# The cites on that website are quite a sight. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 19, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571 "2001-04-19T18:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/1 "2001-04-19T18:27:19Z")
Okay, kiddies, time for yet another chapter of “Fun with Homophones.” No, not “homophobes,” but golly gee, those two words _are_ similar, so I expect to see _them_ used interchangably in the future, as well. A _cite_ is a reference to an authority. You know, like the word _citation_? Is it “sitation”? No. Incorrect example: “Site, please?” Correct example: “Cite, please?” That wasn’t too hard, now, was it? So, if you are ever in doubt, get out your “All Natural Organic Home Electroconvulsive Therapy Kit” to jumpstart that lump of fatty tissue between your ears, and spend three seconds _thinking about it_ before that uncomfortable tingling sensation fades and you’re back to gnawing on the mousepad while mashing out posts about your navel-lint collection. A _site_ is a place. Like a construction site. Or a work site. In today’s hip e-lingo, it’s a collection of web pages. A website. _Not_ a “websight.” Incorrect example: “There’s a pretty picture of a pony at this sight:[http://www.imafreakinmoron.com](http://www.imafreakinmoron.com).” Correct example: “You can find a diagram of equine anatomy at this site: [http://www.horses.co.uk](http://www.horses.co.uk)” If you use “sight” to refer to websites, you are either being unbearably cutesy, or you are inordinately stupid. Figure out which one you are, and then _stop it._ You sound like an unlettered baboon. I hope today’s installment of “Fun with Homophones” has been edifying. Next week, “The apostrophe does not mean, ‘Here comes an s!’.” \*\*\* Note: this post is in no way directed toward people who occasionally make typos. It is intended soley for the use of the genuinely confused.\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/2 "2001-04-19T19:25:22Z")
First, **Podkayne,** let me say THANK YOU!!! This is one of my top peeves. A buncha folks needed that. And second, let me say **solely** :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D (I tease thee) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/3 "2001-04-19T20:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Podkayne \* > \*\*Next week, “The apostrophe does not mean, ‘Here comes an s!’.” > > \*\* What exactly are you 'saying? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/4 "2001-04-19T22:23:21Z")
Um. As long as we’re at it, I’d like to mention a small pet peeve of mine. The word ‘cite’ is not a noun. The noun form is ‘citation.’ So “Cite, please” isn’t correct, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/5 "2001-04-19T22:52:11Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Podkayne_ > \*\*Next week, “The apostrophe does not mean, ‘Here comes an s!’.” \*\* For that, we can just direct them towards [this](http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > \*\*Um. > > As long as we’re at it, I’d like to mention a small pet peeve of mine. > > The word ‘cite’ is not a noun. The noun form is ‘citation.’ > > So “Cite, please” isn’t correct, actually. \*\* Sure it is. It’s short for “Citation, please” or “I find your claim to be quite unbelieveable. Could you please provide some evidence for it?” (Of course, when faced with an utter moron\*, it could also stand for “You’re full of shit. Prove it, asshole.” “Cite, please” is a **very** versatile statement.) \*Please note that I am not calling you an utter moron, **cher3**. I’m referring to someone like **fatherjohn** or **Brian Bunnyhurt**. Just didn’t want there to be any confusion about that. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/6 "2001-04-19T23:42:45Z")
AAARGH!! And while we’re at it, let’s cover another of my peeves, one of which I just ran across AGAIN. The Form 1040 or whatever form you fill out and send in on April 15th is your tax **RETURN.** You have to file a tax RETURN every year. If you paid in too much tax and have money coming back, that is your tax **REFUND.** You can use your tax REFUND to buy things. “I’m going to use my tax return to buy XXX” is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Tax forms are not legal tender. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/7 "2001-04-20T00:11:53Z")
**Solely!** Gwaaa! Spit and fewmets! Gaudere’s law bites me in the arse! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > The word ‘cite’ is not a noun. The noun form is ‘citation.’ It’s a pretty widespread shorthand (at SDMB and beyond), and I imagine “cite” as a noun will besmirch the pages of Merriam-Webster’s in an edition or two. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > What exactly are you 'saying? I read your post, and it’s content’s show that you could use a few pointer’s. ---
**Author:** ![nikjohns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/53a042/32.png) [@nikjohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikjohns)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/8 "2001-04-20T00:15:38Z")
**Podkayne** , got a site on that? \ ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/9 "2001-04-20T02:45:37Z")
I would like to point out that apostrophes are not ALWAYS used when expressing posession. e.g. Whose post needs to be grammar-checked? NOT Who’s post needs to be grammar-checked? The car is making its way around the turn. NOT The car is making it’s way around the turn. ALSO There is a difference between “your” and “you’re”. (Really!!) e.g. Your horribly written post has clearly shown that you’re an idiot. AND THERE’S MORE! “Everybody has taken their fair share of ice cream” is incorrect. It should be “Everybody has taken his fair share of ice cream.” (I’m not sure exactly how to explain this one. Help please?) I’m sure I will come up with more grammar atrocities later. Thank you, **Podkayne**. I needed that. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/10 "2001-04-20T02:56:29Z")
