Okay. I had to break my blogging silence (not intentional, mind you) to beg you all for some help. Words are driving me crazy. Specifically certain words and their use... or misuse.
Isn't it scary how words are used incorrectly for such a long period of time that they eventually become REAL? Ack! The horror of it all!
How... Is... That... LOGICAL?
So, along the same lines then... if, for the next 20 years, I keep saying that 2+2=5 , we'll just accept that as fact? No, I think not.
My pet peeve word this week is AWAKE. Yes, "awake" is a word. So, is "wake," "awaken," and "awoke."
Notice: there is no "waked" or "woken." Not real words.
Au contraire, ma petite chou-chou! Not so fast. Look them up in the dictionary, and THEY. ARE. THERE.
WTF?
Those are not real words, but people use them all the time. One of my friends was telling me the other day that she was "woken up by the cries of her little dog." I didn't say anything, of course. I'm only Super Grammar Cop when I'm in disguise. I couldn't reveal my alter ego right in front of her! But I digress...
That's almost as bad as the worst possible word on the planet: irregardless. That is NOT a word. By definition, it contradicts itself. Yet, people actually use that word. Gah. Oh, yeah... and if you search enough, you'll find a dictionary that recognizes it as a legitimate word. Again, I ask, WTF?
Oh, and it gets better... "irregardless" is listed as a synonym of ... wait for it... "regardless." Exactly.
So, again, I ask WHY? I don't understand how we can accept the corruption of our own language. I'm not a complete language freak non-stop, 24/7. I do use colloquialisms, "yeah" and "yep," and we know all too well my affinity for the points of ellipsis. Not exactly perfect/proper all the time.
But for the love of Bob, how many more words are we going to just give up and say, "Oh, what the hell! Everyone THINKS it's correct, so let's just make it a word."
End rant here.
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10 comments:
It bothers me and I'm French, imagine! The worst for me is "anyways" if there isn't "any" than no need to put a "s", is there?!
LOL when I read "I'm only Super Grammar Cop when I'm in disguise." that's where you were hidding, in the Grammar Cave?!
I am reading William Zinsser's On Writing Well. It's a guide to writing non-fiction. He has a whole chapter about this same subject.
Also, I will definitely keep you in my sidebar...you're an OG (Original Gangsta) Much love, peace out!.
One that irritated me for a long time was "orientate." According to my dictionary, it means the same thing as the verb "orient," so I just don't understand why someone would go through the trouble of adding an extra, utterly unnecessary syllable. But it is in the dictionary, so I guess I can't really complain.
Also, I think you once mentioned the "word" libary. I thought, "Now, there's one I really don't ever hear. Thank God." Then - bam - twice in one week. I just barely managed to not laugh.
No, no, no! Irregardless is not a synonym of anything!
Next thing you know, one of my bosses patented words: "Ginormous" will be in the dictionary...
I thought woken was a word!!! I have been using it forever! I am ashamed. =)
Irregardless though - even I know that is wrong.
Like R, I have used woken. Or rather - I was woken up by...
Shame shame I know your name. I AM APPALLED.
My MIL used irregardless ALL THE TIME. It drives me nuts. Plus, she says it all slow-like in her Australian accent. Eek. She says it as the start of many sentences.
Gah! Irregardless! That's actually in a dictionary?? It must be, because--horror of horrors--FIREFOX'S SPELL CHECK DIDN'T JUST UNDERLINE IT!! Oh, I am verily dismayed. Sigh.
Some people tell us that language is a living thing, changing and growing, the meanings of words evolving and new ones being added.
Irregardless, I hate change.
I get annoyed when i hear actual words being used in completely the wrong way/context. My current pet peeve is 'do'. Why must people insist on telling me that we should "do life together"? Or that "this is how we do community". Or worst of all that we "need to look at the way we do church". THESE ARE NOT ACTIONS!
stinkypaw: I hate "anyways" too, but I found myself using it the other day. Auggh!
jaek: Oooh! I'll have to add that to my very long "To Read" queue!
sparkling: Ack! both of those are annoying! "Libary" probably wins as worse than "orientate," but I shudder at both. :-)
3car: ummm, ahem, I kind of like "ginormous." Sorry! :-) But I think it should be legal to slap people who use "irregardless." Really.
-r-: you know, I think it's a regional thing. Everyone here (that place where you USED to live) says it. I mean, everyone!
paisley: see comment to 3car. I just made it legal for you to slap your MIL, I think! ;-) But I'm sure you wouldn't do that. You are, however, allowed to THINK it when she says that.
stefanie: I KNOW! Isn't that just insane?!?!
nessa: that just made me giggle. :-)
wire: I use "do" when I'm trying to be a smart arse. I wonder if I do it other times, too?
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