The (grammar) bitch is back ...

[leethet]

I'm reading quite a bit of fanfic right now and although I am enjoying it, I've got to gripe:

The noun is exhalation or inhalation. Exhale and inhale are verbs. For fuck's sake, don't they teach kids anything in school any more? Is this like "That was a hard ask," which I keep seeing in formerly legitimate newspapers where people who are not illiterate would have written "That was a hard question"?

Sam Waterston did a Calvin and Hobbes about "verbing" language, but I thought it was a joke.

OK. I feel better. Thank you for listening (assuming someone is). As ever, anyone who wants to post a pet grammar peeve here is welcome to do so - I always find them interesting.

Comments

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

I have an irrational hatred of "Math"

[leethet.livejournal.com]

You mean instead of "mathematics"?

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

Instead of "maths" - petty i know

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Phooey - we all have our likes and dislikes. That's what grouchy journal entries are for, carping about stuff we know isn't all that important.

But really, I have to agree with you. Is there or is there not an S on the end of mathematics? No one says "mathematic," so why should it be "math" and not "maths"?

[frau-flora.livejournal.com]

I read an otherwise interesting and entertaining article yesterday in which the author constantly used "then" when he actually meant "than". English is not my first language but I don't find it that hard to distinguish one from the other. *shakes head*

[leethet.livejournal.com]

This is where spell check can't help you - where you need an actual ... oh, what was that term, that ancient job description now considered so irrelevant? That's right - copy editor.

Sigh.

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

I dislike intensely the transformation of the noun 'medal' into the verb 'to medal,' not least because the pre-existing verb 'to meddle' sounds identical, but has very different connotations. I also dislike the 'new' verb, 'to ruggedise.'

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah - to medal. "He medaled in the long jump." Sigh. Is it so damned hard to use verbs? Is "He earned a medal" so much more work?

As Calvin said in the aforementioned Calvin and Hobbes cartoon: Verbing weirds language.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced that texting and tweeting with their need to limit word use are partially responsible for things like verbing and the growing lack of proper sentence structure.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

They do make it easier to excuse it, but when we're talking about a news article or a story, there are no word limits. Although I've also noticed that many formerly legitimate news sources rely on fucking tweets from random twits interspersed with random, semiliterate "reporting" from some other random stringer or blogger.

I mean, let's face it, that war is long since lost. I just like to complain about it over here in the cobwebby corner with the other grammar dinosaurs and supporters of graceful use of language.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

So much on-line "reporting" is garbage.

As upset as I get with the NY Times and their "on the one hand and then on the other" coverage they still have some writers that can really make a story come alive. Of course they're losing money and are adding click-bait as we speak...

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Seriously! When you read a good piece, investigative or opinion, you go "Oh, yeah. I remember when newspapers were like this."