# Grammatically-incorrect pet peeve **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591 "2007-08-31T05:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/41 "2007-08-31T18:53:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] It’s not correct to say “Me and Buford went to the store,” but it IS correct to say, “Mom drove me and Buford to the store.” [/QUOTE] It’s not incorrect, but stylisticalness says put other people before yourself. “Mom drive Buford and me to the store”. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/42 "2007-08-31T21:05:50Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] How about the US Constitution? A “more perfect” union? [/QUOTE] Well, I’m the opposite of a grammar expect, but surely the _“more”_ applies to the union before the one described in the Constitution not the perfect one. It’s a comparison. Surely something that’s perfect would be **“more perfect”** than something that isn’t perfect. And likewise, isn’t something thats close to perfect **“more perfect”** than something that’s average ? ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/43 "2007-08-31T23:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Right, it does sound hillbilly… but it IS correct to say, “Mom drove me and Buford to the store.” [/QUOTE] As **Gigi** pointed out, “Mom drive Buford and me to the store” is better, but it might be worth mentioning that if your friend keeps hanging around with good ol’ Buford, the redneck-o-meter is going to start beeping _regardless_ of pronoun usage 😉 . [QUOTE=Micro Dot] I prefer to leave out both the hyphen and the space and combine the words, like they do in German. Not grammatical, but makes a lot more sense. Ironingboard. Saddlesore. Familyoriented. Okay, not that last one. [/QUOTE] Try using [CamelCase](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelcase): **FamilyOriented**. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/44 "2007-08-31T23:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=Antonius Block] As **Gigi** pointed out, “Mom drive Buford and me to the store” is better, but it might be worth mentioning that if your friend keeps hanging around with good ol’ Buford, the redneck-o-meter is going to start beeping _regardless_ of pronoun usage 😉 [/QUOTE] You and Gigi are both correct! Thank you. (My friend’s from Kentucky…what can I say? 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/45 "2007-09-01T01:12:38Z")
“Five am in the morning”. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/46 "2007-09-01T02:01:06Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] OK. However, if Bob and I got more than one (separately administered) blowjob from Sally how would this be articulated? [/QUOTE] It’s the same thing. Bob got blowjobs from Sally + I got blow jobs from Sally = Bob and I got blowjobs from Sally. You could clarify by specifying the number, such Bob and I each got three blowjobs from Sally. Me never **got** a blowjob from anybody, not even Sally, as lax as her standards are. Now, if you throw in the verb gave instead of got, it does become Sally gave Bob and me blowjobs, because nobody **gave** I blowjobs either. Is anyone else imagining Cookie Monster demanding “Me want blowjob!” too? No? Must just be me. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/47 "2007-09-01T02:10:38Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone] Been lost for a long time. Even [the American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61/41/H0274100.html) admits “\*t is not easy to explain why critics dislike this use of hopefully.” Just seems too contrived to me; if ‘hopefully’ modifies the sentence and is perfectly understandable, but you have to work at coming up with a reason to avoid using it, why bother? . . . . [/QUOTE] The _[Economist](http://www.economist.com/research/styleGuide/index.cfm?page=673903)_ spells it out this way: Hopefully: \*\*y all means begin an article hopefully, but never write “Hopefully, it will be finished by Wednesday.” Try "With luck, if all goes well, it is hoped that… " In my mind, I try to remember hopefully is an adverb. Can someone delineate for me when to use “everyone” and when to use everybody"? ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/48 "2007-09-01T03:21:09Z")
Irregardless. Damn it, the word is regardless or maybe irrespective. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/49 "2007-09-01T03:44:42Z")
Well this isn’t a pet peeve, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for while, and since this thread is being read by a bunch of fellow grammar mavens, I thought I’d see what you all think. You frequently hear/read constructions such as “For the third time in as many weeks…” or “Twice in as many months…” Now, the _meaning_ here is perfectly clear. I don’t think there’s a case to be made that it’s absolutely _wrong_ in the same way that its/it’s, or the many other cases that have been discussed here are. **But** it seems to me that the phrase “as many” really should be pointing to a specific numeric antecedent, i.e., a _number_. And furthermore, it is usually not difficult (in written material) to recast the sentence to use numbers instead of ordinals. For instance, “Three times in as many weeks…” is perfectly fine. Now, this issue doesn’t drive me crazy (like plurals formed with apostrophes) and I’m not necessarily willing to go to the wall for it, but I’d be interested in hearing if other people agree or disagree with me. