# Acceptable English grammar/semantics that you hate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984 "2024-05-23T20:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/221 "2024-06-19T14:31:54Z")
Food for thought, as it were. Or must I say “That is food for thought…”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/222 "2024-06-19T17:10:36Z")
How do you feel about “skim milk”? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/223 "2024-06-19T17:27:07Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > How do you feel about “skim milk”?   I feel that it’s an Americanism. In British usage, milk is whole, semi-skimmed, or skimmed. The Americanism has inflltrated Canada, too, but only the English parts, where you can buy “skim milk”. But in French, it’s still “lait écrémé”, literally “skimmed milk”. The Americanism is a short form that’s doesn’t technically make sense but has become accepted, just like how youse guys spell “colour” and “flavour” wrong. Just one of those things we have to live with. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/224 "2024-06-19T17:29:27Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > Food for thought, as it were. Or must I say “That is food for thought…”? 😉 As Tolstoy definitely didn’t say, but might well have: > Every grammatically correct sentence is correct in the same way. But every peevy amateur grammarian is peeved in their own way. 😁   ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/225 "2024-06-19T17:36:03Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > Every grammatically correct sentence is correct in the same way. But every peevy amateur grammarian is peeved in their own way. > > 😁 **😂🤣😂🤣** ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/226 "2024-06-20T11:16:42Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > “whip cream” is grammatical nonsense and most likely arises, like a lot of linguistic nonsense, from mishearing and lazy thinking. Unless you’re talking about a type of cream meant to be applied to whips. Or a cream made out of whips. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/227 "2024-06-20T14:11:39Z")
Thanks! Makes sense now. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/228 "2024-06-20T14:42:04Z")
I will always capitalize Winter, Fall, Spring, and Summer. Teacher’s instructed us to capitalize the months and days of the week. Thou shall not bestow caps on seasons sayeth the grammar books. I don’t care what the rules say. It doesn’t look correct in a sentence without caps. Apparently, I’m a rebel at heart. Yes, I still use the Oxford comma. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/229 "2024-06-20T15:01:08Z")
I think most of us here prefer the Oxford comma. Hell, I was raised on AP style, which doesn’t use it, and I prefer the Oxford comma. The Chicago Manual of Style prefers it. Good enough for me. But capitalized seasons are only okay for me if they are being personified. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/230 "2024-06-20T16:46:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I will always capitalize Winter, Fall, Spring, and Summer. Fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/231 "2024-06-20T17:03:15Z")
😉 That’s the advantage in being finished with college. A more relaxed writing style is fine for the majority of people. Unless your job involves professional writing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/232 "2024-06-20T17:07:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I will always capitalize Winter, Fall, Spring, and Summer. > > Teacher’s instructed us to capitalize the months and days of the week. Thou shall not bestow caps on seasons sayeth the grammar books. I wonder what’s the logic behind this. I don’t know, although I have a couple of crazy theories. I note that we also don’t capitalize times of day, like noon, dawn, or evening. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/233 "2024-06-20T17:16:29Z")
Someone flipped a coin? 😉 YMMV I consider caps as a way to highlight an important word without using italics or underlining. I will see the doctor next Tuesday. I plan to go to Washington DC this Summer. The important information is more clear, in a paragraph, with the.dates or periods of time in caps. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/234 "2024-06-20T17:39:07Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@aceplace57](#): > > > > I will always capitalize Winter, Fall, Spring, and Summer. > > > > Teacher’s instructed us to capitalize the months and days of the week. Thou shall not bestow caps on seasons sayeth the grammar books. > > I wonder what’s the logic behind this. I don’t know, although I have a couple of crazy theories. > > I note that we also don’t capitalize times of day, like noon, dawn, or evening. My guess is it’s because the days of the week are considered proper names and hence capitalized, like the names of the months, whereas the season names are just generic time periods. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Teacher’s instructed us to capitalize the months and days of the week. Apparently your teacher’s didn’t also instruct you to not throw random apostrophe’s into plural word’s, also known as the grocer’s apostrophe. 😉 [![](https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/pics/grocers_apostrophe.webp) ](https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/pics/grocers_apostrophe.webp) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/235 "2024-06-20T17:47:01Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My guess is it’s because the days of the week are considered proper names Yes, but why? Among the crackpot theories I’ve considered: because at least some of them are named after specific individuals, like Julius Caesar and Thor, whose names are proper names. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/236 "2024-06-20T18:28:27Z")
Right, that seems to be the case. Whereas a bunch of stuff around the internet **[like this](https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/02/why-we-call-the-seasons-summer-autumn-winter-and-spring/)**, whose reliability I can’t vouch for, seems to suggest that the seasons were just named for their characteristics, hence not proper names and not capitalized. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/237 "2024-06-20T18:30:23Z")
OK, another one: Capitalizing proper name initials outside of a person’s actual name, not that I think there are a lot. For example: Kilowatt-hour is properly kWh, because “Watt” was an actual person. Decibel is properly dB because “Bel” [sic] is none other than Alexander Graham. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/238 "2024-06-21T00:55:21Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Kilowatt-hour is properly kWh, because “Watt” was an actual person. > Decibel is properly dB because “Bel” [sic] is none other than Alexander Graham. I believe both of those are the way they’re usually written, but kWh is not consistent with unit prefixes on other contexts, for instance megabyte and gigabyte are usually written MB amd GB (although ironically I think megawatt is usually written mW). In the case of disk and memory sizes, there’s another convention that’s probably not rigorously followed which is that a capital “B” means “byte” and a lower-case one means “bit”. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/239 "2024-06-21T03:34:35Z")
bytes and similar are not really “scientific” or metric units, so there is no official convention to rigorously follow. Not that there is much risk of confusing bits for bels or barns. You can just write 1 Tbit/s and it is clear what you mean. > [@wolfpup](#): > > ironically I think megawatt is usually written mW I do not get the joke and sincerely hope not 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984/240 "2024-06-21T03:45:42Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > ironically I think megawatt is usually written mW > > I do not get the joke and sincerely hope not No joke – I’ve seen it written that way though in a cursory search I can only find references to “megawatts” (spelled out with a small “m”) and abbreviated with a capital “M”. **[So someone needs to explain to me why “kilowatts” conventionally uses a small “k”.](https://www.hydroquebec.com/residential/customer-space/account-and-billing/understanding-bill/kilowatthour-examples.html)** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-english-grammar-semantics-that-you-hate/1001984.md?page=13)