There are many sayings out there which we've heard and understood, but misinterpreted when we go to write them down.
Of these, the most frequently misspelled one I've seen around here is "could care less" instead of the actual phrase "couldn't care less." This one isn't even slang, yet is treated as such. If you say that you could care less, that doesn't mean very much of anything at all. You care somewhat, because you COULD, in fact, care less.
If you couldn't care less about something, that means that you care so little about that topic that it is impossible for the amount of shit you give to be any less.
That's the most prominent example that comes to mind for this, so hopefully some of my fellow grammar fellows out there can come up with other misheard and thus misspelled phrases in common english. I think it absurd that people actually understand "I could care less" to mean that said person could not care less.
Phrases and Sayings
Started by
Secret Igshar
, Sep 01 2010 02:37 PM
4 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 01 September 2010 - 02:37 PM
Kingroy: ( 4:40 PM - 02/10/14)
u can't own black people
Kingroy: ( 4:40 PM - 02/10/14) #ThanksLincoln
#2
Posted 01 September 2010 - 02:40 PM
That one actually bothers me a lot. I'm just like, seriously? Listen to what you're saying. It doesn't make sense.
Also, when people use "of" when they should be using "have", as in "could have", "should have", etc. I am extremely bothered.
Also, when people use "of" when they should be using "have", as in "could have", "should have", etc. I am extremely bothered.
Edited by Sodomize-it Soro, 01 September 2010 - 03:00 PM.
#4
Posted 03 September 2010 - 10:52 PM
"Trying to make a turd look pretty." Amusing.
"I don't want no [insert thing]." Grammatically doubtful.
"I don't want no [insert thing]." Grammatically doubtful.
"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
— Mark Twain
“I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!”
— General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord
#5
Posted 04 September 2010 - 01:32 PM
On the topic of poor grammatical structure, we read a very interesting short story yesterday in Creative Writing, titled "Bullet in the Brain." It was interesting because the protagonist disliked the tried-and-true methods of utilizing the English language and expressed a fondness for the times when an author, speaker, or bystander used words incorrectly or in a grammatically questionable manner.
The specific example used in the text was said in flashback by a boy. When asked what position he would like to play, he replied with Shortstop, clarifying his reasoning as "Short's the best position they is."
The protagonist found a sort of fascination with his usage of the short phrase "they is" rather than the more correct "there is" which would be expected. This was a rather interesting revelation to me, in particular, because, when I thought about it, very rarely do you see writers in popular novels use much in the way of "new" English. More often than not, writers tend to fall into methods, phrases, colloquialisms, and metaphors which have been used previously and have been proven to be effective.
On that note, to relate this all back to the topic, I actually tend to dislike it when someone quotes popular Shakespeare lines in order to clarify their own statements. I find it comes across as the person attempting to appear more intelligent than s/he necessarily is and thus gives said person a rather "fake" air about him/her.
I am also very much put off by those people who feel the need to inject "like" between every three words when speaking. Those who utilize "you know" bother me significantly less, while "um" proponents garner nearly identical disdain from me as those who enjoy "like."
Oh, as a final addition to this post, I also very much dislike when a writer leans too heavily on simile and metaphor (mostly simile). To me, simile is a very unnecessary writing technique. It bothers me when I read a fantasy story and something is likened to an object which would not exist in said world. It feels as though I was just booted from the unique universe in which I had immersed myself in order to contemplate the item from reality which is being used as a comparative.
The specific example used in the text was said in flashback by a boy. When asked what position he would like to play, he replied with Shortstop, clarifying his reasoning as "Short's the best position they is."
The protagonist found a sort of fascination with his usage of the short phrase "they is" rather than the more correct "there is" which would be expected. This was a rather interesting revelation to me, in particular, because, when I thought about it, very rarely do you see writers in popular novels use much in the way of "new" English. More often than not, writers tend to fall into methods, phrases, colloquialisms, and metaphors which have been used previously and have been proven to be effective.
On that note, to relate this all back to the topic, I actually tend to dislike it when someone quotes popular Shakespeare lines in order to clarify their own statements. I find it comes across as the person attempting to appear more intelligent than s/he necessarily is and thus gives said person a rather "fake" air about him/her.
I am also very much put off by those people who feel the need to inject "like" between every three words when speaking. Those who utilize "you know" bother me significantly less, while "um" proponents garner nearly identical disdain from me as those who enjoy "like."
Oh, as a final addition to this post, I also very much dislike when a writer leans too heavily on simile and metaphor (mostly simile). To me, simile is a very unnecessary writing technique. It bothers me when I read a fantasy story and something is likened to an object which would not exist in said world. It feels as though I was just booted from the unique universe in which I had immersed myself in order to contemplate the item from reality which is being used as a comparative.
Kingroy: ( 4:40 PM - 02/10/14)
u can't own black people
Kingroy: ( 4:40 PM - 02/10/14) #ThanksLincoln
