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Pedants' corner

Free REIN! Not reign. BEAR with me not bare.

97 replies

heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:05

The number of times I want to write the above on a thread is growing and growing, but I bite my tongue and sit on my hands because such comments never bring relief they merely unleash abuse and derision and accusations of grammar Nazism.
Now tell me, should I have capitalised 'Nazi' in this context? I could not decide.
I can take it.

Every time someone says bare with me I imagine them naked. And reign it in or free reign earns them a crown. 👸I am a very visual person as well as a language lover. So I cannot help it, my days are increasingly populated by naked posters and posters that have become royal.
As for chester draws - little Chester, sitting there with his pencils... Grin

Free REIN! Not reign. BEAR with me not bare.
OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 13/05/2024 11:08

Bare with me always makes me smile as the person using it is unwittingly suggesting we get naked together

FranticFrankie · 13/05/2024 11:08

He’s not his; as in look what his done
many more ….
myself…
ok I’ll stop

Waffleson · 13/05/2024 11:09

Free reign does my head in. But I confess I find "bear" confusing, and often have to ask myself if it's the furry animal or going naked.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 13/05/2024 11:10

I feel your pain.

As a horse rider I know exactly what my reins are for.

DesperateDelia · 13/05/2024 11:12

Waffleson · 13/05/2024 11:09

Free reign does my head in. But I confess I find "bear" confusing, and often have to ask myself if it's the furry animal or going naked.

Same. Bear never seems right until I swap bare for naked then I'm happy to use bear.

TheChippendenSpook · 13/05/2024 11:12

Recently I was reading something, either on here or on Facebook and someone had started a sentence with, 'Firstable...' it took me a while to figure out that they meant 'First of all...'

I do usually despair at people but that one made me smile.

oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:13

OP you could of started a better post?

oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:19

JayAlfredPrufrock · 13/05/2024 11:10

I feel your pain.

As a horse rider I know exactly what my reins are for.

Absolutely- But even a horsewoman used the term “Reigns” when advertising a beautiful antique rocking horse she had for sale.

She said she’d added reigns and stirrup leathers.

I was really surprised.

People probably don’t realise the term “ To give free rein” means to loosen the rein, to give a horse his head to do as he wishes.

heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:22

oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:13

OP you could of started a better post?

I could of.
But I didn't of! Grin

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:25

”Could of” really grates.
Also another term that irritates me for some reason is when people refer to themselves as “ Myself”.

E.g “My husband and myself went out on Saturday “

Janome9300 · 13/05/2024 11:28

I know it's rein not reign but I understand the mistake as free reign sort of makes sense to me (the ability to freely govern).

Bare and bear is easy once you realise that bare ONLY means naked - all other uses are bear.

oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:33

This old pamphlet by a humane man who railed against the use of the bearing rein surely has to be used to illustrate Op’s post.

Free REIN! Not reign. BEAR with me not bare.
oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:34

Or should that be Baring Reigns?

SingingSands · 13/05/2024 11:36

I've seen a lot of "working progress" on threads recently.

heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:36

FranticFrankie · 13/05/2024 11:08

He’s not his; as in look what his done
many more ….
myself…
ok I’ll stop

Don't stop! This is the place where you can give free reign rein to all of your bugbares bugbears! 😂

OP posts:
heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:39

SingingSands · 13/05/2024 11:36

I've seen a lot of "working progress" on threads recently.

Oh thank you, yes I was trying to remember that one, saw it very recently and it's a new one for me.

Is there no restbite respite from these abominations?

OP posts:
NoToMinglingHappilySingleIThink · 13/05/2024 11:40

I get confused between fell swoop and fowl swoop - which is right?

Shopper727 · 13/05/2024 11:41

Brought/bought and worse/worst drive me nuts. I’m dyslexic so sometimes get mixed up, it still annoys me, sometimes makes me laugh. I am a bad person

heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:42

oakleaffy · 13/05/2024 11:33

This old pamphlet by a humane man who railed against the use of the bearing rein surely has to be used to illustrate Op’s post.

Fabulous! Great find @oakleaffy

OP posts:
heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:44

NoToMinglingHappilySingleIThink · 13/05/2024 11:40

I get confused between fell swoop and fowl swoop - which is right?

It's neither - it's foul swoop. 😂
Someone's going to disagree with me now, I feel it in my bones...

OP posts:
Mischance · 13/05/2024 11:44

Sat!! - sitting.

VeronicaBeccabunga · 13/05/2024 11:50

Imply and infer.

*sighs, rolls eyes

BeaRF75 · 13/05/2024 11:51

You are absolutely correct, OP. Not to mention the excruciating "myself and my partner" etc..... ouch!

WimseyofBalliol · 13/05/2024 11:52

heldinadream · 13/05/2024 11:44

It's neither - it's foul swoop. 😂
Someone's going to disagree with me now, I feel it in my bones...

Fell swoop!!! It’s a falconry/bird of prey metaphor coined by Shakespeare in Macbeth!

CeliaCanth · 13/05/2024 11:58

I saw one thread recently which asked, “What was your babies first words?” 😩
I agree, there has been a lot of “Myself and my partner…” recently!