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GRAMMAR MOSES
Feb. 8th, 2005 12:11 amOne of my Big-Time Pet Peeves is the misuse of the English language -- specifically, the misuse by people one would reasonably expect to have at least a working knowledge of grammar and usage. Journalists, commentators, broadcasters, educators -- those people. This attitude is probably an occupational hazard of being an editor, I know ... and, as far as Important Things in the World go, it's pretty far down on the list ... and I'm sure I've been guilty of a faux pas or two on this journal while typing too quickly and posting too rashly. But doggone it, if I see one more press release or legal ad from a school district notifying us that "the Gotham City Board of Education will hold their next meeting at 7 p.m. February 10," I'm going to ... going to ...
Well, I guess I'm mostly going to grumble and mumble and mutter and whine.
But tell me this doesn't bother you too: You're happily listening to the radio, and the DJ says "this next song is off the album entitled 'Something or Other'." Entitled? Entitled? ENTITLED? Nonononononono. You can be entitled to, well, entitlements. But you wouldn't ask an author, "so, what's the entitle of your next book?"
I mean, I'm a gentle soul, really I am. But this type of thing makes me want to run people over with a tank. Gently.
This doesn't bother me with the general populace, though I would hope that people are more or less familiar with their own language. After all, in many other countries in the developed world, most educated people are more or less familiar with two or three languages. But people who work closely with the language, or with education, should at the very least be reasonably expected to be experts on grammar and usage.
And I haven't even invoked "affect" and "effect." It's NOT THAT HARD! It's NOT THAT ... trails off into pitiful whimpers and incomprehesible imprecations ...
Current book: Miracles by C.S. Lewis
Current music: Complimentary CD included with Tracks magazine subscription. Favorite track -- surprisingly -- was by none other than Minne Driver. Though I was also impressed by the hipster-stoner track by the latter-day Bobby Darin.
Current state o' mind: Nowhere near as snarky as this post would suggest. Well, maybe not.
Well, I guess I'm mostly going to grumble and mumble and mutter and whine.
But tell me this doesn't bother you too: You're happily listening to the radio, and the DJ says "this next song is off the album entitled 'Something or Other'." Entitled? Entitled? ENTITLED? Nonononononono. You can be entitled to, well, entitlements. But you wouldn't ask an author, "so, what's the entitle of your next book?"
I mean, I'm a gentle soul, really I am. But this type of thing makes me want to run people over with a tank. Gently.
This doesn't bother me with the general populace, though I would hope that people are more or less familiar with their own language. After all, in many other countries in the developed world, most educated people are more or less familiar with two or three languages. But people who work closely with the language, or with education, should at the very least be reasonably expected to be experts on grammar and usage.
And I haven't even invoked "affect" and "effect." It's NOT THAT HARD! It's NOT THAT ... trails off into pitiful whimpers and incomprehesible imprecations ...
Current book: Miracles by C.S. Lewis
Current music: Complimentary CD included with Tracks magazine subscription. Favorite track -- surprisingly -- was by none other than Minne Driver. Though I was also impressed by the hipster-stoner track by the latter-day Bobby Darin.
Current state o' mind: Nowhere near as snarky as this post would suggest. Well, maybe not.