_Posted by **FireUnderpantsBoobs:** _ > [@](#): > > “Everybody has taken their fair share of ice cream” is incorrect. It should be “Everybody has taken his fair share of ice cream.” (I’m not sure exactly how to explain this one. Help please?) Hmmm…don’t have a cyte 😉 for this, but “Everybody/their” sounds right to me because they both seem plural. “Every_one_/his” would work for me though. I really just wanted to type “FireUnderpantsBoobs” for the first time in my life. Sounds like the Reader’s Digest version of a perfect date. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/11 "2001-04-20T03:32:34Z")
Aaaaugh! I honestly wasn’t thinking. Thank you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/12 "2001-04-20T03:42:45Z")
‘Cite’ in ‘Cite, please’ is a noun? All this time I’ve been seeing that here, I thought it was shorthand for ‘cite the source you got this from, please’. And, of course, we all know cite is a ‘correct’ verb, right? Right? Or have my English teachers been wrong all these years for telling me to provide Works Cited pages with my essays all these years? In either case, there are good arguments for cite being a correct noun, not least of which being that when a group of people accepts it into their language, it’s not ungrammatical, because the people using the word don’t consider it so. Just like fridge is an acceptable form of refrigerator. Now if youll excuse me, I have to go meat some friends. Their having a sail at the maul tonite. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/13 "2001-04-20T04:39:44Z")
I’ve got a semicolon; I’m not afraid to use it. ---
**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 20, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/14 "2001-04-20T04:58:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > \*\*Um. > > As long as we’re at it, I’d like to mention a small pet peeve of mine. > > The word ‘cite’ is not a noun. The noun form is ‘citation.’ > > So “Cite, please” isn’t correct, actually. \*\* It is when it’s the imperative. The following two sentences have the same construction. > [@](#): > > Cite, please. > [@](#): > > Stand, please. Here endeth the lesson. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/15 "2001-04-20T05:00:10Z")
“Everybody has taken their fair share of ice cream” is in fact incorrect. The possessive refers to the shares, not to the everybody. Everybody is more than one, but each person got a singular share. Clear as mud? ::slinking away now:: ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/16 "2001-04-20T05:22:21Z")
And while we’re kvetching… it’s A LOT. Not alot. You can allot things, or something, but the phrase is a lot. and seeing it the other way lots of times is driving me nuts. I hereby invoke Gaudere’s law to excuse any speling errors in this post. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/17 "2001-04-20T05:30:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Primaflora \* > \*\*“Everybody has taken their fair share of ice cream” is in fact incorrect. > > The possessive refers to the shares, not to the everybody. Everybody is more than one, but each person got a singular share.\*\* Actually, I don’t think the issue with this example is whether it should be their or his/her/its (which is another current debate I won’t go into now), but whether or not ‘Everybody has taken’ is correct. ‘Everybody’ is plural, indicating a number of people; however, ‘has taken’ is singular. ‘John has taken his share of ice cream.’ To me, this sentence would read better as ‘Everybody took their fair share of ice cream’ or ‘Everyone has taken his/her/its fair share of ice cream.’ Pick yer poison. However, going with the original example; it is correct, at least according to William Strunk and E.B. White in _The Elements of Style_. Oddly, I distinctly remember one section of the book which doesn’t appear to be in the [online version](http://www.bartleby.com/141/). Hopefully the argument stands on its own, though. The reasoning is this: look at a similar example. ‘Everybody rushed to their seat.’ Using your logic, seat is singular, so it should be ‘Everybody rushed to his seat.’ This, however, makes it sound as though there is a celebrity or someone sitting in the room, and all the other people ran up to him. Same thing with ‘Everybody has taken his fair share of ice cream.’ Sounds like some poor kid got copped out of dessert. And I haven’t even mentioned the grade school grammar rule about linking pronouns to their antecedents. Hope this makes sense, I really wish I had EoS with me. Man, I love that book… [sub]Was that too reasonable for the Pit? I can throw some insults around, you ungrammatical pigs, you. :D[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/18 "2001-04-20T05:38:59Z")
what bit of _Elements of Style_? Mine’s sitting here right by my desk, nestled up to the _Style Manual_ and the _Australian English Style Guide_. If you like Strunk and White, have you seen _The Little, Brown Handbook_? I’m currently trying to justify buying it. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/19 "2001-04-20T05:51:32Z")
Well, I don’t have a cite in sight, but perhaps you could point me to a site? \ ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571/20 "2001-04-20T06:01:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Primaflora \* > **what bit of _Elements of Style_?** I went and read through the online version more closely, and, ironically, I found this little passage in the chapter Words And Expressions Commonly Misused: “They. A common inaccuracy is the use of the plural pronoun when the antecedent is a distributive expression such as each, each one, everybody, every one, many a man, which, though implying more than one person, requires the pronoun to be in the singular.” Let’s actually _read_ the material we cite before citing it, shall we, Bayle? :o However, I’m certain I read that distinct passage with the example ‘Everybody rushed to his desk’. If I had the book with me, I’d go through it and look, but since the only reference I can find is the above one, my last post was completely meaningless. 😛 > [@](#): > > \*\*If you like Strunk and White, have you seen _The Little, Brown Handbook_? I’m currently trying to justify buying it. \*\* Unfortunately, I haven’t, but the fact that it’s a handbook for grammar should be all the justification needed. Most of them are simply fascinating to read. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cites-on-that-website-are-quite-a-sight/62571.md?page=2)