I hate it where, in historical or fantasy movies and shows, archers are ordered to “fire” rather than “shoot” or even better, “release”. They do it all the time, and it bugs me.
“All that glitters is not gold.”
…
“I dunno if this is gold or not.”
“Does it glitter?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“Toss it, then.”
Ya mean, “Not all that glitters is gold,” ya big numpty.
Faux News used this equivocation when they want to promulgate a lie. Their CYA is “We didn’t actually say it. We’re just reporting that SOMEONE said it.”
Gold doesnt really glitter when in nugget form, but it does as small grains. Fools Gold really glitters.
But looks more like brass than gold and stinks when you throw it into a fire.
mines recipies the first few times i make it …it has to be exactly as written
then after I feel I know how to make it I can add or take out measurements ingredients ect
I know some people who fight the recipe the first time they see it …
How about these?
As Obama enters his final months, some say the record deportations he oversaw and the raids against refugees mothers and children already seal his legacy as the deporter-in-chief,
Some say that our forces should never land on any beaches at all. Others would have us invade every beach on earth.
Pres. Obama at West Point, 2014 Obama at West Point: A Foreign Policy of False Choices - The Atlantic
If you refer to a helium or hydrogen balloon as a “hot-air balloon”, I shall correct you!
I know a lot of people use it wrong, so I don’t use that phrase. I’ve never understood the proper usage.
Being a bit more honest- mostly and too often here on the Straight Dope.
Mea Culpa.
To the best of my memory, it’s an argument that is based on an assumption that has not yet been proven true.
There are so many examples, but one that particularly pissed me off happened years ago when I had planned to go to a Philosophy meetup group. They sent out the discussion topic for the week and it was something like, “Given how women no longer have to fear harassment and discrimination, have we gone too far in the other direction to punish harmless behaviors in the workplace?”
The question begs the question because any argument would have to be based on the premise that women no longer have to fear harassment and discrimination, which, to say the least, is far from settled.
It’s adjacent to poisoning the well, though it doesn’t have to be malicious.
I did not go to the group, though I would occasionally fantasize about showing up and handing those intellectual lightweights all of their asses.
This is what you all have done to me.
And a fine thing it is!
I’ve become overly annoyed at people here who title questions about usage as “grammar” questions or ask what linguists say about style. They are common mistakes that we have been trying to eradicate for years.
Note: this is not prescriptvism. It’s important to document that common mistakes abound about every subject while continually striving to correct them.
I also mentally correct FB posts, unless it is a post correcting or complaining about someone else’s spelling or grammar. In those cases, I consider them to be fair game.
Recently on Wheel of Fortune Ryan Seacrest said to the off-screen announcer, “Tell them what they won in your docile tones.” He should have said “dulcet.” For one brief moment I wondered if I could find his email address to inform him.
Everyone weighing in with their expert opinion: podcasters, elected officials, whoever. Pronouncing it as “Eye-ran” sets up a barrier to my seeing their point.
Probably comes from seeing “Iran” as just the two words “I ran” scrunched together. It’s non-standard pronunciation but personally I find that there are far, far worse transgressions against which to direct my pedantic ire.
I blame A Flock of Seagulls.
Properly pronounced A’-flock rather than a-FLOCK’ but never is.
I find it hard to not react when others make bold statements about scientific topics that are based on a misunderstanding of the science.
Here is an example:
How evolution works is one of the most evident. Evolution does not work toward a particular result…basically evolution works by producing a bunch of variants that are exposed to some selection pressures and the ones that survive that pressure are (usually) preserved. There is no overlooking Mother Nature that guides this process.
But lots of people think that traits are produced with a particular result in mind…no…traits are chosen that work.