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On Language

By: DerKrieger (Diary)  |  November 20th, 2010 at 11:29 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I’m sure there those that will think I’m picking nits with the topic of this diary but to me being precise in the use of the English language exhibits a seriousness we as Conservatives are often accused of lacking.

The past tense of ‘lead’, as in ‘to lead a group’  is not ‘lead’ it is ‘led’ as in “Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon.

Lead, pronounced as ‘led’, is only correct when referring to the metal Lead , symbol Pb from the Latin for Plumbum.

‘Loose’ means “not tight” it does not mean the opposite of ‘win’, that would be the word ‘lose’.

You’re is a contraction of ‘you are’ and does not mean the same as ‘your’ as in ‘it is your mistake to use your to mean you’re’.

And a favorite of Ed Morrisey on HotAir is to write ‘amuck’ when he clearly means ‘amok’ as in ‘to run amok’.

If you want to be take seriously then please demonstrate that you in fact did graduate high school having passed basic English.

And as an aside I only just learned the origin of the word ‘nitpick’ when my 5-yr old daughter picked up lice from her school. In ridding her hair and our home of them I learned that larval lice are called ‘nits’ and thus nitpicking is the act of removing lice larvae from hair.

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  • belcatar

    I have to agree with some of the commenters. If you are going to write a post about proper written communication, it should be written properly.

    One of the main reasons why written communication has suffered so terribly in the last twenty years is the increasingly rare use of it. Where we once wrote letters, we now use the telephone. Twitter and text messages encourage brevity and non-standard usage (“u” instead of “you”, b4 instead of “before”). When I read the correspondence of men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, I’m amazed that the command of language they had. However, it was vital that they had this skill, and they used it all the time.

    Unfortunately, written communication will become increasingly difficult, regardless of what happens in public schools, because technology has replaced many of the skills we once took great pride in, such as spelling. I can only see a long, slow slide into intellectual softness.

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    The ‘nit’ is the egg that is attached to the hair shaft, not the larvae.

  • Menlo

    “Snuck” is not a word. The past tense of “sneak” is “sneaked.”

    Like “nitpick,” the “rule of thumb” has deviated from its original meaning. The term originated from the measure of sticks with which husbands could use on their wives.

  • Bill S
  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    I notice grammar and spelling errors but don’t obsess over them. This diary seems kindof ridiculous, especially when you consider:

    If you want to be take seriously then please demonstrate that you in fact did graduate high school having passed basic English.

    (eyeroll)

  • Finrod

    I’ve been using that line for a while now. In these days of textspeak, when kids can’t even seem to write coherent sentences, it’s important to write well and proofread. Personally I recommend Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, as a good primer in how to tighten up your prose and make what you write more clear. Buy multiple copies and give them to your kids or anyone you know that’s in high school or college.

  • Scope

    the first sentence. “I’m sure there those that think…..”

    I suspect that often it is not poor spelling, but, rather typos. Perhaps proofreading should have been added to spelling and grammar.

    Personally, I would prefer a thousand Paul Revere types, that get the message out, no matter how badly the words are spelled, or how bad the grammar is, as long as I can understand the message. With the current makeup of the FCC, we will need all the messengers we can get.

    A woman from Alexandria VA called talk radio yesterday to relay the story that many high school students in some particular school there could not read or write. They are passed on to the next grade, year after year, and, actually graduate from high school without being able to read or write. She said that the teachers read the questions to the students, and then the teacher fills in the ovals. As long as we allow the NEA, the teachers unions worried more about their pay and perks, and a government complicit with them, don’t expect much. Push your Governors to go with charter schools.

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    …I had LASIK on Wednesday and although my nearsightedness is corrected I’m struggling to see anything closer than 18″ clearly and I can’t get reading glasses until my eyes “settle in”.

  • mriggio
  • ntrepid

    I agree that many diaries and comments come into this little neighborhood in terrible shape?some are just too painful to fight through. (I think it best to just quietly ignore these. The authors may either get the hint or just go away.) But many of the violations you describe are very easy to commit when you are rushed and/or distracted by kids and/or interrupted by phone calls and/or?

    I often go back to read things I have posted months earlier and am surprised how many times I make these types of errors even when I know better and took time to proof read numerous times before hitting the publish button.

    Of course, upon finding these mistakes, I severely reprimand my editor for not catching them. Oh, wait a minute?there is no editor. Damn my amateur status.

    Ntrepid
    Proud Redstate Member since April 2006??

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    …I was mainly concerned with bloggers and not mere commenters