Why Grammar Matters: A Place To Discuss Matters Of Grammar

[shapeshifter]

How do we feel about this evolution of the word "schedule"?
"Sked" seems a little disrespectful/ignorant of valid British pronunciation:

https://deadline.com/2021/11/night-court-nbc-2022-23-season-1234873200/

And it wasn't just a one-off usage: 
google.com/search?q=Skeds+site%3Adeadline.com

[SoMuchTV]

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

How do we feel about this evolution of the word "schedule"?
"Sked" seems a little disrespectful/ignorant of valid British pronunciation:

https://deadline.com/2021/11/night-court-nbc-2022-23-season-1234873200/

And it wasn't just a one-off usage: 
google.com/search?q=Skeds+site%3Adeadline.com

See, now this is why we need a thumbs down reaction!  Maybe you can start a poll?  (Although if the responders are people already reading this thread, you can probably guess what the results will be.)

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

How do we feel about this evolution of the word "schedule"?
"Sked" seems a little disrespectful/ignorant of valid British pronunciation:

https://deadline.com/2021/11/night-court-nbc-2022-23-season-1234873200/

And it wasn't just a one-off usage: 
google.com/search?q=Skeds+site%3Adeadline.com

I tend to dislike all shortened words (and nicknames for that matter). Because get off my lawn! 😂

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

I tend to dislike all shortened words (and nicknames for that matter). Because get off my lawn! 😂

But if they felt the need to shorten it for the space allotted, why not at least: 
   Sched
Oh. It seems to be the name of a scheduling app. 
But if they showed it with a period to denote abbreviation, like:
     "NBC Scheds. Sitcom. . . "
--that should have covered any copyright infringement or other legal issues.

🤷‍♀️

[Zella]

I'm an American, so it's not a pronunciation barrier for me, but skeds seems like a typo for skids. LOL

[Cinnabon]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But if they felt the need to shorten it for the space allotted, why not at least: 
   Sched
Oh. It seems to be the name of a scheduling app. 
But if they showed it with a period to denote abbreviation, like:
     "NBC Scheds. Sitcom. . . "
--that should have covered any copyright infringement or other legal issues.

🤷‍♀️

Yes.

[SuprSuprElevated]

7 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

I tend to dislike all shortened words (and nicknames for that matter). Because get off my lawn! 😂

• Collab
• Merch

[SoMuchTV]

Hey! I’m all comfy on my vacay enjoying some delish sammies! (Not)

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Hey! I’m all comfy on my vacay enjoying some delish sammies! (Not)

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

• Collab
• Merch

NOOOOOOO!

[Mondrianyone]

It's a standard shortened form in the publishing industry and has been for a long time.

[elle]

On 6/27/2022 at 1:29 AM, shapeshifter said:

There’s chilly, chili, and Chile. 
Wrong one:

And since Weed is capitalized, it seems to reference Weed, California, which looks a lot like the background in this image.
This isn’t a real sign, is it?  

Is it the capitalization of chile that bothers you?  The spelling is correct.

Hatch Green Chile - green or red!

[SuprSuprElevated]

I hope this is okay to post.  It's an episode of Barney Miller featuring an NYU (I think) English professor who was arrested for destroying an advrtisement on a public conveyance, because of the assault to the language.  It's less than 30 minutes if you can spare it, and good for a laugh or three.

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Barney Miller was an excellently written comedy, so it is no surprise that there was a plot based on poor grammar driving someone to commit a crime. 
I agree that the 25:11 minute episode is worth viewing in its entirety——especially for the guest stars in the A plot——but if you’re in a hurry, the grammar bit starts at 6:00.
 

Edited July 8, 2022 by shapeshifter

[shapeshifter]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:29 AM, shapeshifter said:

There’s chilly, chili, and Chile. Wrong one:

And since Weed is capitalized, it seems to reference Weed, California, which looks a lot like the background in this image.
This isn’t a real sign, is it?  

Expand  

On 7/4/2022 at 9:24 PM, elle said:

Is it the capitalization of chile that bothers you?  The spelling is correct.

Hatch Green Chile - green or red!

Apparently the "chile" spelling for the pepper is regional:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/usage-chili-chilli-chile#:~:text=Spellings and Locations
So, yes, especially with the capital letter, it seems to signify the country to me.
Perhaps also regional, my Google search results for this search show mostly the "chili" spelling for the peppers:
recipes for chile peppers or chili peppers

Your search results for the same string might be different.

[Zella]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Barney Miller was an excellently written comedy,

Agreed. I discovered it a few years ago (it was off the air before I was born), and I think it's a lot funnier than most of the other shows that age that probably have bigger name recognition but to me come across as way more dated. 

On a side note, I've committed a couple of acts of grammatically motivated sabotage in my time. 😇

[elle]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Apparently the "chile" spelling for the pepper is regional:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/usage-chili-chilli-chile#:~:text=Spellings and Locations
So, yes, especially with the capital letter, it seems to signify the country to me.
Perhaps also regional, my Google search results for this search show mostly the "chili" spelling for the peppers:
recipes for chile peppers or chili peppers

Your search results for the same string might be different.

