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Post by laurenj on May 2, 2014 13:16:25 GMT -4
OK, two places today I saw people (or should I say, "people") use weary instead of wary. And my flipping marketing person does it too! It drives me batty!! It's so damn obvious! (obviously not!) That one drives me batty too and it's really, really common. A woman in my office used the phrase "much to my grandmother's demise" the other day to describe something her grandmother would find disappointing. She makes my ears twitch on a regular basis. She's also warned us not to say anything "deflammatory" about a topic. Oy. Chonies, I involuntarily laughed at "spode" too, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself even if the person was right there in front of me.
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Post by Mutagen on May 2, 2014 15:06:07 GMT -4
OK, two places today I saw people (or should I say, "people") use weary instead of wary. And my flipping marketing person does it too! It drives me batty!! It's so damn obvious! (obviously not!) "Loose" in place of "lose" is the one that makes me all eye-twitchy.
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smockery
Blueblood
Posts: 1,075
Aug 23, 2006 17:01:45 GMT -4
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Post by smockery on May 13, 2014 12:10:47 GMT -4
I have students currently making PowerPoint presentations and the number of times that I've had to correct the apostrophe s makes a plural on the slides is maddening.
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Post by chonies on May 13, 2014 18:03:43 GMT -4
I used to have the occasional fantasy of making things like that an outrageously high penalty--20 pts off, not unlike that urban legend about the professors who handed out exams that say "Please read all instructions before beginning. <blah blah blah> Sign your name, wait five minutes, then leave. Do not proceed with the exam."
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Post by batmom on May 14, 2014 11:37:07 GMT -4
I have decided that "comprise" is a word that can no longer be used. Use it correctly and people will think that you're using it incorrectly. Use it incorrectly and, well, you're using it incorrectly. I am retiring it from my vocabulary.
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Post by granolamom on May 16, 2014 3:59:41 GMT -4
This isn't exactly grammar, but I don't know where else to ask it. I'm sending a letter on behalf of a fundraising committee. I'm not the chair of the committee and don't have any title. Do I sign it:
Sincerely,
Granolamom
Fundraising Committee Granolakid's School
Or do I stick (On behalf of) in front of "Fundraising Committee"? Is this when some archaic form is used, as when the secretary signs for the boss?
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Post by chonies on May 16, 2014 7:26:42 GMT -4
I like the way you have it because it's straightforward and clear.
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Post by Ripley on May 16, 2014 10:28:23 GMT -4
I second chonies' opinion.
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Post by granolamom on May 16, 2014 13:06:27 GMT -4
Great, thanks! Simple works best for me!
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Post by chonies on May 18, 2014 20:23:11 GMT -4
This is more of a gripe, but I'm exhausted by the phrase "get educated." I can't explain why it bothers me, but it does, and there's no particular group who owns this term.
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