# Another "misspellings or grammatical errors that drive you nuts" thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 16, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183 "2008-08-16T03:22:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/121 "2008-08-20T14:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I’ve always wondered if it was some kind of state law here that roadside boiled peanut stands must misspell either boiled or peanut. (Also, they must be sloppily done in either green or red paint). The other day I saw a sign advertising “Boiled Peanut’s”. Ah, so close! [/QUOTE] Those must be made by the same Roadside Stand Sign Printing company that makes the signs around here that say, “Tomatoe’s Cantalope’s Wattermellon’s Zucchinni Aspergus” And so on… ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/122 "2008-08-20T14:34:55Z")
This morning on the news crawl: “The construction of a virtual fence on the US-Mexico border …” Last I checked, they were building an ‘actual’ fence there. I can accept some wiggle room on the use of 'virtually" to mean ‘almost’, but replacing the word ‘actual’ with ‘virtual’ should be a felony offense. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/123 "2008-08-20T15:51:51Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] Those must be made by the same Roadside Stand Sign Printing company that makes the signs around here that say, “Tomatoe’s Cantalope’s Wattermellon’s Zucchinni Aspergus” And so on… [/QUOTE] Aha, Asperger’s syndrome! That explains so much! ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/124 "2008-08-20T15:55:41Z")
This from the magazine _Private Eye_ in its “Just Fancy That” feature From page 16 of the \*Times \*August 8 :- \ ***Judge’s Spelling Anger** An Old Baily Judge labelled a prosecutuion worker an “illiterate idiot” after spotting the word “grievous” spelt wrongly four times in court papers. Judge David Paget said “To have an indictment drawn up by some illiterate idiot is just not good enough”. \* From the same edition of the paper on page 9 :- \ ***Liverpool Crown Court** James O’Conner and Gavin Alker, both 19, charged with grevious bodily harm. \* ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/125 "2008-08-20T16:16:09Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] **Within** Cambridge: _inside or not beyond an area or period of time_ Chambers: _not outside the limits of something_ Collins: _not beyond_ M-W: _not beyond the quantity, degree, or limitations of_ Which dictionary are you using? [/QUOTE] Well, Cambridge seems to agree with me, given that _inside_ isn’t inclusive either. > [@](#): > > Yes, they are. They’re within six points of tying the game, and sending it into overtime, which is their primary goal at this point. They’d like to win outright of course, but they will gladly settle for scoring six more points to their opponents’ 0 and tying the game. You’re missing the point. Re-read post. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/126 "2008-08-20T17:22:13Z")
It also irks me when I hear someone say: “The so-and-so was quoteunquote this-and-that”. The quoted phrase needs to go between the quote and the unquote regardless of whether it is spoken or written. Upon hearing this travesty, everything that the speaker has said up until this point and everything they say afterwards goes right out my other ear. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/127 "2008-08-20T17:30:45Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] You’re missing the point. Re-read post. [/QUOTE] Okay. Now that I’ve read the post again, could you please explain to me how the Bulls, losing 99-93, are not within six points of tying the score? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/128 "2008-08-20T17:52:04Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I’ve always wondered if it was some kind of state law here that roadside boiled peanut stands must misspell either boiled or peanut. (Also, they must be sloppily done in either green or red paint). The other day I saw a sign advertising “Boiled Peanut’s”. Ah, so close! [/QUOTE] Related to this, a growing trend seems to be to drop the “-ed” suffix from verbs describing food preparation, so you have “dice carrots”, “boil potatoes” and so on. I recently saw a big sing saying “FLAME GRILL BURGERS”, but unfortunately I was unable to comply. ☹ Previously mentioned ones that bug me: “phased” for “fazed” - I see this a lot even in supposedly professionally edited newspapers and books. “myself” instead of “me”/“I”. “If you have any questions please ask Bob or myself.” “John and myself will be leading the project.” What do people have against the words “me” and “I”? I suspect it might be to avoid using the wrong case, as nobody seems to be able to use them correctly. My wife is a teacher and she constantly gets it wrong; I’ve given up correcting her now because it annoys both of us! “except” instead of “accept”. “just desserts” instead of “just deserts”, although admittedly it only annoys me since I realised it was wrong (having been exposed to the “desserts” version so many times in the past). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/129 "2008-08-20T17:58:55Z")
