He borrowed me Halo 3 while he was out of town.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
English is a living language. For example, the dipshits who try to tell you “ain’t” isn’t a word. If it is in general use, and has a commonly agreed upon meaning then it is a word. If it isn’t in the dictionary, then the dictionary is deficient.
[/quote]
I disagree. Just because an improper contraction is used on a wide scale does not mean it should be accepted as correct.
That would be like doing curls in a squat rack. Since it’s widely done should be accepted as correct?
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
Uncle Gabby wrote:
English is a living language. For example, the dipshits who try to tell you “ain’t” isn’t a word. If it is in general use, and has a commonly agreed upon meaning then it is a word. If it isn’t in the dictionary, then the dictionary is deficient.
I disagree. Just because an improper contraction is used on a wide scale does not mean it should be accepted as correct.
That would be like doing curls in a squat rack. Since it’s widely done should be accepted as correct?[/quote]
But if it was your squat rack in your house it would be correct. Language belongs to the people who use it.
It still wouldn’t be correct, it would be accepted. A squat rack is a rack used for squats, not for curling.
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
It still wouldn’t be correct, it would be accepted. A squat rack is a rack used for squats, not for curling.[/quote]
Right, accepted. But I wasn’t originally talking about accepted or correct. A word is just a little nugget of sound used to communicate information or ideas, and correct or not ain’t gets the job done.
Yes, ain’t does get the job done, it also makes you sound like an idiot.
I’m not an English scholar, but i’ll do my best to correct people if they make a mistake. I do it for their benefit, so they don’t come across as stupid to other people they may speak to.
I expect them to do the same for me.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
JokerFMJ wrote:
It still wouldn’t be correct, it would be accepted. A squat rack is a rack used for squats, not for curling.
Right, accepted. But I wasn’t originally talking about accepted or correct. A word is just a little nugget of sound used to communicate information or ideas, and correct or not ain’t gets the job done.[/quote]
It may get the job done, but just like curling in the squat rack, using “ain’t” is bad form.
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
Yes, ain’t does get the job done, it also makes you sound like an idiot.
[/quote]
It depends on who you’re talking to. I’m from the country, the old folks use ain’t and a lot of generally poor grammer. When I’m around family, people I’m comfortable with, or people whose opinions I just don’t give a shit about I use words like ain’t. When I’m out to impress I’m smart enough to use proper english.
I’m also smart enough to know that when you try to correct someone else’s grammer you only come off as a pompous asshole.
If I wanted to sound like a pompous asshole i’d point out the fact that you misspelled grammar twice in your post.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
By the way, Cortes, is that your name or do you admire the Conquistador?[/quote]
Conqueror of the Aztecs.
The one I see the most is this: “Make sure you bring you gloves with you” I used that as an example, but I see it EVERYWHERE!!! Your! Your! Your!
I see it at every ARMY post I go to, I swear to Christ. It bothers the piss out of me.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
JokerFMJ wrote:
Yes, ain’t does get the job done, it also makes you sound like an idiot.
It depends on who you’re talking to. I’m from the country, the old folks use ain’t and a lot of generally poor grammer. When I’m around family, people I’m comfortable with, or people whose opinions I just don’t give a shit about I use words like ain’t. When I’m out to impress I’m smart enough to use proper english.
I’m also smart enough to know that when you try to correct someone else’s grammer you only come off as a pompous asshole.[/quote]
This is a good point. Language is situational, just like attire. You will lose points for using a Texas drawl in a New York business environment as soon as if you were wearing a cowboy hat. But there are many places in Texas where this would actually ingratiate you with folks in a similar environment.
However, my original point was that there are some things that are just always wrong. I want to loose weight is not correct in any environment (unless, maybe, you are on a sinking ship, I guess).
If you’ve ever looked at any of those profiles on Myspace, Bebo, etc. by the younger generations, and the comments written on them, you’ll see how widespread this has become.
I have difficulty even reading or deciphering that kind of ‘speak’. It’s almost like a different language. It’s like reverse illiteracy. Well, I can read it, but I have to read some of those sentences slowly and over a couple of times before I can decipher what they’re saying. In a lot of cases it doesn’t even make sense at all.
