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= Circular reasoning. *“X is true. The evidence for this claim is that X is true.” *
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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…)
(And people wonder why I have such a high post count…)