In my own brand of civil disobedience, every time I type a period, I follow it with two spaces and then backspace to pretend I'm compliant with your rules, man.
I don’t want to fight about not using two spaces after a period. I just want some sympathy for loving & losing the second space. Another one for your list: bemused. It does not mean amused-but-not-getting-it. It would be nice if it did, but it does not.
I think bemused may have to go into the skunked words penalty box for a while. You should prepare yourself, though, for the possibility that it will come out meaning just that.
It would be a useful word to have, and it’s already in Webster’s: having or showing feelings of wry amusement especially from something that is surprising or perplexing
I used to pounce on badly played homophones, delighting in my vast knowledge, but I have made enough public errors--including two that *you* pointed out--to lose any sense of superiority. Nevertheless, if we relax it will take about six weeks for the language to go straight to hell.
I agree with everything you said! (No wonder my jaws hurt after a little while on the interwebs.) I would, however, like to see "moreso" become standard, since that's an error I used to make all the time. (I may still make it, along with spelling embarrass with only one "r."
One minor note: when I as a young lieutenant in the Air Force, back in 1974, "RTFM" was a daily reminder as we struggled through mastering both classified and unclassified manuals for the Minuteman weapon system. I'd bet is was fairly common a quarter-century earlier. While I'm sure The WELL originated many of those terms, RTFM wasn't one of them (not that you said it was!).
(I'm also happy to say that mastering those manuals helped, in some small way, to bring about SALT I and II some years later.)
Great colyum today. I'm reminded that long ago, when they had the Miss Subways "contest" in NY, one honoree's placard on the trains described her busy schedule and then said, "Withal, she has time to" something or other. She later said in an interview that, for years, people came up to her on the street and said, "Aren't you the 'withal' girl?"
Very nicely done and made me laugh out loud. I'm not going to argue about the two spaces, even though I still do it - but that seems more of a typesetting/layout issue than a grammatical issue, and one has to double-space to create the period in iOS.
I'm peeved by the general upmarketing of language:
It *does* seem that way. There's a whole trend among The Youngs — Ben Yagoda has written about it — to use more words (or more letters: amongst, whilst) when fewer would do.
I once got into an argument with two people who grew up in England, with very different accents, over whether the English use plural verbs with collective nouns. They insisted that “the government are taking action” is not used in England, when I’ve seen it and heard it used in British English untold numbers of times. And admired it! During my editing career, it would’ve saved so many problems when I was under strict orders to stick to the singular for collective nouns. ‘’The family is distraught, but some of it is also angry” is the sort of corner you find yourself backed into.
I'm nonplussed that you didn't include "nonplussed." Or "unphased."
Always leave room for the sequel.
I know you're already honing in on it.
I just saw "phased" in a story today - NY mag I think!
Hahahaha. Or phased.
Come for the copyediting tips, stay for the bidet recommendations - that's quality content!
In my own brand of civil disobedience, every time I type a period, I follow it with two spaces and then backspace to pretend I'm compliant with your rules, man.
I salute your rebellious spirit and your needless extra effort.
I don't want to put in that extra effort! If someone really makes a fuss I'll go through and remove the space for them, the big baby.
I don’t want to fight about not using two spaces after a period. I just want some sympathy for loving & losing the second space. Another one for your list: bemused. It does not mean amused-but-not-getting-it. It would be nice if it did, but it does not.
I learned to type with the two-spaces rule. I didn't love it, and I don't miss it one bit.
I think bemused may have to go into the skunked words penalty box for a while. You should prepare yourself, though, for the possibility that it will come out meaning just that.
It would be a useful word to have, and it’s already in Webster’s: having or showing feelings of wry amusement especially from something that is surprising or perplexing
I used to pounce on badly played homophones, delighting in my vast knowledge, but I have made enough public errors--including two that *you* pointed out--to lose any sense of superiority. Nevertheless, if we relax it will take about six weeks for the language to go straight to hell.
I agree with everything you said! (No wonder my jaws hurt after a little while on the interwebs.) I would, however, like to see "moreso" become standard, since that's an error I used to make all the time. (I may still make it, along with spelling embarrass with only one "r."
One minor note: when I as a young lieutenant in the Air Force, back in 1974, "RTFM" was a daily reminder as we struggled through mastering both classified and unclassified manuals for the Minuteman weapon system. I'd bet is was fairly common a quarter-century earlier. While I'm sure The WELL originated many of those terms, RTFM wasn't one of them (not that you said it was!).
(I'm also happy to say that mastering those manuals helped, in some small way, to bring about SALT I and II some years later.)
Shouldn't it be Daylight-Saving Time?
In a perfect world.
Man oh man this is the good stuff!
How about "Albeit Macht Frei?"
Great colyum today. I'm reminded that long ago, when they had the Miss Subways "contest" in NY, one honoree's placard on the trains described her busy schedule and then said, "Withal, she has time to" something or other. She later said in an interview that, for years, people came up to her on the street and said, "Aren't you the 'withal' girl?"
😂
LOL.
Copy desk? What's that?
Very nicely done and made me laugh out loud. I'm not going to argue about the two spaces, even though I still do it - but that seems more of a typesetting/layout issue than a grammatical issue, and one has to double-space to create the period in iOS.
I'm peeved by the general upmarketing of language:
Authored - why not wrote?
Gifted - why not gave?
Curated - what's wrong with edited or selected?
Countless more.
I've never used iOS — does the second space disappear once the period is created?
Yes. But the habit remains.
Gifted is foil on a filling, nails on a chalkboard, styrofoam squeaking against styrofoam for me.
I wouldn’t dream of arguing with you.
Does it seem to you that people are using more so where they used to just use more? I asked Grammarphobia about that.
It *does* seem that way. There's a whole trend among The Youngs — Ben Yagoda has written about it — to use more words (or more letters: amongst, whilst) when fewer would do.
I look upon this trend more so with bemusement than anger
Ninja level reply
😂
I think amongst and whilst are anglicisms. I don't know if it's English people using them, though.
It's Americans. See Yagoda: https://notoneoffbritishisms.com/2011/04/04/whilst/
I once got into an argument with two people who grew up in England, with very different accents, over whether the English use plural verbs with collective nouns. They insisted that “the government are taking action” is not used in England, when I’ve seen it and heard it used in British English untold numbers of times. And admired it! During my editing career, it would’ve saved so many problems when I was under strict orders to stick to the singular for collective nouns. ‘’The family is distraught, but some of it is also angry” is the sort of corner you find yourself backed into.
I knew it!
If I see " tow the line" or "shoe-in" I have to stop reading.
Yes, we need to put the breaks on alot of this stuff. Liked the crisp explanations.
Hah!
Thank you for the immensely handy term S!MT!!OE!!! How have I managed all this time without it??
Thank you for authoring a wonderful post. Can there please be a part 2.