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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect people not to use the word hung when they mean hanged.

189 replies

cushioncover · 07/09/2007 17:22

Ok, I know IABU, and I'm no grammar queen myself but I've read this 4 times today and I just had to rant about it! There!

OP posts:
skidoodle · 08/09/2007 22:34

Grocers Apostrophe? OK, that could work. I can't decide if it's nice or rubbish for it not to have its own apostrophe

Wikipedia agrees with me, but that's worth sod all.

The best is Grocers Apostrophe's, and that's what I will use from here on in.

UCM, did you understand that paragraph? This is an informal online conversation, not a job application. Starting sentences with "And" is now allowable in many media style guides. Also, I don't care.

ElsieSnuffins · 08/09/2007 22:52

'comprised of'

'I was sat'

Enough, people.

puff · 08/09/2007 22:56

I say 'hung' instead of 'hanged'.

I know full well that it is grammatically incorrect to do so.

UCM · 08/09/2007 22:59

If you started a paragraph with 'and or also' and I read it, you would be tossed to the bin as I would not employ a person without basic grammar.

Ellbell · 08/09/2007 23:01

I'm back.

Yes, skid... I have seen many people on here be picked up on their grammar/spelling, usually in the context of an argument about something completely different ('If you're going to tell me I can't feed my child a sausage roll in its buggy, at least bear in mind that it's a "sausage roll" and not a "sausage role"' ). I would like to think that I don't go in for that kind of thing [self-righteous(-ish) emoticon]. I tend to stick to moaning for the sake of moaning!

Talking of 'sausage roles', my dh once wrote on a shopping list that we needed to buy 'loo role'. Boy, did he not hear the last of that one for a while! Husband-baiting is such fun!

Oh, and it's absolutely fine to start a sentence with 'and'. I do it all the time (so it must be right ).

skidoodle · 08/09/2007 23:16

Ellbell, LOL @ sausage role - that's great, you capture the phenomenon perfectly

UCM, if you really are in a position to employ people, it would be a shame to be tossing their CVs aside because you are misjudging them on the basis of standards you misunderstand.

But whatever.

There's another one I love: "I was sat." - beautiful

ElsieSnuffins · 08/09/2007 23:38

'Don't itch your mosquito bites'

'That mark doesn't notice'

UCM · 08/09/2007 23:41

No I am not at the moment, but I have been....

UCM · 08/09/2007 23:45

Of course you are right, Skid. It is just a shame that many people today have not learnt the foundations of our wonderful language.

I suspect it will have been honed down to txtspk in 50 years time. That will please you no end.

UCM · 08/09/2007 23:47

My whole understanding of the English language is dreadful, so pardon anything that I write.

I welcome any correction of my grammar. As you say it's informal on here.

NadineBaggott · 08/09/2007 23:49

one of my pet peeves this

thanks for bringing it up

Yours
fellow pedant

Ellbell · 09/09/2007 00:01

Now, you see, I say 'Don't itch your mossie bites'.

I do know it's wrong though, and wouldn't write it (God knows why I'd want to, but anyway...), but it just seems to come out of my mouth that way, however hard I try to stop it. Even my dds tell me off for it (they are 5 and 7... and they say haitch, FFS ).

cushioncover · 09/09/2007 09:09

Gosh! I thought this thread would consist of my one crazy rant followed by a couple of people telling me to calm down and get a life.

Justhadto come back to complain about DS's new book which boasts the line, 'I went and buried it...' Obviously one can never have too many verbs!

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 09/09/2007 09:15

I've been waiting for a thread like this to share my 'Mill Muse' housing development

MaeBee · 09/09/2007 10:03

it is the misuse of inverted commas that gets me!
such as this gem outside the local bike shop:

"No repairs except on bikes "bought" here"

and there is one outside a bakery that says:

" "enjoy" your "nuncheon"

what the f is that meant to mean??!!
it amuses me rather than infuriates me though because i am a villan of grammar too.

ib · 09/09/2007 10:36

I really try to avoid being a pedant as English is not my mother tongue so don't feel entitled (and am too crap at my mt to be able to be a pedant in it)

but....

It drives me nuts when I read that 'most women who bf in public are very discrete'. NO, they are ALL discrete, most are also discreet.

There. Now I feel better.

StealthPolarBear · 09/09/2007 11:47

ib
I always try to be discrete when bf in public but sometimes I forget myself and go all continuous!

cushioncover · 09/09/2007 15:27

There's a thread in the archives asking if anyone knows the difference between discrete and discreet. Very funny it is too. Look it up if you haven't seen it.

OP posts:
madness · 09/09/2007 21:56

Written by my son's teacher: "...and if there are any Parent's who want to ...."

OK, I did change it, but used black instead of red .

UnquietDad · 10/09/2007 00:00

Teachers who can't bloody spell and punctuate. That is just totally unacceptable.

Or head teacher's letter home is usually OK, although once or twice I have raised an eyebrow at her use of commas... Oh, and this week she apparently "complemented" the children's smart uniform. Rrright.... so she wore matching colours, did she?

The woman who does the PFA letters!!!! Is still at it!!! With her exclamation marks!!!

Oh, yes, and I must mention putting things in "inverted commas" for "no particular reason", because people think that is how you "emphasise" something.

Ellbell · 10/09/2007 00:07

Oh UD, my "mum" is the absolute "queen" of the random inverted "comma". She is not averse to the odd exclamation mark, either!!!!!!!

"Love" ya, mum!!!!

UnquietDad · 10/09/2007 00:09

It's so irritating when people use commas to divide sentences, they don't know about capital letters or full stops or semi-colons, they think it's what you do, I find it so annoying.

bluemonday · 10/09/2007 00:12

I once worked with a colleague (another teacher I'm afraid) who would always use a comma after please. 'Please, speak to me about examination entries'. It made me scream inwardly every time I saw it....

mamama · 10/09/2007 00:17

should have

could have

would have

not of

mamama · 10/09/2007 00:18

Oh, and using a comma after and.

They do it ALL the time over here and, it pisses me off.