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/50 "2007-09-01T03:50:49Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] _Less_ stuff, _fewer_ things. It seems like very few people understand the difference anymore and just use “less” for everything. Like nails on a blackboard. [/QUOTE] Five or ten years ago, maybe. But IME, this message has gotten so much play that many people now use “fewer” all the time, even when “less” is correct. I have literally heard “It is fewer than five miles away.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/51 "2007-09-01T05:07:50Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] The _[Economist](http://www.economist.com/research/styleGuide/index.cfm?page=673903)_ spells it out this way: Hopefully: \*\*y all means begin an article hopefully, but never write “Hopefully, it will be finished by Wednesday.” Try "With luck, if all goes well, it is hoped that… " In my mind, I try to remember hopefully is an adverb. [/QUOTE] Why? No, seriously, why try to remember? The construction works for you, right? I’m presuming so, since you have to make a conscious effort not to use it that way. Works for me, works for my roommate, probably works for my next door neighbor. So the word modifies a sentence instead of a verb or adjective. How is this bad English? I know someone’s pet peeve will very shortly be busybody descriptivists. Sometimes I just can’t help it. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/52 "2007-09-01T21:53:16Z")
> [@](#): > > **Antonius Black** : As Gigi pointed out, “Mom drive Buford and me to the store” is better, but it might be worth mentioning that if your friend keeps hanging around with good ol’ Buford, the redneck-o-meter is going to start beeping regardless of pronoun . > [@](#): > > **Sarahfeena** : (My friend’s from Kentucky…what can I say? Something that doesn’t promote a stereotype perhaps? I’m a “hillbilly,” but I didn’t have any trouble seeing your problem when you said: > [@](#): > > …but it IS correct to say, “Mom drove me and Buford to the store.” I don’t have perfect usage, but that form makes me wince and has since the first grade. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/53 "2007-09-01T21:55:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] Something that doesn’t promote a stereotype perhaps? I’m a “hillbilly,” but I didn’t have any trouble seeing your problem when you said: I don’t have perfect usage, but that form makes me wince and has since the first grade. [/QUOTE] Whatever, **Zoe**. It was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/54 "2007-09-02T00:13:32Z")
As for dropping the “I” when starting a sentence, it’s only because that’s the way we speak. The “I” is usually said close to a whisper, so it’s just dropped. That’s my WAG anyway. My peeve is the random question marks at the ends of statements. “I was wondering if you want to go?” “I hope he’s OK?” “Maybe Mom’s just drunk again?” Those aren’t questions!!! ARGH! While we’re on the subject, I’ve been wondering for weeks if it’s: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.\<–I vote for this one. Just because you can, that doesn’t mean you should. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/55 "2007-09-02T00:34:40Z")
To make official memoranda sound like it’s been written by the illiterate, always use “myself” instead of “me”. If you have any questions or concerns on this matter, please don’t hesitate to contact myself. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/56 "2007-09-02T01:26:57Z")
Here’s mine and I see it all the time. I **should of** done that. instead of: I **should have** done that. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/57 "2007-09-02T10:55:55Z")
There’s a bloody great advertisement on the London Underground (for example, on the northbound Northern Line platform at Embankment) at the moment trumpeting the improvement work they’re doing. It proudly boasts, “New signals mean less delays”… When I sent them a pedantic e-mail, the response was jaw-dropping (or was it “jaw dropping”?) - they claimed they were using “less” colloquially. Colloquial, my arse - it was because no bugger at Transport for London or the advertising firm they used actually knew the correct form. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/58 "2007-09-02T11:11:18Z")
The OP is correct. Adverbs ending in -ly almost never need a hyphen, because it should be plain to all and sundry what is modifying and what is being modified. Does anyone ever hyphenate “blowjob”? Blow-job. The British, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/59 "2007-09-02T11:28:50Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] The OP is correct. Adverbs ending in -ly almost never need a hyphen, because it should be plain to all and sundry what is modifying and what is being modified. Does anyone ever hyphenate “blowjob”? Blow-job. The British, perhaps? [/QUOTE] When you have a blowjob I know you don’t need a colon. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591/60 "2007-09-02T11:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=IntelSoldier] While we’re on the subject, I’ve been wondering for weeks if it’s: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.\<–I vote for this one. Just because you can, that doesn’t mean you should. [/QUOTE] Shouldn’t it be “just because one can”? p.s. Do you work with Mike M? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammatically-incorrect-pet-peeve/417591.md?page=4)