I work at the LIBRARY with a girl who says "I bought in some cookies," and she says bought instead of brought every single time. She also says theirselves and hisself. Drives me up a wall.

On QVC the morning ladies are always saying "go head and order it now" instead of "go ahead "they use that constantly. Maybe it's a philly thing I don't know.

I so want to correct people all the time when they misuse than and then but realized so many people do it, I would spend my day correcting them. Then I realized when my browser started underlining my typo's, I typed exercise wrong all the time so who am I to judge other people's mistakes? LOL We all make them. And we don't always realize we're doing it wrong. But yeah, when others make the same mistake over and over again it's irritating. Than and then are the biggest mistakes. Should of is the other one. And the your and you're. Like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. But I say nothing. Because I'm sure somewhere in this post, I've made a grammar error or used the comma in the wrong place........... I will correct a typo in the subject line if the OP made a mistake. I find myself doing that often. Technically the a in 'and' should be capatilized.......

I see the use of loose instead of lose so often, and anyways instead of anyway,(oh, I know it's acceptable, but I hate it!) and myself instead of me.

Just have to add 2 things I noticed this morning.

On one commercial, the announcer used the word 'foward' rather than correctly pronouncing it 'foRward'. That's a chalkboard grating to me.

This one's not particularly a mistake. On another commercial, discussing the car's airbags, the announcer commented, "In case of an 'incident'..." Now, why does everything these days have to be in 'new-speak'? Is there any reason the population wouldn't have understood if she'd said what most of us would? "In case of an ACCIDENT"?

Working as a sub recently I had the same response...GRRR!!
when asked by a seventh grader "can I go to the bathroom", without thinking i guess...i responded..."I know you can"
but your asking "may I go to the restroom, right?" he looked a little confused, but agreed...another one that "get's my goat" is "I'm itching my "....whatever, surely this is incorrect, it makes my ears hurt!

LOL Debby, you gave me a big laugh. I turned off my spell-check long ago. I couldn't get anything done with it working!

JMHO but I don't think the location in which you live makes any difference in the spelling or pronounciation of words. Accent is one thing, but wrong words is just lack of learning!
OK, maybe I'm not so HUMBLE, but that is what I think! :o)

Well, location does make some difference that's not always accent-related. For example, the word "caramel". Some areas pronounce it "car-mel" (losing the a). Others (including myself) pronounce it "care-a-mel".

I just looked up CARAMEL in the dictionary.

The first (and accented) sylable is "car." I think that indicates that it starts with "car" like the automobile. I am suprised that the letter "a" doesn't have a pronounciation marking.

When I moved to the buckle of the bible belt I found it very disconcerting that "sex" had become a noun and "fellowship" a verb.

I felt like I'd fallen down the rabbit hole. Sometimes I still do, and it's 30 years later. Sex instead of gender really bugs me. Though not nearly as much as AX for ask.
j

Gemini:

No, it's not a Philly thing. I live here and have never heard that before, nor have I heard it on QVC. But then again, I don't watch it much.

Your and you're is another one people misuse alot.

Interesting, Hayjud. So it's car, not care. Well a whole bunch of people, including myself, are pronouncing it wrong! And the lack of the "a" is interesting, too.

As jerri said, I also get annoyed by using the word "sex" instead of "gender". Oh well.

OK,,here is my list..

Sherbert instead of Sherbet
Expresso (espresso)
Mushroon(mushroom)
Idea(ideal)
Pitcher(picture)
Prostrate(prostate)
Embroadried(embroidered)
A Stigmatism (astigmatism)
WaLa (viola)
Rigamortis (rigor mortis)
Umbiblicle cord (umbilical)
Bronical (bronchial)
Reflex disease(reflux)
Predisone(prednisone)
I could go on,,but my two of my favorites are from a neighbor...her husband had a lump in his TENTACLES,,,and her daughter was going through PUBICY!!! It was hard to listen to her with a straight face!

I love these "English lessons"
Here's on for-To and too
Just remember that the only meanings of too are "also" ("I want some ice cream too.") and "in excess" ("Your walkman is playing too loudly."). Note that extra O. It should remind you that this word has to do with adding more on to something. "To" is the proper spelling for all the other uses.

