...when really, we all know that should damn well be a biker bar. As in for bicyclists.

I've also seen mention of viscous dogs, people, and cycles, but I'm willing to consider those tyops.

quote:

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...when really, we all know that should damn well be a biker bar. As in for bicyclists.

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Um, may I please have an application?

I'm joining this debate late, so excuse me if this has been discussed, but don't you just hate hone in when the speaker means home in.

To "hone" is to sharpen, as far as I know.

I gather that Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary accepts the usage as being mostly American, but, frankly, there is so much tripe in that dictionary, based on usage rather than correctness, that it should only be used to examine misuse rather than correct use.

... and while I'm on the subject, I found this site to satisfy my pedantic predelictions excellently.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: gil,

Yep, you got it right, colin. It's particularly peeving for Aussies, because we pronounce 'do' and 'due' quite differently' ('dyoo' for the latter). That's what happens when you pronounce them the same... There are quite a few of these.

Heh, I was arguing with a Republican a few days ago who accussed me of 'passassism' because I opposed war...

"Excetera".

Nuff said.

Oh god, I love you guys. Really I do. It's GOOD to know I'm surrounded by individuals striving to BETTER our use of text-on-the-net, rather than pile mud upon it!

I'm on a number of forums, mostly CAR related (strike me down now for my evil, money sucking, cursed hobby) and am surrounded by those who ABUSE our literary system with their...

lolz*mwAhzKekekeeLOLZ*A/S/L?!111LOLZ!!heheehlolz

AAARGH!
There's x3 primary abusers in this instance which hurt like a fork in the eye:
1) Using a "lol" as a full stop. ie:
"Looks like Robert has come into the channel. lol."
Come to think of it, "lol" in general is overabused, even as a contemporary 'net term'. Face it, is the user REALLY Laughing Out Loud?

2) Using accentuation on a word, though accentuating the WRONG character. ie:
"And then he picked up the bookkkkkkkkks!"

3) Typing a statement, and ending with an:
"and yeah"
...
And yeah... WHAT, moron?

Thank you for this opportunity to purge. It's been most appreciated


lol
and yeah.

"Alright" in place of "all right."

I'll never surrender to this most base of colloquialisms. It may be the most insidious of all the Illuminati plots to ransack our language, to tear down its firmaments like a modern Tower of Babel.

[cartman] screw you guys [/cartman]

p.s., yes, the OED.

Can we officially retire "meh"?

Last night in class, instructor asked "So how'd you do on the exam?" and one person fairly shouted "Meh!".

Blergh - I'd never even heard it used verbally, just seen it written, and I was already sick of it. I second astroboy's rant about lol: honest, it doesn't have to be every second word in chat, people? Come on, haven't you ever heard of 'fucking'? That's meant to be every second word!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bravus,

It is every second word Bravus. What do you think the F in WTF stands for? Flapjacks?

- I thought that meant 'Words To Firemen'!

Welsh Terrier Flatulence

Walk Towards Fire?

Watching Totally Flabbergasted

José

Writing The Fiction

Surely that should be 'Teh Fiction'?

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I gather that Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary accepts the usage as being mostly American, but, frankly, there is so much tripe in that dictionary, based on usage rather than correctness, that it should only be used to examine misuse rather than correct use.

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There is no such thing as 'correct usage'. Or rather, there are two points to be made here (and I do this because it bugs me when people think that there is one, and only one, way to do things in language "correctly")

1) Language is changing all the time. Old words get new meanings and new words are invented all the time. Further, words creep into a given language via other languages (e.g. England ca. 1066 c.e. and following). Because someone (person A) doesn't understand the grammatical usage of someone else (person B), it doesn't mean that person B is somehow in the wrong. In fact, person A may be in the wrong because they aren't 'keeping up'. (sort of like our dictionaries don't keep up)

2) The only thing that language is supposed to do is communicate information. That's it. If there is MISCOMMUNICATION (viz. person A above not understanding the grammar [et al.] of person B) then qualification or explanation is called for so that people are on the same playing field... as it were.

Perhaps the issue is one of opposing static and dynamic forces. Some people think that words should always maintain a specific meaning... others simply pick up or invent new meanings and just go with it. Neither way is inherently right or wrong... they just are.

My suggestion is that, if one doesn't understand the grammar/word usage of another, then one should FIGURE IT OUT rather than bitching about it.

Er... no offense intended there, I am a little bitter I admit. It comes from the fact that I have a potty mouth and I get railed for it all the time. Like the word 'fuck' can, in some way, have a value judgement placed on it objectively. Flerg.

Sounds like tripe 'cause it's a foreign dialect of English.

Eh.

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Originally posted by vecna:
Er... no offense intended there, I am a little bitter I admit. It comes from the fact that I have a potty mouth and I get railed for it all the time. Like the word 'fuck' can, in some way, have a value judgement placed on it objectively. Flerg.

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You're arguing the anthropology party line and for
the most part I agree. Dictionaries show how a
word is being (and has been) used, not how they're
supposed to be used.

OTOH, the mutability of language in no way
removes all requirements of appropriateness as
dictated by a particular culture. The ability of
language to change is a group decision and
individuals aren't able to make stuff up willy
nilly, just because they feel like it. It
hampers understanding and, perhaps, violates
cultural rules of etiquette.