I'm almost afraid to comment on this thread, as my grammar 'ain't what it used to be.
That is, if compared with 'our' day, not in comparison with many of the younger generation. Compared to some of them, I'm really intelligent! My spelling has also slipped, so I have to use spell check a lot more. And I become dislexic at night!
Like Firefly, English was my best subject, although my end result was far from 'awesome'.
The one that annoys me the most is, for example, 'we should of' instead of 'we should have'. I am endlessly correcting my daughter, but I've decided to give up. After all, she is almost 34.
All jokes aside, some of us haven't had the greatest education, and I'd hate to be the cause of someone not writing or vocalising because I've made them feel stupid.
Marj, I just think I just use just a bit much too.
I didn't find your words a "pedantic rant" at all. Your offering was clear, concise and partickly [sic] accurate of todays shortcommings in communication.
How about putting an apostrophe in "today's" and only one 'm' in "shortcomings". Don't invent new words.
Cheers & Merry Christmas.
Neil
Thank you for the spell check, my original post is now edited to conform to your demands.
Schucks it felt good to insert a lil ole ' ,,, and kill off 1 to many m's,,, ain't typos a biatch sometimes.
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There are 3 types of people in this world, Ones who make it happen, the second who watches what happens and the third who wonders what happened
True literary genius to invent a new word for neologism (or 's , meaning pluri)
"A neologism is a newly coined term, word, or phrase, that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream"
now we have "neol gisms" to add,,,,, at christmas it sounds like the last neol,,,, or is that a typo for Noel Noel. (canna do da lil dots above)
Cheers and have some eggnog, its (it's) (itz) festive season
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There are 3 types of people in this world, Ones who make it happen, the second who watches what happens and the third who wonders what happened
brilliant, gets the message across yet full of meant typos,,, I wonder what it would be called if it wandered and inanely confused.
Loved reading it ,,,, Merry Christmas
Eonverye taht can raed tihs rsaie yuor hnad..
Only great minds can read this This is weird, but interesting!
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dsenot mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
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There are 3 types of people in this world, Ones who make it happen, the second who watches what happens and the third who wonders what happened
Many of my generation left school at 14 to help support the family, all the Centrelink benefits that are available today weren't around then and life was a lot tougher financially, but we all got by somehow and many went on to excel.
English, like many others is a "living language" which changes over time by usage of various new words and changed meanings by the population, nothing remains the same. A good example as someone has already pointed out is "gay" which meant happy when I was a kid and in songs (Nat King Cole...when I was young and gay etc) but as we all know means gender orientation today.
A lot of Yank spelling is slipping into our advertising, signage and usage today (eg; Tire instead of Tyre etc) and of course by the media as pointed out by Magnarc. Unfortunately it is a sign of the times and the evolving language, not all good IMHO. "Fully sick"....sheesh, how do you get very good out of that term????.
One of our major motor dealers in WA uses the term "Absolutely" in his live TV ads, eg; "Is this the best deal around?.....Absolutely" etc, etc. We call him Mr Absolutely he uses it that often...
As far as the forum postings go, I am with the majority, as long I can understand what is being conveyed that is ok by me and I am not an exception when it comes to spelling etc, getting worse as I age too. Spellcheck is good, but sometimes people are in a hurry and don't always have time to check their posts etc, so I make allowances for that and hope others do the same for me.
-- Edited by Duh on Friday 21st of December 2012 11:27:40 AM
One of the reasons I no longer post much anymore on forums.
Many people seem to spend their day trying to find fault in everything that people write whether it be spelling, punctuation or whether they use the right letters for electrical discussion or there's is the only way to do this or that.
As long as people know what you have said all is OK.
I prefer someone who has done something rather than a person who sits on Google looking for something to pick some one on.
Anyhow hope all have a nice Xmas and a prosperous New Year.
Regards Brian
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11 Mtr house Boat based at Mannum hoping to travel up the Murray as far as I can get then drift back again
I had a boss for for over twenty years who didn't know what a fullstop, commer, capital letter, paragraph was. He used to leave spaces in places which had some meaning. That company went from a humble begining of half a dozen people to a mega million dollar company that employs close to two hundred people. He had the ability to negotiate & was the fairest person I have worked for. His illiteracy didn't do him any harm as he has retired a millionaire. Most of the people that worked for him would have the highest praise for him & remain friends with him. Pedanticism isn't everything.
It appears that my original post has been hijacked. There is nothing in the original post that casts any aspersions on peoples ability to spell or read, I was pointing out that certain recently invented words used by those in the media and television, are, imho, a bastardisation of the language. That is the end of the matter for me.
Regards,
Magnarc.
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Those who wish to reap the blessings of freedom must, as men, endure the fatigue of defending it.
I am reminded of a story from my youth. I cant remember the whole story but it went something like this
There once was an old man in Italy who worked at the local parish collecting donations and such. Upon the parish finding out he could not read or write, they sacked him because the church felt they could not have an illiterate man collecting the donations. The man, devastated and whilst walking home decided he wanted a cigarette. Only to find out he couldnt find a shop nearby that sold one. He decided to open his own tobacco store up. Business was going well and he opened up another shop, another shop and then a few more.