List of errors

The one that really makes me want to scream is "Conversate" when they mean "Converse". It used to be "orientate" when they meant "orient". 'Nuff said (lol).

Jann

Umbiblicle cord (umbilical) ROFL! That's so funny!

And no, the dictionary doesn't change it's pronunciations depending on where in the country you live. Words should be pronounced the same no matter where you live.

And I say care-é-mel. hmmmmmm Actually it doesn't matter how you say that word as long as you have one and give it to me. =o)

You know what really bugs me?

A thread like this comes up every few months, those of us who are "grammar police" post our peeves and gripes, and yet people continue to make the same mistakes. I guarantee that we will still see "loose" instead of "lose," "it's" instead of "its," and "should of" instead of "should have."

Many people who make these mistakes don't realize that they're making mistakes, they don't understand the correct usage of certain words (such as "which" versus "that" and "affect" versus "effect"), and have no desire to read Eats Shoots and Leaves or Elements of Style.

I'm a technical writer and editor, and I've given up correcting my husband, who mispronounces many words, misuses many others, and is a terrible speller. It's just too tiring!

I frequently see "to" instead of "too." Example: I turned the heat down, and now I'm to cold (instead of too cold).

Another is the abbreviation for et cetera. Often I see ect. instead of the correct etc.

And Caroline, LOL at your neighbor! That reminds me of the man who does yard work for us. He refers to my sedum plants as semen!

This is fun - there are even some errors in this thread. I suspect that they're accidents by people who know better and didn't mean to type it the way they did. I am certainly prone to that (as I am fully capable of spelling something wrong).

Yes, there are errors in this thread. I make them too, but I try to use proper spelling and grammar. I wouldn't mind being corrected when I make my errors, as I try to get it right.

I do cringe at the wrong use of to/too; their/there/they're; and "of" as in "should of" and "could of" instead of using "have". Also, my MIL pluralizes "people" and always says "peoples". For "chiropractor", she says it like "quiropractor". It drives me crazy.

I also have people at work mispronouncing words. Examples that come to mind are "tenderitis" for "tendonitis", and "squirelliosis" for "scoliosis". I also had someone who told me he has "a 'cadillac' in each eye! And someone else meant to say he had trouble with his "sciatic nerve" but he said he was having problems with is "psychotic nerve. All of these clients have high school diplomas.

My MIL has beautiful handwriting. Unfortunately, she should only use it to sign her name. She has horrible spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. She knows she makes a lot of mistakes, and she knows that I know when she makes them. However, I think it's best for family relationships if I do not correct her. So unless she asks me to correct something (she has a couple of times), I keep my mouth shut.

*Except* when she told us she planted bulbs in her front yard in Ohio and "armadillos were coming up all over the place." Then, I laughed until I cried and fell out of my chair. Now, when we send her flowers, it's always a potted "armadillo" (a.k.a. amarillis).

I even kept my mouth shut when she was complaining about corrupt morals and values in Congress and told me, "That's where they need some of that ethnic cleansing."

We tease her, but it's all in good fun. She knows people can't help but laugh at some of what she says. There is much more to life than perfect grammar and spelling. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

"squirelliosis"... OMG I'm falling off my chair laughing. I think I may work with some people who have squirelliosis. Actually, my dear SIL definitely has a serious case! LOL

Is squirrelliosis anything like ADHD?

Is there even a word CARMEL, meaning the yummy CARAMEL?

I definitely know how to spell/type "forward", but having grown up in the South, we tend to overlook the Rs. I do say fo ward, and get laughed at when I can't seem to understand that a "corner" is not pronounced cawnah. Sorry 'bout that.

Spelling and pronouncing aside, something that really irks me is not using punctuation in writing. Trying to read help sites where the instructions are not punctuated is almost no help at all.

This is all a part of the "Dumbing Down of America" that we don't even see mentioned any more.