I think perhaps they’ve developed a whole new offshoot of linguistic expression for the functionally illiterate. Only they can read and make sense of their own code. It’s based on typing the way they speak, and using slang and abbreviations.
Look at some of these actual comments left by friends on each other’s profiles. If you want a headache, try to read them, lol.
[i]
“sup bub how u been l8ly lol afta l8 nyt ohh man da car broke dwn an i was nrly hme lol man so now i gtz 2 gt a water pum 4 da car cz i fuk da wun datz in it now lol so yeh get yo Ps so we cn go kruzin well ill let u go now babez ill txt u or sumfng wen i gtz crdt ayt love u yo fiji boii nikalicious”
“sup gurl how u been howz evry wun at yo plce well yeh itz algud wit mai Ps gotta take u fo a spi wun day well yeh it so funny setti still hasnt gne fo em cz mata gotta gt hz 1st u gt sum wun dat cn syn yo log book so me an u can go kuzen lol well it gd 2 hea frm u ill hula at u nxt tym ayt bruhz love u take kea yo fiji boii nikaliciouz xXx”
“yea man ma yoot due xmas eve and dat init
wot u bn up 2 linda??”
“DEN Y DONT U BIRRD IT ND FLY SOUTH 4 DA WINTER.
GWARRN KIYATEE.
IM A BIRDGANGS DA TEAM, SKILLA’S DA NAME.
STAMP IT INNA UR BRAIN.
HOLLA DA DON”
“wt u cnt find man on bebo n
say hello?
jkn wots reli gud tho wot u bn on?
i was in birmz da ova week uno…across da bus station in sum hall init…
reachd up 4 sum shubz still…
hol tite”
“ehh shut up fool…
u think ur all dat now coz u got ur L’s aye…well a lil newsflash buddy u aiint…haha fah i talk shit lol…
i wanna beach it hardz 2moz if its hot bt no where 2 go
aiight bo im out sweet dreams fo me…
i think u should of went to sleep many hours ago coz u’ll need da beauty sleep wid yo ugly face…
OHH SNAP!!
jks jks…i aint sad…
k goodnyte…
x x x”
“haiii baybey!
well im b0red && myspace is farkin up s0 im 0n this gay shizz 0ww! well i have 2 free peri0ds s0 im stuckk h0me!! yuu betar b at sko0l && h0pe yu havin a go0d dayy!! =]]
cant waitt to0 see yuu mishh yur bumm =]]”
“yeah wyong is a good effort aye…
especially wen i was drivin a convertable wid da roof off oww haha…
poker nite? where? wid who?
ehh dnt go 2 cronulla u’ll get wasted by all da ugly wogstaz…nar i dunno…
eehh shut up at least kincumber has shops wen i lived in benny we had a corner store and dat was about it lol…
aite hmb…
xx
do mah new quiz”
[/i]
[quote]malonetd wrote:
Lycurgus wrote:
The verb tense? Are there tenses for other parts of speech?
Yes, there are different verb tenses. Jump, jumped, jumping. But you’re right; it’s not what I meant here.
See, this is why I avoid going out of my to correct someone. You never know when you will make your own stupid mistake.[/quote]
Malonetd, you’re cool. This only caught my attention because I have heard people (in college, no less!) ascribe attributes of particular parts of speech to other parts of speech, e.g. ‘Oh, that’s a noun conjugation!’ and other things that make grammar-nazis and their underlings run to South America.
It’s amazing how this thread began as a simple rant about loose and lose. BostonBarrister’s list deserves to be circulated more widely. Has anyone read Lynn Truss’s book?
[quote]Mick28 wrote:
TQB wrote:
It is actually easy to memorise:
Loose women = good
Lose women = bad
You mean “memorize”.[/quote]
No, that would be 'Murrcan
[quote]JohnnyBlaze wrote:
If you’ve ever looked at any of those profiles on Myspace, Bebo, etc. by the younger generations, and the comments written on them, you’ll see how widespread this has become.
