# Learn the goddam difference between its and it's! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676 "2002-04-03T22:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/21 "2002-04-04T12:51:20Z")
To be honest, when I’m reading a post, I never really notice if someone mixes up “its” and “it’s”. I’ve been guilty of it on numerous occassions. BUT, the one thing that galls me, especially when I see it on this message board, is people who misuse the phrase: **"…that begs the question…"** I’ll bet that 90% of the people who use this phrase aren’t aware of its meaning. They just use it because they think it sounds intellectual or something. But it doesn’t mean what they think it does! [**Begging the question**](http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/begging-the-question.html)= Circular reasoning. \*“X is true. The evidence for this claim is that X is true.” \* ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/22 "2002-04-04T13:28:03Z")
Lend/borrow. The words are TOTALLY OPPOSITE, people! TeemingMillion: Can I lend you a $100 for a few days? Me: Sure, pop it round any time. TM: No, can I LEND you a $100? And since this is the pit, I’ll stand up for “2000’s celebrations”, and “NRA’s policies.” ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/23 "2002-04-04T13:57:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shade \* > \*\*Lend/borrow. The words are TOTALLY OPPOSITE, people! > > TeemingMillion: Can I lend you a $100 for a few days? > Me: Sure, pop it round any time. > TM: No, can I LEND you a $100? > \*\* Itch v. scratch I remember back in elementary school. There were a few people who said “Don’t itch it” when they saw somebody scratching a part of their body. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/24 "2002-04-04T14:43:37Z")
**A and An** There’s an old Honeymooner’s bit where Ed and Ralph are hawking some gizmo on TV. Ed - “Can it core a apple?” Ralph - “Certainly, it can core a apple.” This cracks me up every time. Honey ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/25 "2002-04-04T14:50:53Z")
How about people who really should know better (such as the reporters, who presumably were required to demonstrate at least a passing familiarity with the English language) learning the difference between _anniversary_ and _observance_. An anniversary is an annual observance, an yearly observance. It is not a six-month observance; therefore, there is no such thing as a one-month anniversary. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/26 "2002-04-04T14:55:52Z")
Note to public. Quotation marks do not add emphasis in any way. So the sign outside the movie theater that says: “NO” BICYCLES just makes me laugh. And that time my co-workers got the birthday cake for Betty and it said: HAPPY BIRTHDAY “BETTY” I just kept wanting to say “Happy Birthday Betty - IF THAT’S YOUR REAL NAME.” Drives me crazy. As well as apostrophes on any word that ends in s. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/27 "2002-04-04T15:50:21Z")
Loose and lose. What I wouldn’t give for everyone to learn the difference between the two. My personal favorite: “What a looser.” ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/28 "2002-04-04T15:52:56Z")
Yes. Misapplied quotation marks are awful. We Sell " **Real Ice Cream!**" Car Not Working? We’ll " **Fix**" It! I’m not sure where the quotation mark trend came from, but I think it’s been getting steadily worse for quite some time… ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/29 "2002-04-04T15:57:15Z")
Okay, who put that “n” in there? Who? I? Oh. Drat! “[…] a yearly […].” [sheepish grin] ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/30 "2002-04-04T16:01:20Z")
I don’t think this thread will have much of an affect on the problem. You should of told the people whom got it wrong that their doing it badly. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/31 "2002-04-04T16:03:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissla Lissar \* > I’m not sure where the quotation mark trend came from, but I think it’s been getting steadily worse for quite some time… The _Marina Gazzette_ carried an advertisement for the following item: > [@](#): > > “Fresh” Salad Oh, yeah. I’d rather have that than actual fresh salad. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/32 "2002-04-04T16:58:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Okay, who put that “n” in there? Who? I? Oh. Drat! “[…] a yearly […].” > > [sheepish grin] \*\* I thought you did that on purpose since your post is right below mine which said: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Honey \* > \*\ ***A and An** > > There’s an old Honeymooner’s bit where Ed and Ralph are hawking some gizmo on TV. > > Ed - “Can it core a apple?” > > Ralph - “Certainly, it can core a apple.” > > This cracks me up every time. > > Honey \*\* 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/33 "2002-04-04T17:34:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cargogal \* > \*\* > It’s similar to the mummy’s curse. Whenever I critique, I read the post over very, very carefully… and usually miss something. \*\* I assume we’re talking about your use of _stupider_ and not _more stupid_? Frankly I consider that a borderline situation, and _stupider_ sounds fine to me. You’re still entitled to carp at those who mix up major parts of speech by confusing _its_ and _it’s_. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/34 "2002-04-04T17:45:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\* The _Marina Gazzette_ carried an advertisement for the following item: > > > [@](#): > > > > “Fresh” Salad > > Oh, yeah. I’d rather have that than actual fresh salad. \*\* Please. The store was just informing you that the salad had a habit of putting its hands where they oughtn’t. (come to think of it, wouldn’t that leave the salad with that…um…“not-so-fresh” feeling?) Quote marks seem to be breeding much like apostrophes. My theory is that apostrophes started showing up everywhere when initials became so common. Since “VCRs on Sale” looked odd, many instead wrote “VCR’s on Sale,” creating a new, illogical role for the poor little thing. It’s muddied the waters so completely that the vast majority of people seem to assume that you sprinkle apostrophes over a page as randomly and enthusiastically as a waiter does pepper when he’s armed with a 3-foot mill. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/35 "2002-04-04T18:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > \*\* > > The difference is that inquire starts witn an “i” whereas enquire starts with an “e”. Otherwise there is no difference. \*\* Good point. I always see **i** nquire as asking a question and **e** nquire as being pretentious. Same with \*\*I[/n]nsure/ **e** nsure. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/36 "2002-04-04T18:27:54Z")
Glad my English isn’t as bad as my typing. That’s **i** nsure/ **e** nsure. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/37 "2002-04-04T18:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MadSam \* > \*\*What grinds my teeth is: "How yuh doin? Oh, I’m doin good. > > Isn’t “I’m doing well” the correct response? (if one IS doing nicely). > \*\* Just think of Tom Lehrer’s Old Dope Peddler, “Doing well by doing good.” ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/38 "2002-04-04T18:37:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OxyMoron \* > Quote marks seem to be breeding much like apostrophes. My theory is that apostrophes started showing up everywhere when initials became so common. Since “VCRs on Sale” looked odd, many instead wrote “VCR’s on Sale,” creating a new, illogical role for the poor little thing. The use of an apostrophe in the plural of an acronym or abbreviation predates the VCR. “VCRs” with no apostrophe is actually the _modern_ style. Traditionally, it would be “V.C.R.'s.” ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/39 "2002-04-04T19:03:12Z")
As my momma used to say, “Cakes are done - people are _finished_.” Of course, there’s an old saying that goes, “Paintings are hung - people are _hanged_,” too, and that just kind of creeps me out. FTR, correspondence is a major part of what I do for a living. Typing up to 123 wpm doesn’t hurt, either. 😉 (And people wonder why I have such a high post count…) Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676/40 "2002-04-04T19:03:39Z")
Another one: “Insure” does not equal “ensure.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learn-the-goddam-difference-between-its-and-its/101676.md?page=3)