Sue

My former employer says chi-pot-le (rhymes with bottle) instead of chi-pote-lay. Every time she would say that word, I wanted to correct her, but I'm too busy giggling inside thinking about the jalepeno commercial where the lady calls it galapino. This is the woman who tried to correct me when I told her I love the fact that a lot of Joe clothes (Superstore stuff) has binding on the shoulders. She said in a really smug voice, "it's called SERGE!" Yeah, my mother is a seamstress, I got straight A's in sewing and cooking and I told her that a few times, and she's called seam binding "serged" ???? It took everything I had not to scream. There is a big difference in the two, besides, it's almost impossible to find any article of clothing that is store bought that isn't serged!

Okay, done venting. I feel better. Got that off my chest...

There is a word "Carmel". It's a small, very pricy town on the California coast. It is pronounced "car-MEL".

I've heard "caramel" pronounced both "CARE-a-mel" and "CAR-a-mel", but if I hear "CAR-mel", ir really sets my teeth on edge, LOL. That middle syllable is there for a reason! Use it.

Wow this is a funny thread. Sable ca, that was so funny!

I'll add one that bothers me, although I can relate to all the previous posts;

Further and Farther

Even though I recognize mistakes other people are making, I miss my own all the time. If I'm careful when I write a letter I do a nice job, but here I spew comments with out editing my posts. I usually notice my mistakes after they have posted. My brain knows that I mean "they're" or "their" but my hands type "there". It's the same with the "knows" and the "No's". I understand the difference and when to use them, but sometimes my hands just seem to do their own thing. I'll even type "know" when I mean "now".

My ears are much more sensitive than my eyes and I am sure that has something to do with the amount of technical communicating I do these days. It really is a shame to think of how much we are losing out on by not having face to face conversations anymore.

The "Elements of Style" was an assigned book for me in High School, out here in the wild west.

If you are in central Indiana, Carmel is not pronounced Car mel. Our town is Carmel.

Hey, I was gone, running errands. This thread is so much fun to read.

I'm over 60 and sometimes I could even struggle to remember how to spell my name.

I know so many people that use these strange versions of words. It's a cringe/ laugh situation.

BTW when I looked up "Caramel" well, I actually looked for "CARMEL" because I thought it was spelled that way. CARMEL isn't even in the dictionary (not even the name of a town.)

You know what my pet peeve is?? Even worse than the incorrect usage? (Although I do cringe when I see a possessive "s" where there should be none - as someone mentioned "the Maxwell's" - I want to ask "The Maxwell's what? House? Car? Dog?)

Has anyone noticed how many people say "Amazing"? I can't think of the awards show I watched, perhaps the last Oscar Awards, where everyone who came on worked at least one "amazing" into their acceptance speech! I am starting to wonder if there are no other descriptive terms except amazing.

I grew up in Texas where we say things our own way. That didn't mean I didn't make good grades in grammar (often spelled "grammer"). We even make fun of ourselves for talking the way we do. I still say "fixin' to" - sorry, y'all, (another one), but I like talking this way.) :) There are other areas of the country where "talking" is pronounced "tawking" and others put "r"s where they aren't - "Cuber" for "Cuba". I love it all! I grew up Baptist, but went to church with someone who called it Blabtist!

YES!!! I was griping to my hubby the other night about how the word AMAZING is over used,,,UGH!! And GONE MISSING bugs me.

I forgot these,,,Hubby says Fire extinGLISHER,,,my grandpa called a helicoptor a helliscoptic,and the chrome on a car was the jerome...lmbo at this thread,,,

Yins should live in Pittsburgh!

That's yinz... by the way!

Another is when someone says, for example, they put the socks in the draw.
Saying it is bad enough... spelling 'drawer' d-r-a-w is sooooo wrong!

I haven't lived there in 22 years.....never actually saw it written. We still have fun with some of the expressions....The dog wants out, my hair needs warshed, but yinz and youins are my favorites.

My DH just caused me to remember that some of this miss-use ( there should be two words for use and use ((usz))???) is due to poor hearing. How do you like that for slaughtering punctuation marks? LOL

He repeats things he "hears" on TV and I have to spell them to him so he can understand what was actually said.

