Did not appreciate that grind in school, but truly am happy now that it stuck. As a former teacher of language and mechanics, I also experienced the frustration my teachers must have felt, which made me appreciate their efforts all the more. I had days when I could hear their laughter in the background.
Then and than, loose and lose, its and it’s, apostrophes in plurals… If the people who make such errors only knew what the errors tell us: “I am ignorant because I don’t read.” Words matter. Writing is the most important invention in human history and its importance cannot be surpassed by any future invention.
As the grammar police held their demonstration of contractions by holding up signs in the park, a stranger asked about a particular word his buddies were displaying. The response was
I remember the great Gary Larson addressing complaints about this kind of humor (should we really make fun of torture?), and his response was something like, “I hope my critics are taking a look at the Wizard of Id!!!” Say, nobody beats this Wiz… ;)
My dyslexic younger daughter has forced me to re-think my former membership in the grammar police. She says she likes the spelling in Spanish better, because it follows (mostly) consistent rules. Maybe one day I will even learn to tolerate it when people use the word “loose” instead of “lose”.
A friend once told me a very common contraction was not in the dictionary, then she hauled out her dictionary and showed me the absence. I checked my own dictionary and found it wasn’t there. It was a common one, one of the “not” contractions, I believe, but we have lost touch and now I can’t remember what the word was.
jagedlo about 6 years ago
Turned over by the grammar police and ready for his punishment!
oldpine52 about 6 years ago
Then we’ll work on ‘your and you’re’ and ‘sight, site, and cite.’
x_Tech about 6 years ago
Then we’ll move on to the proper uses of lay, lie, and laid.
wldhrsy2luv about 6 years ago
Harsh!
enigmamz about 6 years ago
Finally, someone is cracking down on these internet bastards!!!!
rebeccaofficer Premium Member about 6 years ago
This will affect you so much that it’ll have the effect of teaching you the difference between affect and effect.
SusanSunshine Premium Member about 6 years ago
I usually don’t post here… but the idea of correcting the flagrant misuse of “peak, peek and pique” has piqued my curiosity….
Perhaps, if the holding cell isn’t too full….
might there be room to add those, even magazine writers, who can’t tell phase from faze?
I’ll be waiting with “baited” breath….. sigh….
Nachikethass about 6 years ago
I am with the Fink here! Time someone stood up for good language!
Gent about 6 years ago
Let him have it, Fink.
josballard about 6 years ago
A required piece of educational equipment in every English class.
docforbin about 6 years ago
Thus the King of Id became the world’s first grammar Nazi.
Troglodyte about 6 years ago
Not everybody would support the Fink’s radical approach to education, but there’s no such thing as stretching it too far in Id!
uncleskull about 6 years ago
King is write about that!
Fred about 6 years ago
Sounds as though he’s stretching things a bit….
ted.66bird about 6 years ago
Excuse me! ‘Theirs’ no excuse for that!
dorotheac928 about 6 years ago
Compliment vs complement
smgray about 6 years ago
That’s stretching the point.
petern0582 about 6 years ago
You forgot to include the cell phone.
sandpiper about 6 years ago
Did not appreciate that grind in school, but truly am happy now that it stuck. As a former teacher of language and mechanics, I also experienced the frustration my teachers must have felt, which made me appreciate their efforts all the more. I had days when I could hear their laughter in the background.
Scorpio Premium Member about 6 years ago
Oh yes. I approve of this as a way to teach people the difference.
flagmichael about 6 years ago
I imply from this that he should of bin smarter, to.
keltii about 6 years ago
then we of the UK/Canada/Australia language, get reprimanded for our use of colour, neighbour, centre, flavour, arbour, calibre, and so on….
Dr_Zinj about 6 years ago
The Fink is a substitute English teacher? Who knew?
Iron Pounder about 6 years ago
Ya gotta love the English (or American, as the case may be) language. Now, if Microsoft could just come up with a homonym checker.
David Illig Premium Member about 6 years ago
Then and than, loose and lose, its and it’s, apostrophes in plurals… If the people who make such errors only knew what the errors tell us: “I am ignorant because I don’t read.” Words matter. Writing is the most important invention in human history and its importance cannot be surpassed by any future invention.
vp about 6 years ago
He is guilty of even more: your, you’re, refuse, refute, reply, revert
h.v.greenman about 6 years ago
You need to speed up the process, your majesty. There are roughly 7 billion internet users in line waiting for that lesson
joefearsnothing about 6 years ago
I am to tired too count two to! ;o}
kimodb Premium Member about 6 years ago
Please do the lay/lie lesson next! And I/me/myself after that!
Nyckname about 6 years ago
YES!!!!!
Stegozard about 6 years ago
Is it bad that I empathize with the king on this matter?
Cerabooge about 6 years ago
I’ve used this one before…
As the grammar police held their demonstration of contractions by holding up signs in the park, a stranger asked about a particular word his buddies were displaying. The response was
Their “they’re” is over there.
Now rearrange the words.
Plods with ...™ about 6 years ago
Someone finally gets it.
William Bednar Premium Member about 6 years ago
Next. Compare “its” to “it’s”.
bateria about 6 years ago
And I’ll still wear my crown!
Al Nala about 6 years ago
NO ONE EXPECTS the Grammar Inquisition!!!
eladee AKA Wally about 6 years ago
And I thought my English teacher was tough!!!!
MeGoNow Premium Member about 6 years ago
Really worked. Unfortunately, when they let him off the rack, he told them, “Hey, its not so bad.”
blakerl about 6 years ago
He is just working in his part time job as a chiropractor.
meg_grif about 6 years ago
Word Crimes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc
Andrew Moore about 6 years ago
Yeah, and verily. The Internet has brought out all the dolts in the wide world.
Ivan Araque about 6 years ago
I remember the great Gary Larson addressing complaints about this kind of humor (should we really make fun of torture?), and his response was something like, “I hope my critics are taking a look at the Wizard of Id!!!” Say, nobody beats this Wiz… ;)
tuslog1964 about 6 years ago
She too had to try on two tutus.
tuslog1964 about 6 years ago
They’re over there by their luggage.
Rose Madder Premium Member about 6 years ago
Grammar police got him. Another wastrel re-educated..
jbarnes about 6 years ago
My dyslexic younger daughter has forced me to re-think my former membership in the grammar police. She says she likes the spelling in Spanish better, because it follows (mostly) consistent rules. Maybe one day I will even learn to tolerate it when people use the word “loose” instead of “lose”.
ChukLitl Premium Member about 6 years ago
They’re picky about their language there.
Dennett Premium Member about 6 years ago
That’s the way we learned it in the old days…
KevDoneIt about 6 years ago
Why isn’t phonics spelled like it sounds? Also the way fish is spelled – ghoti.gh as in enough, o as in women, and ti as in attention.
KevDoneIt about 6 years ago
ghoti spells fish, gh as in enough, o as in women and ti as in attention.
mywinedatabase about 6 years ago
what about “yore”, as in days of … ?
flagmichael about 6 years ago
A friend once told me a very common contraction was not in the dictionary, then she hauled out her dictionary and showed me the absence. I checked my own dictionary and found it wasn’t there. It was a common one, one of the “not” contractions, I believe, but we have lost touch and now I can’t remember what the word was.