A bajillion words you are using wrongly
Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 09:47AM
"No matter how brilliant your ideas," I would tell my students, "you will not be taken seriously if you have poor grammar."
That was the "why" I tried to impress on my usually unimpressable sixteen-year-olds. Whether I convinced anyone that it was enough reason to do the odd numbered exercises on pronoun-antecedent agreement in the Warriner's grammar text, I do not know. But I, myself, believed it. And still do.
In the past week, I have stumbled upon two articles that made me reflect on how we use words. The first was one of those click-bait links to an article that was titled "12 most commonly confused words in the English language." I am a real sucker for testing my own knowledge on lists like these. I did OK. But the second article was shocking. On the front page of a local newspaper, the article's writer used the word "enthused" - a term I had always be taught was verboten. Not only the professional writer viewed it as acceptable, but so must have the copy editor.
Google the phrase "common words used incorrectly" and you will get a very long list of scolds regarding how people abuse the English language. Among the ones that are fingers on the chalkboard to me (now there's a dated expression) are:
- enthused, rather than enthusiastic
- nauseated rather than nauseous
- irregardless rather than regardless
- pronouncing the "t" in often
- using the pronoun "I" as the object of a preposition
- using literally when figuratively is accurate
I am by no means making the claim I know all the rules of grammar nor have mastered all the definitions of words. Some words refuse to stay clear in my weak mind - assure or ensure or insure, jealousy or envy, infer or imply. And for 60 plus years, I have had to think hard about whether to use lie or lay and about their respective spellings in the past and future tenses.
I admit that I pass judgement too harshly on people based on what I view as the correct use of language. It's a form of bigotry, I am sure. And I wonder how many people's reluctance to share their thoughts and ideas may be out of fear of making a language faux pas? Who exactly sets the standards for word usage anyway?
I need to continue to remind myself that language is dynamic rather than static. And that I must be both a tolerant and continuous learner myself.
Please feel free to point out writing errors I have made in this post in the comment section below. I promise not to delete them.
Reader Comments (10)
I drives me crazy when people say “anyways.” Now I see it in print (social media, not professional journalism...yet.) Should I get over it? So far, I cannot.
As someone who was more interested in math, science, and computers in school, I largely forgot most of what I was taught in my English classes. I started learning when I had to use language in the real world but it was only after I began blogging that I actually started paying close attention to the rules of grammar.
Anyways,* I would hardly call myself an expert in the proper use of language, but I'm still learning.
*Something for Annette :-)
Annette,
How do you feel about "anywho"? Sort of a Midwestern thing, I think.
Doug
Tim,
Perhaps "necessity is the mother of learning" should be the adage. I feel the same way about math and science - I learned it when I needed it.
Doug
Annette,
How do you feel about "anywho"? Sort of a Midwestern thing, I think.
Doug
Tim,
Perhaps "necessity is the mother of learning" should be the adage. I feel the same way about math and science - I learned it when I needed it.
Doug
Doug:
I’m from the midwest too, so I’m familiar with “anywho.” It seems to be used mostly by older people, as a tongue-in-cheek expression that they know is incorrect. A malapropism, if you will. Therefore, it doesn’t bother me.
Annette
Tim:
I’m far from an expert and am still learning. I am indeed more curious about proper language usage than during my past life as a math educator. (Before I became a librarian.)
Annette
My pet peeves in spelling are loose instead of lose and site instead of sight (think websight) I also find annoying the current trend of not pronouncing the 't's in Important. My final one which I have learned to live with is using the word "like" instead of "um". The young have all become valley girls at least here in my part of the lower mid-west.
HI John,
Yeah, some of those things bug me as well. Isn't it interesting how different people are annoyed by different things?
I was listening on NPR to a Texas reporter who peppered every sentence in her report with "ya know", "I think," and, yes, "like ." She could have cut her time on air in half had she had some decent speaking skills. I guess I am just an old fogey, unable to adjust to youth-speak!
Thanks for reading,
Doug
Where I live in the Midwest a lot of adults say "kindee-garten" instead of "kinder-garten". Drives me crazy.
Hi Amy,
Or just "kinnee-garren".
Keep gritting your teeth!
Hope all is well in Northfield. Say hello to Mr Hillman for me.
Doug
Hi Amy,
Or just "kinnee-garren".
Keep gritting your teeth!
Hope all is well in Northfield. Say hello to Mr Hillman for me.
Doug