He doesn't think he needs a hearing aid, because HE gets along fine ...... Grrrrr! There is also the little matter of $$$$$$$$! (another subject!)

I noticed on another GW forum that someone had said "Her and her husband have been ...". Same issue as I noted above "Her and I went to the store".

That seems so pervasive these days. Would people say "Her went to the store"? Or "Her has been ..."? No - they would say "She went to the store". "She has been...". Therefore, it is "She and I", "She and her husband".

Sorry for repeating, but that just drives me nuts. :-)

Even worse, perhaps, is "Me and her went to the store". ARGH again! That's just wrong all around.

Suzique

My FIL talks like this: "So I says to him..."

And then there was the vice presidential debates......I heard "Also, too" so many times by one candidate I just had to laugh.

My pet peeve is people adding apostrophes where they don't belong. Apostrophes denote possession (Carl's house) or a contraction (don't). They aren't to be used as PLURALS.

On the garden forum, somebody says, "Where should I plant my azalea's?" Your azaleas what?

"We still have fun with some of the expressions....The dog wants out, my hair needs warshed, but yinz and youins are my favorites."

Interesting!

Never heard or said warshed or youins... and I have been here for 50 of my 53 years.

How about "you know" and "I mean". So much of that in the TV news interviews.

I can't stand ax instead of ask!! Drives me up the wall!

When I moved south-I came to like 'fixin to' and ya'll. They make sense to me, although I don't use them myself. I think if I stayed in GA, I would have eventually started using those words.

Remember back when everyone hated aint and aint got?? LOL.

....hate to admit it-the dog wants out is something I would say.

I'm glad to see there are so many others who are driven crazy by the abuse of the English language. Just listen to the so-called "professionals" who report the news on television. It is pathetic!

I am going to risk opprobrium here and defend "ax" instead of "ask". To me, it's dialect, like nukular instead of nuclear and calvary instead of cavalry. I also love "fixin to", as I attended college in Texas and came home to Chicago saying "Are y'all (sp?) fixin to eat now?" Drove my language-perfect parents crazy.

Dialect is different than grammar. IMO it adds color to language, and I wouldn't change our various ways of speaking for anything! Also, I am far more bothered by writing errors than by speaking errors; am not sure why that is.

I admit it! I am SO guilty of putting that little ' in words that end with an S because I just forgot the rule! LOL Do I put an s at the end of Jones? And is it the Joneses, or Joness. Their last name is Jones. You say "the Smiths" so when you pluralize Jones, is it Joness or Joneses. LOL Okay, I'm giving myself a headache now. Add the 's only if the word is plural. Got it! If I do it again, remind me!!! okee dokee?

My mother in law always says, "I done that" Because of that one of her former foster kids that we raised for a few years, always said it too. His younger brother never did, oddly enough. You think I could get this boy to stop saying I done that? We done that? They done that? Everyong done that? Grrrrrrrrrrr There's something else they always say too, but I can't remember what it is. It will come to me though.

I have a friend who says she not only will warsh the clothes but she will rench them, too.

I know a couple who grew up 15 miles apart in NC. One says you'ns and the other doesn't. I worked with a girl from PA who said you'ns.

Around here I have gotten used to hearing "The bread is all." "Outen the light."

Colloquialisms I can appreciate, but not bad grammar among people who should know better.

Sue

Do I want a dinning room in my house???

I had a friend, when asked if she'd eaten already, would say "I done et." I have also heard "feetses" for "feet" and "mens" for "men". This was a fuuuuuunnnnn read! :)

Now, as this thread has been taken on a life of it's own, I will admit to one completely wrong, local colloquiallism that I am very careful to ALWAYS use--even though, in other areas of the country, and grammatically, it's completely wrong.

In the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, when we want to tell someone we're heading to the beach, the 'proper' term we use is "We're going 'down the shore'." Of course, it should be 'down to the shore', but no one ever says that--not even news anchors from out of town (they seem to indoctrinate them into that particular expression as a matter of pride--LOL).

Have a Great Day.