Speed Bump by Dave Coverly for June 07, 2010

You don’t mind if it’s a ruff neighborhood?

What about the number of trees and hydrants?

They obviously are not CATholic!

“Importantly” is an adverb that describes the demeanor of an action; e.g. “He strode importantly into the room.” It’s used as an adjective so much nowadays that I guess it’s no longer ungrammatical. She should be saying, “Most important…”

With best wishes from your Monday Morning Curmudgeon/Grammar Nazi. (A quick check of the web dictionaries shows that it has already crossed over. I guess it’s too early just to sit down QUIETLY, shut up, and have a beer. I have more importantly work to do.

Ray C for president and proofreader!!! Huzzah!!!

Hey, Ray, you forgot your close parenthesis. Grammar Queen! (I’m no Nazi).

On the paper, on the paper!!

I’ll bet their house has a odor…

“Preferably something near a nice country kennel club…”

Ash, I can’t believe I had the audacity to correct someone’s grammar, then mess up my own comment in doing so. You gave me a big laugh! Just for revenge, though; that period at the end of your comment should be inside the right parenthesis, since it’s a full sentence and stands alone. (I’m not really a Nazi either!) (If I’ve made another mistake here, this could go on for awhile.)

Ray C: When “awhile” is spelled as a single word, it is an adverb meaning “for a time” (“stay awhile”); but when “while” is the object of a prepositional phrase, like “Lend me your monkey wrench for a while” the “while” must be separated from the “a.” (But if the preposition “for” were lacking in this sentence, “awhile” could be used in this way: “Lend me your monkey wrench awhile.”)

From: “Common Errors In English Usage” by Paul Brians

(Sorry, sorry, sorry - I couldn’t resist! lol!)

Ushindi: When you said… Aw, forget it!

(So, Ray, if I write a sentence I put the period here.) Love learning. Glad you’re a good sport. ;-)

One has to be a good sport around here, Ash. This is a really tough crowd. You know, Ushindi, I wondered about that when I wrote it, but I decided it was correct. I was wrong. Thanks to both of you for the good laughs, and Ushindi, I’m a bit concerned about the absence of the comma to close your clause “…,like ‘Lend me your monkey wrench for a while’…”; but I’m not sure about it. The three of us should get together some time and discuss Strunk & White. Or not. ;-)

Wow, ‘World Wide Words’, Mencken and you three and I’m set for today. Thanks.

Thanks to you guys - it was fun.