Grammar correction. Arrrggghhh!

[Brightonhome]

I sent a text to a slightly older relative saying that I had bought something 'off Amazon', and she replies with the very first line "It should read off of .... tut tut" Whether she is correct or not, it really pissed me off. I'm fifty-five, not twelve.
We have a slightly strained relationship anyway, and we hadn't spoken for two months, so to criticise me like that, well, I was not happy. In the same text, she also called me 'young lady' when admonishing me for not getting in touch earlier, but she could just as easily have contacted me in that time frame. I'm ashamed to say I sent a text back saying "Who the hell says 'off of'? No grammar nazis allowed here." Yes I definitely overreacted, but I wouldn't dream of correcting someone's grammar, unless it was a stranger who was correcting someone else's, but in the process, made errors themselves ..... they're fair game. I may see an inconsistency, but to point it out to an adult friend or relative is just plain rude if you ask me. I think I should probably apologise for the nazi comment, but I can't bring myself to do it. Ugh.
What are your feelings about grammar correction among adult friends and relatives? helpful, but mildly annoying? or passive aggressive BS?

People who correct others grammar are a special kind of person and not in a good way......

Just send her this

en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/off_of

Usage notes

The use of off of as a preposition is now considered tautological or incorrect by some usage guides and is not suitable for formal or business use. Off of can be replaced with on, from or off: "This is based on (based off of) his first book"; "He took a paper off (off of) his desk". "I got the information from ("off of") the Internet"

Just chucking another curve ball here. "Through...".

Not everything sold on Amazon is from Amazon.

"Off of" is painfully incorrect.

You guys are grate.

Sorry - that should, of off course, be “guyz”.

@meuca

Interesting points! And you are right about Shakespeare, I think.

I do stand by my "off of" position, as correct grammar. To be honest I'd never use it, because it provokes problems like the ones on this thread, in much the same way as the fact that I don't split infinitives, although I think it's perfectly acceptable to do so.

What do you make of "to fall out" as a phrasal verb? I think "to fall out of fashion" is undoubtedly correct grammar. And I suspect that the reason why people get in a rage about "off of" in the various "... off" phrasal verbs is just because "off" and "of" are similar words and they therefore conclude (wrongly) that there's some redundancy. Phrasal verbs still sometimes need prepositions.

'Off of' is incorrect anyway, it should be from .

Also ...

(and @yesterdayforgotten, I'm not meaning to have a personal dig at you here):

'Off of' is incorrect anyway, it should be from

There have been various comments like this on the thread, which remind me of people saying "You can't say 'John and me', the correct phrase is 'John and I'".

In both examples it's more complicated. It depends on the function which the words are performing in the sentence. Just as 'John and me' is correct depending on the relationship of 'me' to the verb, so "off of" can be correct if "off" is part of the verb. "I bought it off of Amazon" is wrong. The sentence has two prepositions, one more than it needs. "I fell off of a cliff" (or "I fell out of a tree") is correct - only one preposition describing the movement.

That's my grammatical pedantry for the morning

* "fell off of a cliff" or "I fell out of a tree"*

Noooo, not the same. You fall off, or fall out of. So fell off a cliff, not off of it.

ProclivitiesMcManus it's okay no offence taken as I stand by my comment.

I agree with the point on through Amazon... consumer protection will mean we are going to need a semantic distinction between from Amazon and via Amazon!

off of is terribly wrong. Off is fine by itself - adding of is an inaccurate reanalysis smooshing together the rules of phrasal verbs & prepositions. Maybe it works as an intensifier (just like the most unkindest cut of all).

off of is terribly wrong.

Yes. All kinds of wrong.

How ridiculous to spend your time trying to defend something that is wrong.

Off is fine but informal.
From is formal and always correct.🙄

Tell her an English teacher (me) says her grammar is rubbish and she should find a new thing to pick fault with. ‘Off of’?!

Me too.

English grammar, such as it is, is a weird 18th century imposition of Latin grammar on a language that isn’t Latinate to begin with. At best it’s aspirational. At worst it’s a weapon to maintain social inequalities.

Okaaaay