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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Oh bliss!!

228 replies

Ijustwanttoretire · 05/09/2019 09:52

I have just discovered this section - I am now officially addicted to MN. I will be on here all the time, day and night. I am a pedant and proud! In fact I might make a badge saying that. I would begin by stating my pet hate - but there are so many I don't know where to start... After a think I it has to be 'could of, should of, would of' Angry

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 25/09/2019 13:35

People don't speak properly and they don't know what they are saying.
Otherwise how would they be saying could of.
Example: I could of done something. They wouldn't say I of done something.

Precedent and president don't sound the same. Neither do councilling and counselling.

Ridicule and deride are derived from the same origin.

MrsRufusdog789 · 25/09/2019 13:36

Forgot the best one / worst one .
A lousy manager faced with the need to save money in the department emailed all minions for ides how we could address the " defecate ".

MikeUniformMike · 25/09/2019 13:39

Did the manager mean deficit?

MrsScrubbingbrush · 25/09/2019 14:17

DP uses the phrase "small little" as in "a small little bird" - I gave to bite my tongue while thinking "well it wouldn't be a big little bird would it!"

Also, please could one if you pedants settle a debate? Is it "bored with" or "bored of"?

DadDadDad · 25/09/2019 14:47

People don't speak properly and they don't know what they are saying.
Otherwise how would they be saying could of.
Example: I could of done something. They wouldn't say I of done something.

But they would say "I could've done something", and as most of the time we don't enunciate like Radio 4 newsreaders that's going to sound very similar to "I could of done something" in normal, fluent speech. So, the error seems understandable to me. (I'm someone who reads and re-reads my posts before I post them, so I'd like to think I'd catch those errors, but I appreciate some people like to quickly get their thoughts up and really are not that bothered about the odd spelling error if they can get their sense across).

Precedent and president don't sound the same. Neither do councilling and counselling.

I think when I say precedent / president I say them slightly differently, but I'm not sure how easy that is to hear, so again understandable to confuse them. I don't think councilling and counselling are different the way I say them.

MikeUniformMike · 25/09/2019 15:47

I have an accent so not RP.
I would say I could've as I coudduv not I could of.

The use of the word of instead of have doesn't make any sense even if the enunciation is similar.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 25/09/2019 19:17

Bored with. And different from. And excited ABOUT!

MrsScrubbingbrush · 25/09/2019 21:05

Thanks myimaginarycat that's what I've always said but have often seen "bored of" used on threads and wondered if I was just a little old fashioned. I still find it hard to start a sentence with 'and'🤷🏻‍♀️

MikeUniformMike · 26/09/2019 14:39

Cyclists peddling.

MikeUniformMike · 26/09/2019 17:26

low and behold

MikeUniformMike · 27/09/2019 13:41

DadDadDad, I saw this on another thread today "this is not the point i no as he shouldn't of done it."

TheMustressMhor · 27/09/2019 17:12

More wear and teat, so slightly hier maintenance charges, but that's about it, isn't it?

I don't know where to start with this one, comrades.

TheMustressMhor · 27/09/2019 17:13

@MikeUniformMike

Re - Cyclists peddling.

They might be discussing cyclists selling goods made of lycra.

Wombleish · 27/09/2019 18:43

I present you with 'ino'. Any guesses?

MikeUniformMike · 27/09/2019 19:14

TheMustressMhor , up a hill?

was it you who didn't read an OP properly earlier today? it was a good one

OnTheBorderline · 27/09/2019 19:21

Affect and effect
Specific and Pacific
Should of, would of...
Irregardless
The worst for me that nobody else seems to notice is unsociable and antisocial. They mean different things, don't they? I don't enjoy being around people all that much but would but consider myself antisocial.

One that I struggle with myself is marinade and marinate, although I know the difference, I just don't get it correct at the time.

Ash39 · 27/09/2019 19:24

Can no one spell " definitely" any more? Definately defiantly? Even with spellchecks and autocorrect! 🙄

OnTheBorderline · 27/09/2019 19:25

*would not, not 'would but'

MrsFezziwig · 27/09/2019 21:28

“Disinterested” does not mean the same as “uninterested”.

TheMustressMhor · 28/09/2019 11:07

Oh @MikeUniformMike - you have outed me and shamed me.

You are right. I did not read it. I had had yet another sleepless night and had approached the laptop as a source of entertainment whilst I listened to DH snoring.

Then the cat was sick and I had to clear it up.

Bah. I was, quite rightly, told off for not reading that OP properly.

I did apologise, though.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 28/09/2019 16:06

Unlawful vs illegal

SchadenfreudePersonified · 28/09/2019 16:11

Then the cat was sick and I had to clear it up

I wonder if there's something going round?

One of mine was vomiting up half-digested rodents all night the night before last.

(There is not more effective alarm that that "HACK, HACK" noise a cat makes just before it empties the contents of its several stomachs its stomach all over the most expensive and difficult-to-launder piece of soft burning in a room . . . .)

SchadenfreudePersonified · 28/09/2019 16:12

*soft furnishing, not soft burning,

Autocarrot you bugger! Angry

Ash39 · 28/09/2019 17:24

What's the difference between "unlawful " and "illegal"???

One is a sick bird! Ha. Sorry. Couldn't resist

SchadenfreudePersonified · 28/09/2019 18:30

Ash

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Nice one!

I saw your post and came on to give a probably garbled explanation and found a gentle leg-pull.

Made me smile Smile