For me, chili is the dish my mom made with chili powder, chile is the pepper that can be used for food or decoration.  When smells of chiles being roasted fill in the air, fall has arrived!  Start looking for your Christmas ristras! (Not to be confused with the “Christmas” option in which you can get both red and green chile on your burrito or enchilada.)

The Spruce Eats has much of the same info including this note

Chile with an "e" at the end is the most common Spanish spelling in Mexico and other Latin American countries. and the Spanish influenced southwestern states of US, as mentioned elsewhere in the article.

So it would stand to reason that you should look for chile in Chile.

From the culinary side, I found this bit interesting, could make the difference in a recipe.

Generally, if a container says "chili powder," you're buying ground, dried chile peppers mixed with other spices. "Chile powder," on the other hand, should be nothing but dried chile peppers.

I’m sure you also ran across the other meaning for Chile/chile as a slang for the word  child.  Just to add the confusion.

[elle]

4 hours ago, Zella said:

On a side note, I've committed a couple of acts of grammatically motivated sabotage in my time. 😇

“grammatically motivated sabotage”

Very interesting…🤔

I think a story would help me better understand the concept.

Edited July 8, 2022 by elle

[Zella]

1 hour ago, elle said:

“grammatically motivated sabotage”

Very interesting…🤔

I think a story would help me better understand the concept.

There was a sign with an incorrect apostrophe at work. I didn't want to hurt any feelings, so I replaced the sign while the coworker who made it was out to lunch.

I also vandalized a few signs to correct incorrect apostrophes in college. I fixed one in a building after hours and then I also corrected some sign that my RA had out on her whiteboard. God, she was so mad. I overheard her ranting about it in the hallway the next day and pretended to be entirely innocent of all knowledge of what had happened. 

[elle]

20 minutes ago, Zella said:

There was a sign with an incorrect apostrophe at work. I didn't want to hurt any feelings, so I replaced the sign while the coworker who made it was out to lunch.

I also vandalized a few signs to correct incorrect apostrophes in college. I fixed one in a building after hours and then I also corrected some sign that my RA had out on her whiteboard. God, she was so mad. I overheard her ranting about it in the hallway the next day and pretended to be entirely innocent of all knowledge of what had happened. 

So YOU are the Apostrophe Avenger! (do you wear a cape or follow Edna Mode style?)

[Zella]

16 minutes ago, elle said:

So YOU are the Apostrophe Avenger! (do you wear a cape or follow Edna Mode style?)

If I have your permission to steal that awesome title, I would love to be the caped Apostrophe Avenger! I feel like they are the most cruelly misused of all punctuation marks, and I try to rectify it one sign at a time . . . but stealthily because I don't want to be that asshole that makes people dread English majors. 

[elle]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

If I have your permission to steal that awesome title, I would love to be the caped Apostrophe Avenger! I feel like they are the most cruelly misused of all punctuation marks, and I try to rectify it one sign at a time . . . but stealthily because I don't want to be that asshole that makes people dread English majors. 

It’s all yours!  Just let us know when you make your heroic debut on a grammar themed PBS show like The Electric Company back the day. 😀

[SVNBob]

13 hours ago, elle said:

 When smells of chiles being roasted fill in the air, fall has arrived!

Which means it's getting chilly.

[SuprSuprElevated]

So flustrating.

[Bookish Jen]

On 7/3/2022 at 7:11 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Hey! I’m all comfy on my vacay enjoying some delish sammies! (Not)

And while on your vacay wear your sunnies.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Bookish Jen said:

And while on your vacay wear your sunnies.

I had to look up "sunnies." 🤔 😎

Today's episode of Only Murders In The Building had a young teen using so much new slang that the 20-something couldn't figure out what she was talking about. 
For example:

• "...it was a good opportunity to escape dystopian Connecticut and culture-up in Manhatty."

[SuprSuprElevated]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

"...it was a good opportunity to escape dystopian Connecticut and culture-up in Manhatty."

Ugh

[Crashcourse]

I was watching Fredricka Whitfield on CNN today, and she said "lacksadaisical" instead of lackadaisical.   I've heard that mispronunciation before, but not from a news anchor.  She should know better.

[shapeshifter]

33 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I was watching Fredricka Whitfield on CNN today, and she said "lacksadaisical" instead of lackadaisical.   I've heard that mispronunciation before, but not from a news anchor.  She should know better.

Yes, but also: https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2012-11-11/lax-about-the-pronunciation-of-lackadaisical
I wonder how she typed it.

[Browncoat]

There was some major flood damage in my state a few days ago, and the local news reader (at the flood site) pronounced the "s" in "debris."  As in, "It will take days to clean up the debrees."  The anchor, back in the studio, made a point of using the word and pronouncing it correctly when the camera came back to him.  

