Since I posted the link to Nathan Bransford's blog on errors in usage of the English language, I've been noticing and writing down egregious examples of such erroneous usage in printed work:
Shutter used in place of shudder, dribble used in place of drivel, diary used instead of dairy, viscous instead of vicious, hurtling instead of hurling, pummeling instead of plummeting ("pummeling through the sky"!), and whicker (an animal sound) used where the word should have been wicker (a type of furniture).
Some of these examples should never have made it past a competent editor.
Then there was the email I received a week ago from an actual e-book vendor who should have known better: "The Oscar's aired this week and we have alot of the Academy award winner's movie tie-in eBooks featured at . . ."
Gahhhhh!
lead for led, loose for lose. Just off the top of my head these two drive me crazy and I see them everywhere!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!
Geraldine Terry
"Gahhh", lol. Sometimes you just have to laugh (or cry).
ReplyDeleteI'm guilty in so many ways. it's awful. I need a good editor! For sure.
ReplyDelete~K
"effect" for "affect" and vice versa -- it seems some people will NEVER get those write. I cringe every time I see "alot" (and I see it a lot) and frequently feel the need to rant about the atrocities committed to our hapless, helpless language. Poor English, getting so mangled by the ignorant (or stupid. The difference? Ignorance is curable. Let's hope most of the errors are caused by ignorance, and those who make them will learn!)
ReplyDeleteGaahhh, Indeed! Also all the its and it's, their,there, and they're.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Heidi
Good post. I just wished I din't make sew many bistakes. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat drives me looney is that people have forgotten how use the english language in speach. I hear people leave out adverbs all the time and it makes me want to scream. They'll say, "This tupperware seals air tight and it works wonderful." My husband just pats me on the shoulder and whispers 'wonderfully', don't snap.
ReplyDelete