“Sing” for “sign” is another one, of course. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/130 "2008-08-20T18:01:36Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone] This isn’t quite related, but I’ll use your post as a springboard. I see this written _all the time_: She gave me $5 dollars. What the hell? $ _means_ dollars! You can have 5 dollars or $5, but not $5 dollars. [/QUOTE] There’s a sign in the laundromat: 7 minutes .25 cents Damn. It only takes quarters and there’s no way I can use up 700 minutes in one laundry session. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/131 "2008-08-20T18:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=pseudotriton ruber ruber] Okay. Now that I’ve read the post again, could you please explain to me how the Bulls, losing 99-93, are not within six points of tying the score? [/QUOTE] Because within is not inclusive. Saying they are within six points of tying the score means they are _less than_, not _less than or equal to_, six points behind. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/132 "2008-08-20T18:35:16Z")
Us pedants can win sometimes, as shown from this press release from the Plain English Campaign. :- \*\*\*Tesco agrees to correct its grammar \*\* The Chief Executive of supermarket giant Tesco, Terry Leahy, has sent us a letter saying that the store are changing the signs that are displayed above its express checkouts. Pedants all over the country have always moaned that the traditional ‘10 items or less’ sign is grammatically incorrect. Following a number of complaints from members of the public as well as ourselves, Tesco’s signs will now read ‘Up to 10 items’. \* I have often wondered about a sign commonly seen at the end UK railway-station platforms:- **Passengers are not allowed beyond this point** So, if you are not a passenger, but just a member of the general public, are you are allowed to go " beyond that point" ? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/133 "2008-08-20T18:52:46Z")
Misuse of apostrophe’s drive’s me up the wa’ll. I am alright with “alright”, though. And I am quite enchanted by “hammydowns”; it evokes an image of Porky Pig all snuggled in a cozy comforter! ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/134 "2008-08-20T21:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] As I’ve learned here, “irregardless”, no matter how silly-looking (and sounding), is actually a sort of acceptable form. Webster’s and American Heritage both accept it. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but what’s the general consensus? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/135 "2008-08-21T00:23:21Z")
I saw one today that irritated me and made me think of this thread. A car cut me off in a parking lot. The car still had the used car place paint on the front window. I know now the year, the price of the car, and the fact that it is “Fully Equipt”. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/136 "2008-08-21T03:46:21Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] “just desserts” instead of “just deserts”, although admittedly it only annoys me since I realised it was wrong (having been exposed to the “desserts” version so many times in the past). [/QUOTE] [Well I’ll be damned](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/just_deserts). I too had only ever seen it spelled “just desserts”. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/137 "2008-08-21T05:22:57Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] This comment – coupled with **SmartAleq’s** assumption that the classroom teacher was glad to see him go because he had corrected her error – is really hostile. How did **you** know the difference in the two words? (Thank a teacher.) [/QUOTE] I felt quite secure in assuming the teacher was glad to see the back of me because she A) did not believe me when I told her of her error, B) was quite dismissive when I showed her in her classroom dictionary the error, shrugging it off as though it were no big deal and C) tried to avoid correcting the blackboard when I asked her to change it. I may very well need to thank **a** teacher for my grammatical knowledge, but I certainly had no need to thank \*\*that \*\*teacher. Also, not that it matters, I’m female. ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/138 "2008-08-21T10:45:54Z")
I get a little frustrated when people refer to me as pixelated, which has to do with pictures, instead of PIXILATED. Completely different. There, their, and they’re. Don’t they teach kids these things anymore? Then and than. I struggle with those two words. Present and Past-tense words. Again, dont they teach these things anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/139 "2008-08-21T13:16:26Z")
[QUOTE=Pixilated] I get a little frustrated when people refer to me as pixelated, which has to do with pictures, instead of PIXILATED. Completely different. [/QUOTE] Neato! I didn’t even know that was a word until now. I thought your handle was a play on “pixelated” and “pixie” or something. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183/140 "2008-08-21T13:20:56Z")
I know I post about this one every time one of these threads pops up, but what drives me crazy is “different than.” There’s no such thing as “different than”. “Different” is not a comparative word, strange though it may seem. Comparatives are words like “hotter”, “faster”, or “uglier”, and you can combine those words with “than” to indicate that one object has more hotness, more fastness, or more ugliness than another. But “different than” is meaningless. One object can’t contain more “differentness” than another. Every time I hear it, I grit my teeth and think, “‘Different FROM’, you dumbass.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-misspellings-or-grammatical-errors-that-drive-you-nuts-thread/460183.md?page=8)