# A Pedantic Current Events Rant (Mild but Pointed) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 14, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993 "2003-12-14T20:57:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/1 "2003-12-14T20:57:36Z")
Because I’ve been reading all of the Saddam threads and losing my mind… It’s Iraq. Capital I, q at the end. There is no “k” in the word. The people of Iraq are Iraqis. There is no “u” in this word. They are not Iraqys, Iraqies, Iraquis or any other bizarro-world variation on the theme. They sure as hell aren’t Iraqi’s and that construction should only be used if you are speaking about something which belongs to a single Iraqi citizen, i.e. “the Iraqi’s hat.” If you don’t know the difference between plurals and possessives yet, you probably shouldn’t be posting about important world issues. The man who was captured was Saddam Hussein. Sa **dd** am Hu **ss** ein. He was the nominal head of the Baath party, whose supporters are known as Baathists. That’s B **aa** th. Note and use those double letters in the middle. Hussein was found near Tikrit. Note that the only vowel in that word is “i.” He was captured by the Fourth Infantry Division. Infantry, not infantrie or infanty, and it has nothing to do with babies. Please absorb these facts, people. We’re fighting _ignorance_ here, and basic spelling and grammatical errors are the most easily irradicated form of that particular pernicious pathogen. Oh, and since this is the Pit, dammit dammit son of a bitch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/2 "2003-12-14T21:05:06Z")
Your experience is **not** universal. The spelling _Irak_ has been used for centuries in some languages. It’s how it is spelled in Spanish, Portugese, French, Netherlands and German. So for a true international polyglot there’s bound to be some slippage in ordinary use. Same for the spelling of both Saddam and Hussein. Lots of variation. I agree with you about apostrophe use though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/3 "2003-12-14T21:13:18Z")
Arabic and Persian (the two languages most in use in the Middle East) are written with entirely different alphabets than the Roman variants we use in the West. Every Roman-alphabet representation of Arabic or Persian names is very much a shot-in-the-dark based on pronunciation, with different linguistic areas using different transliterations. This is one reason the good dictator of Libya has been named Ghaddafi, Ghaddafiy, Qaddafi, Quaddafi and Khadaffy. Names of countries are no different. Strictly speaking, Saudi Arabia should be transliterated 'Arabiyya (I know that’s supposed to be a glottal stop at the beginning, but damned if I can manage it here). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/4 "2003-12-14T21:14:21Z")
Most in use in that section of the Middle East, I meant… ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/5 "2003-12-14T21:21:13Z")
Okay, okay, this is true. So apply my rant only to English speakings of the American variety, then. We’ve got some standards, we should use them. Especially the Iraqui thing. That’s just friggin dumb. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/6 "2003-12-14T21:26:26Z")
Erg. English speak **ers**. Speakers. Not speakings. Oy. ---
**Author:** ![\_possum\_stalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b77776/32.png) [@\_possum\_stalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_possum_stalker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/7 "2003-12-14T21:27:22Z")
For God’s sake, remember Cecil’s ponderings on the “Moomer Qaadaffi” Arabic transliteration problem? I have yet to look at any of these spellings and say, “WTF does that mean?” They’re Oll Korrect as far as I’m concerned 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![\_possum\_stalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b77776/32.png) [@\_possum\_stalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_possum_stalker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/8 "2003-12-14T21:28:37Z")
OK, “Iraqui” _is_ indeed very dumb. I’ll give ya that. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/9 "2003-12-14T21:30:39Z")
Notice the subtle joke of **Qadgop** , who’s well aware that in English the national language of The Netherlands is called Dutch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/10 "2003-12-14T21:31:39Z")
Nah, we used to have a buncha them I-ra-qui up north, but the gov’ment bought their land and they packed up and moved to Canadia… ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/11 "2003-12-14T22:08:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > basic spelling and grammatical errors are the most easily **irradicated** form of that particular pernicious pathogen. I believe you mean **eradicated**? Or **Iraqicated**? Or perhaps **irradicable** , meaning “impossible to eradicate.” Heh, must be a law that says if you gripe about spelling, you’re bound to make a mistake yourself. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/12 "2003-12-14T22:11:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _OP by **TeaElle** :_ > Please absorb these facts, people. We’re fighting ignorance here, and basic spelling and grammatical errors are the most easily **irradicated** form of that particular pernicious pathogen. Don’t you wish you could edit your post and eradicate that? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/13 "2003-12-14T22:14:21Z")
Curses, **Earthling**! I’m foiled once again! Or at least beaten to the punchline. Unless **TeaElle** meant irradiated? Eructated? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/14 "2003-12-14T22:22:27Z")
I assume the … err … _variant_ spelling of “eradicated” is meant to be ironic … ? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/15 "2003-12-14T22:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > \*\*Please absorb these facts, people. We’re fighting _ignorance_ here, and basic spelling and grammatical errors are the most easily irradicated form of that particular pernicious pathogen. > \*\* Don’t you mean \*\*\* eradicated \*\*\* insead of \*\*\* irradicated \*\*\*? (just checking… we are fighting ignorance here, after all!) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/16 "2003-12-14T22:51:30Z")
Dammit. I’m putting it down to a slow dialup connection. (Beaten to the punch _twice over_ … bah.) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/17 "2003-12-14T23:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > **He was captured by the Fourth Infantry Division. Infantry, not infantrie or infanty, and it has nothing to do with babies.** Actually, it does.🙂 The etymology of the word infantry is from the word infant. [infantry](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=infantry) \In"fan\*try, n. [F. infanterie, It. infanteria, fr. infante infant, child, boy servant, foot soldier, fr. L. infans, -antis, child; foot soldiers being formerly the servants and followers of knights. See Infant.] 1. A body of children. [Obs.] --B. Jonson. 1. (Mil.) A body of soldiers serving on foot; foot soldiers, in distinction from cavalry. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/18 "2003-12-15T13:14:40Z")
Ergh. That’s what happened the WMDs, they irradiated my ability to remember how to spell simple words. Eradicated. D’oh. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/19 "2003-12-15T21:08:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Strictly speaking, Saudi Arabia should be transliterated 'Arabiyya (I know that’s supposed to be a glottal stop at the beginning, but damned if I can manage it here). Actually, if I remember my Arabic correctly, the first letter is a `ayn (with the transliteration usually looking vaguely like a superscripted “c”), and isn’t a glottal stop, but a consonant that sounds vaguely like a sheep being choked. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993/20 "2003-12-16T03:58:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > **The spelling _Irak_ has been used for centuries in some languages. It’s how it is spelled in Spanish, Portugese, French, Netherlands and German.** Not only that, but in German it’s “der Irak.” How cool is that? Well, _I_ think it’s cool. And we all know that’s what matters. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pedantic-current-events-rant-mild-but-pointed/218993.md?page=2)