I have difficulty even reading or deciphering that kind of ‘speak’. It’s almost like a different language. It’s like reverse illiteracy. Well, I can read it, but I have to read some of those sentences slowly and over a couple of times before I can decipher what they’re saying. In a lot of cases it doesn’t even make sense at all.
I think perhaps they’ve developed a whole new offshoot of linguistic expression for the functionally illiterate. Only they can read and make sense of their own code. It’s based on typing the way they speak, and using slang and abbreviations.
Look at some of these actual comments left by friends on each other’s profiles. If you want a headache, try to read them, lol.
[i]
“sup bub how u been l8ly lol afta l8 nyt ohh man da car broke dwn an i was nrly hme lol man so now i gtz 2 gt a water pum 4 da car cz i fuk da wun datz in it now lol so yeh get yo Ps so we cn go kruzin well ill let u go now babez ill txt u or sumfng wen i gtz crdt ayt love u yo fiji boii nikalicious”
“sup gurl how u been howz evry wun at yo plce well yeh itz algud wit mai Ps gotta take u fo a spi wun day well yeh it so funny setti still hasnt gne fo em cz mata gotta gt hz 1st u gt sum wun dat cn syn yo log book so me an u can go kuzen lol well it gd 2 hea frm u ill hula at u nxt tym ayt bruhz love u take kea yo fiji boii nikaliciouz xXx”
“yea man ma yoot due xmas eve and dat init
wot u bn up 2 linda??”
“DEN Y DONT U BIRRD IT ND FLY SOUTH 4 DA WINTER.
GWARRN KIYATEE.
IM A BIRDGANGS DA TEAM, SKILLA’S DA NAME.
STAMP IT INNA UR BRAIN.
HOLLA DA DON”
“wt u cnt find man on bebo n
say hello?
jkn wots reli gud tho wot u bn on?
i was in birmz da ova week uno…across da bus station in sum hall init…
reachd up 4 sum shubz still…
hol tite”
“ehh shut up fool…
u think ur all dat now coz u got ur L’s aye…well a lil newsflash buddy u aiint…haha fah i talk shit lol…
i wanna beach it hardz 2moz if its hot bt no where 2 go
aiight bo im out sweet dreams fo me…
i think u should of went to sleep many hours ago coz u’ll need da beauty sleep wid yo ugly face…
OHH SNAP!!
jks jks…i aint sad…
k goodnyte…
x x x”
“haiii baybey!
well im b0red && myspace is farkin up s0 im 0n this gay shizz 0ww! well i have 2 free peri0ds s0 im stuckk h0me!! yuu betar b at sko0l && h0pe yu havin a go0d dayy!! =]]
cant waitt to0 see yuu mishh yur bumm =]]”
“yeah wyong is a good effort aye…
especially wen i was drivin a convertable wid da roof off oww haha…
poker nite? where? wid who?
ehh dnt go 2 cronulla u’ll get wasted by all da ugly wogstaz…nar i dunno…
eehh shut up at least kincumber has shops wen i lived in benny we had a corner store and dat was about it lol…
aite hmb…
xx
do mah new quiz”
[/i][/quote]
I’ve seen specials about how kids are actually turning in hand written papers to their teachers that are written like your examples. They don’t know the difference between that little “text speak” or whatever it is and proper english.
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
If I wanted to sound like a pompous asshole i’d point out the fact that you misspelled grammar twice in your post.[/quote]
And I wouldn’t care.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Uncle Gabby wrote:
By the way, Cortes, is that your name or do you admire the Conquistador?
Conqueror of the Aztecs.[/quote]
I always kind of liked Cortes. Started a lot of arguements in college when I would express admiration of him.
“Oh my god, he’s worse than Hitler!”
[quote]Lycurgus wrote:
Has anyone read Lynn Truss’s book?
[/quote]
“Eats, Shoots and Leaves” is entertaining, but I don’t think it’s useful as “The Careful Writer” by Theodore Bernstein.
Truss’s book reads like a list of her pet peeves. Bernstein’s book is much more of a serious writer’s reference.