# I swiftly herewith consign to the pit, the ignorant clowns who misconstrue "its" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 11, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871 "2012-07-11T05:44:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/241 "2012-07-14T03:17:49Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > That somebody here actually can not understand the difference between its and it’s? Those who can are condemned by one who can’t, or chooses not to, as pedants. ---
**Author:** ![greenslime1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/242 "2012-07-14T03:18:39Z")
Moderator: please close this thread as a gang of internet kiddies have turned what was something kind of fun into an insult-spewing, name-calling flame war. I am ashamed to admit, I even caught the disease myself. There hasn’t been any worthwhile discussion here for thirty or so posts. Let’s kill it now. ---
**Author:** ![greenslime1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/243 "2012-07-14T03:23:40Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Those who can are condemned by one who can’t, or chooses not to, as pedants. Right. If you’re ignorant, the two most popular defenses are to mock those who are not, or to profess that that which you are ignorant of is unimportant anyway. Surprisingly, we’re seeing a _lot_ of that in this thread. I thought that most people here were edumacated. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/244 "2012-07-14T03:30:26Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I can only surmise this is because the people singling it out were taught to single it out by people who single it out because _they_ were taught to single it out and.. I’m sure that’s why most of these threads get started, your typical high school English teacher being the most common agent of transmission. That’s because teaching writing–truly teaching it–is extremely difficult, and many English teachers fall back on petty fixations with minor things like apostrophes, etc., in order to avoid doing the real work. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/245 "2012-07-14T03:33:24Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > How does it feel to be a graceless douchebag? What is it about the internet that turns presumably decent people into vile, insult-spewing fucktards? You’ve had multiple people who actually understand linguistics explain how moronic some of your positions are and your response is to insult and argue with them. Go home and clutch your Strunk and White to your chest, since it’s apparently the only thing you’ll listen to. And if you don’t want to be continually mocked and derided for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors, then don’t set yourself up as someone who knows their way around a relative clause. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/246 "2012-07-14T03:40:03Z")
> [@Farmer\_Jane](#): > > I Pit anyone who uses the phrase “swiftly herewith”. Amen. The thread title itself is almost painful to read. The its/it’s error is a slight misdemenor in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/247 "2012-07-14T03:52:00Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > Assuming you meant to say “cannot”: Nope. I was spacing myself for the long haul. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/248 "2012-07-14T03:54:05Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > Moderator: please close this thread as a gang of internet kiddies have turned what was something kind of fun into an insult-spewing, name-calling flame war. I am ashamed to admit, I even caught the disease myself. There hasn’t been any worthwhile discussion here for thirty or so posts. Let’s kill it now. Goodness. If you’re not a troll then you’re the whiniest little bitch on this board. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/249 "2012-07-14T03:55:48Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > Assuming you meant to say “cannot”: This is kind of adorable. It’s like your circuits get fried if there’s an error. Now I’m picturing a very angry rudimentary computer with an emotion chip. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/250 "2012-07-14T04:00:00Z")
I’m imagining a cross between Judge Judy and the HAL 9000. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/251 "2012-07-14T04:02:27Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I’m imagining a cross between Judge Judy and the HAL 9000. I think we need to throw in this guy: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJnzBFzEEY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJnzBFzEEY) (Sesame Street piano guy) for the DRAMA! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/252 "2012-07-14T04:08:26Z")
There’s a small market nearby with a sign in the window that is hand-lettered and says: **Closed for remodelating. Open until further notice.** Um…where shall I begin? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/253 "2012-07-14T04:35:29Z")
[This store](http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/abc08233c4d40cef3900ec8e3cc83877) is a few minutes from my house. Every time I pass it, I have to look . . . like at a bad accident. ---
**Author:** ![scratch\_llll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@scratch\_llll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch_llll)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/254 "2012-07-14T05:14:33Z")
Then pertains to time or order. Than is used in comparisons. They are not interchangable. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/255 "2012-07-14T05:17:23Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I was young and foolish! Even my username is a constant reminder of my previous incarnation as a tough-talking prescriptivist, but I’ve learned, honest! It actually made me feel really optimistic to observe that. Usually, I go into these threads thinking “Well, everyone’s so set in their opinions, they’ll never budge. This is all rather hopeless. Why am I wasting my time?”. You know intellectually that people do evolve their opinions sometimes, but it’s nice to be able to actually see the change. (Of course, I was a foolish prescriptivist once too. Though not in any particularly active way, just in the sense of never having really given the grammar gotcha games I was accustomed to hearing about any second thought. Still, I was guilty of letting the various shibboleths I happened to have heard of occasionally serve as internal badges of honor separating oh-so-smart me from the masses. This thread’s premise is that unyielding respect for prescriptivist edicts is the way to uphold respect for intelligence, and that failing to give them that respect is a sign of the decay of intellectual culture. It strikes me as in contrast to my personal experience, in which my prescriptivist feelings were strongest when I was just blindly accepting what I’d heard without ever really thinking about it, and then weakened and disappeared after starting to study linguistics in college.) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/256 "2012-07-14T05:29:29Z")
(Some might say I’m now just blindly accepting some other thing other people say, and that my new way of being oh-so-smart is by clinging to this new position [“I heard it in college, you guys!”]. It feels to me like a position I’ve reached by and defend because of reasoning and thought, even if others helped inspire some of that thought, but, of course, everyone feels that way about all the things they’re blindly accepting too. So the parenthetical remarks in my last post don’t mean much (they certainly aren’t meant as a persuasive argument for anything). They’re just a personal anecdote which gives me some internal amusement.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/257 "2012-07-14T05:35:08Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > (Of course, I was a foolish prescriptivist once too. Though not in any particularly active way, just in the sense of never having really given the grammar gotcha games I was accustomed to hearing about any second thought. Still, I was guilty of letting the various shibboleths I happened to have heard of occasionally serve as internal badges of honor separating oh-so-smart me from the masses. Me, too. I used to be quite the little rule-follower, tsking hither and yon while rolling my eyes at the ignorant. Okay, I still roll my eyes. But now I roll them COUNTERCLOCKWISE. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/258 "2012-07-14T05:57:28Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > [This store](http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/abc08233c4d40cef3900ec8e3cc83877) is a few minutes from my house. Every time I pass it, I have to look . . . like at a bad accident. Maybe the owner’s first name is Two. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/259 "2012-07-14T13:59:20Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Those who can are condemned by one who can’t, or chooses not to, as pedants. Those who can are condemned by one who chooses not to as pedants? ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871/260 "2012-07-14T18:48:52Z")
Close on the cousins thing- it should be\* two cousins’\*, right? There are two of them, and the shop is theirs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swiftly-herewith-consign-to-the-pit-the-ignorant-clowns-who-misconstrue-its/627871.md?page=14)