Very quickly he became very successful was encouraged to open up shops all across Italy. He went to the local bank to get a loan. Upon the bank agreeing to his business plan and loan, he was asked to sign his loan approval. The man stared blankly at the contract and then said to the banker, I cannot sign this as I dont know how to read and write. The banker, astonished that a man who could not read and write could be so successful, asked my goodness sir, where would you be if you could read and write?
He answered, 'still working at the parish for pennies a day.'
Gudmrnin everi1. 1st dae bk ta work afta a wek of. mm nda get sum stik n lashes ma extensions haf kinda made all mine fall owt. hws thngs goin wit xmas n ur weddn kumin up
How is that for 'youth' of today - Facebook entries! Obviously can spell - extensions' but......
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'Once you are infected with the travel bug you have it for the rest of your life - there is NO cure'
Funny how some sayings and actions are coming back too, I remember in the 50's (and can still be seen in the early American youth movies from around that time) the term "Cool" and "Real Cool" were used and seem to have made a comeback in recent times among our youth and others.
The "High Five" was also in use then too, usually accompanied by the words "Bops Me Dadio".
Oh far out yup, like that one too. I don't mind branching into some of the'in“ language wit my grand kids. Bro, dude, etc, I like to keep up with them and feel that they can communicate with me too. I have a great relationship with them.
My daughter and my niece call each other cussy bro. I like it..it's a nice term of endearment between them.
Yeh, I guess I use a few of them too. Cool, awesome, OMG!, and even the dreaded doh! I've never really watched the Simpsons but I picked it up off my kids.
It appears that my original post has been hijacked. There is nothing in the original post that casts any aspersions on peoples ability to spell or read, I was pointing out that certain recently invented words used by those in the media and television, are, imho, a bastardisation of the language. That is the end of the matter for me.
Regards,
Magnarc.
Thats what I took the thread to be, nothing more or less.
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I must be a binge thinker. I do it a lot at times, then, not much at all.
English is a living language and will change with the will of the majority. Could have will become could of. Off will become of. Two sheep may become two sheeps. The plural of forum has already become forums though I like fora better. C'est la vie.
I am reminded of a story from my youth. I cant remember the whole story but it went something like this
There once was an old man in Italy who worked at the local parish collecting donations and such. Upon the parish finding out he could not read or write, they sacked him because the church felt they could not have an illiterate man collecting the donations. The man, devastated and whilst walking home decided he wanted a cigarette. Only to find out he couldnt find a shop nearby that sold one. He decided to open his own tobacco store up. Business was going well and he opened up another shop, another shop and then a few more.
Very quickly he became very successful was encouraged to open up shops all across Italy. He went to the local bank to get a loan. Upon the bank agreeing to his business plan and loan, he was asked to sign his loan approval. The man stared blankly at the contract and then said to the banker, I cannot sign this as I dont know how to read and write. The banker, astonished that a man who could not read and write could be so successful, asked my goodness sir, where would you be if you could read and write?
He answered, 'still working at the parish for pennies a day.'
There was actually an English movie made in the 40's/50's I think was the time, about that very subject with the same occupation and punch line. I think it may have been called "The Verger" but I'll google around and see if I can find out for sure. Can't remember who the stars were but I can still picture them. Off the top of my head the female lead may have been Flora Robson or Thora Hird but that is a guess. The male lead was in a lot of English movies around that time but I can't remember his name.
Cheers,
Jack
Just looked up google and it was called "The Verger" based on a Somerset Maugham story and released in1950 starring James Hayter and Kathleen Harrison.
-- Edited by Jack Mac on Sunday 23rd of December 2012 09:07:15 PM
For many who you are pointing the finger at a higher education was not an option. Many of us were out of school by teenage & working.
As for myself I was out of school & running the family farm by time I was a teenager, due to my parents health.
Many have had the highest education & are not smart enough to do something constructive with it, then there is a self appointed status.
As stated above how many kids today manage to pass through school & cannot spell.
JC.
Totally correct Jim. Many of us didn't have the option of Tertiary study after finishing school. I left at 15 after finishing Junior (year10), actually started work three days after finishing, but not complaining.
I very much believe in education and unfortunately these days employers would rarely, if ever look at a person for office work (in my case) withouth at least Senior or Leaving and usually needing much more. I was very lucky and was able to get some good positions based on experience that I gained but wouldn't be able to today.
When I did some University study a professor once said to me (and I know it's not original), that a degree is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, keep trying for long enough and you'll get a degree.
I once worked with a chap older than me at the time in the mid 80's who referred to university educated staff as thermometers, did everything by degrees.
One of the reasons I no longer post much anymore on forums.
Many people seem to spend their day trying to find fault in everything that people write whether it be spelling, punctuation or whether they use the right letters for electrical discussion or there's is the only way to do this or that.
As long as people know what you have said all is OK.
I prefer someone who has done something rather than a person who sits on Google looking for something to pick some one on.
Anyhow hope all have a nice Xmas and a prosperous New Year.
Regards Brian
good on you Brian,I concur with your thoughts 100%.