[Cinnabon]

3 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I was watching Fredricka Whitfield on CNN today, and she said "lacksadaisical" instead of lackadaisical.   I've heard that mispronunciation before, but not from a news anchor.  She should know better.

Ugh. And it seems the difference between “less” and “fewer” no longer exists. It’s not hard, people! 😢

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

 Ugh. And it seems the difference between “less” and “fewer” no longer exists. It’s not hard, people! 😢

14 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I was watching Fredricka Whitfield on CNN today, and she said "lacksadaisical" instead of lackadaisical.   I've heard that mispronunciation before, but not from a news anchor.  She should know better.

Apples🍎🍏 to oranges 🍊🍊, my friend:

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, but also: https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2012-11-11/lax-about-the-pronunciation-of-lackadaisical

Edited July 18, 2022 by shapeshifter

[shapeshifter]

But how is Round Eyeglasses spelling it?
Maybe "should've" with a regional pronunciation?

[Cinnabon]

6 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

But how is Round Eyeglasses spelling it?
Maybe "should've" with a regional pronunciation?

The pronunciation is similar everywhere, imo. It’s plain old ignorance to write “should of.”

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

The pronunciation is similar everywhere, imo. It’s plain old ignorance to write “should of.”

In my mind, if someone pronounces should've as:
     should əv
(with a schwa sound) it is correctly spelled, 
but if someone pronounces it with a short U like:
     should ŭv
then I imagine them spelling it as: should of

So, just be glad all y'all aren't living inside my mind.

Edited July 26, 2022 by shapeshifter

[ABay]

I don't know how "from" was dropped from phrases like "I graduated from college" or why people forget how they were saying things before, but I wish it would stop. If anyone knows who started it, give me a name and I'll fetch my graduated pitchfork and torch.

[legaleagle53]

On 7/26/2022 at 5:34 AM, ABay said:

I don't know how "from" was dropped from phrases like "I graduated from college" or why people forget how they were saying things before, but I wish it would stop. If anyone knows who started it, give me a name and I'll fetch my graduated pitchfork and torch.

Technically, it should be "I was graduated from college." The passive voice is the preferred usage, but I haven't seen or heard it used in decades. It's a case of a deponent verb (passive in form but active in meaning) having made the full transition to a transitive verb in the active voice.

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Technically, it should be "I was graduated from college." The passive voice is the preferred usage, but I haven't seen or heard it used in decades. It's a case of a deponent verb (passive in form but active in meaning) having made the full transition to a transitive verb in the active voice.

I blame MS Word's Grammar Check.

[shapeshifter]

This recent NY Times article, "Are Participles a Thing of the Past?" by Columbia University linguist, John McWhorter (nytimes.com/2022/08/02/opinion/past-participle.html) covers  common misuses similar to what we often enjoy ranting about. 

I especially liked his concluding paragraph:

• "Standard forms will always exert a social pull: I’m not calling for anyone to ignore the difference between 'sing,' 'sang' and 'sung' in formal language. But to the extent that anybody doesn’t distinguish all three forms consistently in casual speech, there are no grounds for judging it as slovenly. How we use English in its Sunday best is one thing, and we should all have our linguistic tuxes at the ready. But in terms of English in a T-shirt and jeans, we should listen to it as unbiased spectators — of the kind of thing all languages have done forever."

[Browncoat]

Aww, that article is behind a paywall.

[shapeshifter]

11 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Aww, that article is behind a paywall.

I can message you a gift link. I get 10 per month. And I think I can offer the same article to multiple people and it only counts a one. We could experiment.
Or you might try another browser that you don't usually use.

[Zella]

It sometimes work to refresh and then stop the refresh early. Or to try the link in the Wayback Machine. 

[Browncoat]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I can message you a gift link. I get 10 per month. And I think I can offer the same article to multiple people and it only counts a one. We could experiment.
Or you might try another browser that you don't usually use.

I’ll try it on my computer at work today.  I browse in incognito mode there — sometimes that works.

[Cinnabon]

You can also try accessing the article from within Twitter. That often works for me.

[Browncoat]

Just now, Cinnabon said:

You can also try accessing the article from within Twitter. That often works for me.

I'm not on Twitter, and incognito mode did not work for me.  

But I will always judge "I have sang" (or worse, "I have drank") as slovenly.  It's like ice picks to my ears.

[Crashcourse]

On 7/26/2022 at 8:34 AM, ABay said:

I don't know how "from" was dropped from phrases like "I graduated from college" or why people forget how they were saying things before, but I wish it would stop. If anyone knows who started it, give me a name and I'll fetch my graduated pitchfork and torch.

Thank you!  That drives me crazy!

[SuprSuprElevated]

[SVNBob]

That is correct.

[shapeshifter]

Maybe they are tutoring for The History of Architecture?

[Browncoat]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe they are tutoring for The History of Architecture?

Is that better or worse than Windsoring?