Such as it is. :-)

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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.

Everything on LJ is now in Russian. Or else I've had a stroke ...

Sudden "rush" of readers for my stuff on AO3. Curious to think I'd be benefiting, so to speak, from the new movie, but I have to assume that's what it is. Anyone else seeing an increase in readership action?

Loretta Ross has a novel out. Those of you who know and love her work might want to go check it out here.

... because, well, for a start, what the FUCK is going on with LJ (as well as what the FUCK is going on with Windows, but I know the answer to that [recent security updates are trashing fonts]). But really because I see this kind of regularly and I thought I'd do a mini-rant on language use.


That bike you ride in the gym that doesn't get you anywhere? It's not a recumbent bike. It's a stationary bike. Recumbent means you ride it in, basically, a supine position. Those are street bikes. Gym-style stationary bikes are quite upright in construction.

Also, stop saying "in regards to." It's "in regard to." Regards are greetings and well-wishes. You give someone regards. If you're referring to a particular topic, it is "in regard to the matter at hand."

Also also also ... this is, I think, a regionalism of the middle U.S. Just a theory. But certain folks have a penchant for "The reason why is because ..." It makes me want to scream. It's enough to be redundant, but doubly redundant? "The reason is [STATE REASON HERE]." God almighty.

And because I always enjoy other people's pet peeves regarding language, feel free to post anything that's recently made you grit your teeth.

Though I hope I'll have at least one more, as it's early yet.

A lot of people think they want constructive criticism. Until they get it. Then they realize it's not a synonym for unthinking praise.

Note: I was reviewing some old posts about the craft and remembered that I had had some really fun ones in another fandom so I went over there and collected some, and will post a few here. Those who know me know this, but for those who don't: You can say anything in my LJ. If it's offensive you won't get a pass on it, but I censor no one, I ban no one, and I'm not afraid of being corrected or disagreed with. This is unlikely to come up in regard to these writing questions; just makin' the point.

Here's the thing. I re-read my own stuff and I like it, but I don't love it. I wouldn't place me in a list of my favorite writers, or more accurately, in a list of the best fandom writers. So ...

[Poll #1974441]

Please elaborate upon your answer in a comment!

On this Independence Day ... *



I'm saying it here because I'm bursting to say it, not because it hasn't been said, nor because it needs saying by me. Damn it, if you are a fucking ignorant bigot, don't expect not to get shot down for it in a world that is now, finally, stepping out of the dark ages of ignorance and bigotry on a lot of things. There's a difference between not being interested in something and in thinking something, or some kinds of human beings, are somehow subhuman. Free speech and tolerance don't cover you just getting a pass on that offensive bullshit.







* Points for guessing the movie [edit: the movie the song I'm quoting is from, to be clear] in a group that in general is old enough or educated enough to not think a photo of the Challenger exploding is a shot of fireworks, for fuck's sake.