has unfortunate sectarian connotations.

Oh gosh, Tea, no great wit has ever written a couple of sentences like that on here before. Apart from the last "could of" thread of course.

Maybe you should become a comedy writer?

yabvu, sounds like you need to take a chill pill.

The one that incensed me is 'your' instead of 'you're' as in 'I hope your well'. I hope my WHAT is well?

Also there/their drives me mad.

On route to shitty destination

Fucking idiots

For me though, it's when people say Haitch instead of aitch.

I can cope with most people doing this (I tell myself it's part of their regional dialect) but it does irritate me when my youngest child does it.

He also says 'new' to rhyme with 'do' and 'to'. The diphthong seems to have disappeared.

There’s somebody on my Facebook that Capitalises Every Word. This Makes Me Angry 😂

I like it. Means when I read it I know the writer is thick.
I don't understand how people can go through over a decade of schooling and still get it wrong. I clearly remember being taught how to spell it by one of my teachers.

"Should of" drives me mad too. It signals truly stupid people.

I can't agree with the "privileged education" idea, that people weren't taught the verb "to have". Perhaps they just weren't listening at primary school?

I'm dyslexic, state educated and grew up in a council house. This is laziness and stupidity, not lack of opportunity.

Also OP..

Ah screw it, the whole post needs work.. let's have a look...

Yep
I'm sorry? What is this word? You mean "Yes" answering a question not asked at the begining of a sentance.. tut tut tut.. remove that.

it's another sanctimonious grammar-Nazi thread, so I'm going to get in early and tell all the bleeding heart virtue signallers who usually jump on these threads to do one, straight out of the gate.
Full stop after "thread", new sentance begins at "So"
Full stop after "Do one", delete straight out of the gate.

Start a new paragraph with:
I'm interested in the experiences of others regarding what appears to be some sort of epidemic (at least on Facebook)
End sentance

or a near-ubiquitous grammatical blind spot in modern written English. For context, I live in an upcoming area of the SE but with an inescapably working class heritage and large council estate community, although this trend is by no means limited to the local FB community pages and is something that I see from even university-educated friends.
Delete all this, irrelevant to topic and looks like it's being used to bolster a weak word count and adds nothing to the subject matter.

How has 'could of' snuck in almost unremarked?
Hardly 'unremarked' as the whole topic is based on remarking about it. Revision needed.

Obviously as a corruption of the enunciation of the contraction 'could've' when spoken, but even then it makes no sense, if given even the slightest thought.
So obvious, why mention it? Is that word count still low?

Noone is saying, for example, 'Did you of one of my biscuits?'
Noone, replace with No one

but the application of 'could of' seems almost universal in some circles.
How can it be "almost universal" and universal but only in some circles. Revise.

I accept that its contextual use means that nearly everyone involved understands the meaning and intent
Which is the point of language.. get the message and meaning across.

but it's an inaccuracy that appears to be gaining continued traction.
An inaccuracy according to whom?

Does it make anyone else cringe, or do I just need to get back in my cage and chill the fuck out?
Expletives are unnecessary, revise.

Hope that helps op. A few pointers to be going in with.

Bestest thread.

I like when people claim that spell checkers are always correct.

Im not saying it takes a privileged education to know the difference. I'm saying if you grow up in an environment where people pronounce things a particular way you are obviously more likely to pick this up. Shock horror some of these people dare to speak in the presence of the OP or possibly end up at university. Hey they even let me into Oxford despite my heart-stoppingly awful pronunciation of the eighth letter of the alphabet. Clearly the place has gone to the dogs.

"Should of" drives me mad too. It signals truly stupid people

Statements like this signal something about the person writing them too.

I admit it. I judge.

Somehow the worst offences against English language are always by the "But wot baut them immergrants" crowd.

YANBU!

It does matter in real life, especially when applying for jobs. I have sifted many applications out for poor grammar.

I’ve just joined a “school reunion” group on facebook. It has quite a few “thank you for excepting me” posts. I have to stop myself from jumping in with “excepting you from what”? every time i see it. What particularly annoys me is the fact that these are women who went to the same school around the same time as me, we had the same teachers for goodness sake.

I’m also appallled at the ones who don’t know the difference between to, too and two, and the usual there, their and they’re. How did it all pass them by.

@KlutzyDraconequus
*sentence

The "loose" usage is common as pp have said above, eg loosing a day's pay, loosing a friend. I wonder if it just looks more correct than "lose"?

I hate it too, OP.

Along with apostrophe abuse and the confusion of lose/loose. Aaargh!

It's not even a question of whether it matters or not. I make sure to correct my own children's pronunciation. It's part of their education. It's the pure snobbery and strength of language directed at people who don't have good grammar that's hateful.