AIBU to say it's not "ect"

[IceCreamWoes]

I've seen about 8 threads in the last 2 days with posters writing ect when they obviously mean etc. I probably am being U but it really does irrationally fucking irritate me!

I need to get out more, yes. I've had two (big) glasses of wine 😂.

So, am I?

You really shouldn’t worry, OP. Your post doesn’t come across as unkind at all.
A light-hearted thread can be fun but inevitably gets derailed by people who simply take it all very seriously; they have their tiresome little skirmishes, criticising imagined slights about mocking those less educated and generally sniping at each other.
I love these threads and I find it entertaining to read what makes someone grit their teeth. I’m aware that posters are saying how these mistakes make them FEEL, not how they make them ACT towards others. 😊

There was a time when they used to have written in the bus "10 'standees' 20 seated." The horror! Mercifully they now write "10 standing..."

Mostly true with the feeling not acting, although DP did get an extended lecture on Ancient Greek grammar post 'the hoi polloi'. But that's in the privacy of my own house, and he won't be doing it again. Or rather he will, just to wind me up! I think I've made a major mistake by correcting him. His particular favourite is 'lead on Macduff' as he knows it drives me insane.

He then got on a roll and followed it up with 'Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well.'. Dear reader, I nearly defenestrated him.

That’s interesting about the “ee” suffix and makes sense.

Therefore, I guess that “attendee” is just a word that should not exist at all (rather than one used in the wrong context), because you can’t attend somebody?

But I don’t think I have ever heard “attender” used.

But you attend an event if you depersonalise it. I definitely felt some work events were happening to me.... 😅

My son (aged 8) asked me why, on buses they often have a sign that says

Seated: 10 persons
Standing: 5 persons

He said, “that’s wrong, the plural of person is people”.

I didn’t really have a good explanation as to why “persons” tends to be used in such contexts, other than to say that it is an acceptable alternative for “people”. Cf “missing persons”

My teacher used to have a tin that had "monies" written on it and I corrected her and said it should be money. The shame 😂 I was in Yr6

Oh my Mum used to say “lead on MacDuff”. Is it an incorrect quotation from Macbeth? I thought it was just a general Scottish thing! (We’re Scottish)

Ha ha that’s exactly the sort of thing I’d probably have done at that age!

Technically it is the plural of money, maybe she was just optimistic re the financial contributions?

But yes, I would have done it too.

Yes, it's actually 'Lay on Macduff'. One of the most misquoted bits bar the Hamlet Yorick bit.

DP knows better, as I have told him, but he's a wind up merchant and does it to annoy. Which it does, instinctively, and then I have to rein it in as that's what he wanted.

Or should I have said 'rain' or 'reign' 😂

Loving this thread, and I for one am glad @IceCreamWoes opened the wine.

I’ve got a good level of SPAG (not perfect I’m sure) and I do notice these errors, but I don’t let them bother me. The content is almost always still easy to comprehend, being annoyed by SPAG errors on an online forum is wasting by your energy, scroll on by and relax.

We’re all educated/naturally skilled to different levels in different areas, and we all have areas where we’re lacking. There’s no need to be pointing out SPAG errors unless you’ve been specifically asked to help someone improve, or you’re proof reading an important document for them. Anything else is just being malicious.

Keep in mind, the reason reading older English literature, like Shakespeare, can be hard, is because language evolves continuously. We can’t stop that, it’s natural and a beautiful element of linguistics (though I’m hoping skibbidi toilet isn’t going to be standard “business speak” in a decade’s time….)

I saw “I have went” today and I can’t make sense of it. I’ve seen it before and I think it might be American. Does that sound right to people over saying I have gone?

“I have went” is very common in Scotland. It’s not correct, but people say it a lot. Some argue it’s dialect but it’s just localised bad grammar in my opinion.

”I have went” is simply wrong, but unfortunately in frequent use where I live (Scotland).

Yes I think those of us who feel irritated by mistakes were drilled ourselves. It's a learned aversion as much as it's a learned knowledge set. My dad had no sense of humour about poor English so you learnt to take it seriously.

OTOH, I was brought up surrounded by the (awful and short sighted) attitude that typing was for secretaries, not professionals and as a result I can't type for toffee, which causes me issues every week of my life.

In reality, all skills are good to have but very few are absolutely necessary.

Good one from the eight-year-old boy. From Cambridge dictionary:

(in part) "Persons (plural) is a very formal word. We only use it in rather legalistic contexts:
[notice in a lift]
Any person or persons found in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted.
To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we use people:"

I saw a women - if it’s just 1 you are talking about she is a womAn not a womEn. Really fucking annoys me that one.

Thanks. The fact that he read it, questioned it and wanted to talk about it makes my heart leap with pride!

Oh yes, I remember that!

I've never heard attender used of someone attending a conference, either. But perhaps it might have been used about someone attending a person (serving them)?