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

[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.