4/21/2005

Conan the grammarian

OK, I know that my writing style on this site would make my English teachers cringe. I write the way that I talk when I post here, which means that it is a babbling mess of tangential run-ons. (That sentence originally read "...babbling mess of fragmented run-ons" until I remembered that run-on sentences and fragments are opposites.) But, when necessary (business meetings, etc.) I speak and write in a grammatically appropriate manner. Is it completely out of line for me to expect newscasts to be correct?! I was very upset to hear that a recent school bus accident was being recreated, since it should, of course be reconstructed. It was bad enough the first time, we don't need it to happen again. And there are not going to be less drivers in traffic if they fix the timing of the signals, there will be fewer drivers. And people need to pay attention to what an acronym stands for if they plan to use an acronym in conversation. If I hear "For your FYI" one more time, I am going to kill one of my co-workers. (He's the same guy who continually uses the work "irregardless," though, so my irritation quotient is high when I talk to him anyway.) I'm also not very pleased with the folks around here who invite us to contact "...[so and so] or myself..." if we have questions. No. I won't contact yourself. You can talk to yourself if you wish to, I will just talk to you. This mangling of the English language is an atrocity up with which I cannot put. (Note my efforts not to end the sentence with a preposition, and not to split the infinitive in this comment.)

1 Comments:

Blogger Marcia Peterson said...

Hear, hear! I am SO with you on this topic. Aren't we fun to be around?

4/25/2005 8:54 PM  

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Who's Who

    Hubby- aka DH My husband since 1995. He is the head of the band department at a college prep school, and dabbles as a wanna-be pop star.

    The Princess- aka DD. Third grader at the local parochial school. Loves butterlies, sparkly things, the color purple and has recently developed a crush on one of the twins from "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody". Is ready for her teenage years, having already perfected her exasperated sigh and dramatic eye-roll.

    Hoss- aka DS1. Kindergartener and resident spirited child. His aunt likes to call him "the evil genius" because of his penchant for letting a lack of intellectual stimulation lead him into mischief. Likes trucks, sports, building things and burping. His current favorite word is "underwear."

    Lil Joe- aka DS2. Born in 2003. Doesn't say much we can understand, but has mastered the important stuff ("eat!", "Wash hands!", "Want chocolate ones!", "Hockey game!") Likes to push buttons, much to the consternation of whoever is trying to watch a DVD. Firmly refuses to use the potty, despite evidence that he is physically ready to be out of diapers, indicating a level of stubborn that eclipses even that of his parents and siblings.

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