Hardy's school of grammar

Started by omagh_gael, May 13, 2013, 12:38:21 PM

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Billys Boots

The Mayo contribution to the thread could be 'Eats Shoots and Misses'. 
My hands are stained with thistle milk ...

brokencrossbar1



stew

Quote from: magpie seanie on May 14, 2013, 02:42:56 PM
7/10. One a pure guess.

Seven for me too, two best guesses.

I have been here so long now in the States I spend half my time using the irish way and half the yankee way, you know, dropping the U etc.
Armagh, the one true love of a mans life.

Hardy

Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on May 15, 2013, 01:45:07 PM
Quote from: Hardy on May 15, 2013, 12:06:16 PM
The anti-grammar faction discusses GAA

Do you know Hardy if you grew the beard a bit and changed your dress sense.... :P

I'd have to improve the dress sense a good bit, in fairness.

Oraisteach

Of course, even capitalization slips can be serious (so watch out lawnseed).  e.g. There's more than a subtle difference between "I helped your Uncle Jack off a horse" and "I helped your uncle jack off a horse."

dec

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/offbeat/grammar-vigilante-secretly-corrects-bristol-street-signs-1.3034747

'Grammar vigilante' secretly corrects Bristol street signs

A self-confessed "grammar vigilante" has been secretly correcting bad punctuation on street signs and shop fronts in Bristol for more than a decade. The anonymous crusader carries out his work in the dead of night using the "Apostrophiser" - a long-handled tool he created to reach the highest signs.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC that correcting rogue apostrophes is his speciality.

He uses stickers, rather than paint, to cover up errors. "I do think it is a cause worth pursuing. I have felt extremely nervous and the heart has been thumping," he told the BBC. But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.

"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place," he said.

Main Street

Quote from: dec on April 03, 2017, 07:03:52 PM
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/offbeat/grammar-vigilante-secretly-corrects-bristol-street-signs-1.3034747

'Grammar vigilante' secretly corrects Bristol street signs

A self-confessed "grammar vigilante" has been secretly correcting bad punctuation on street signs and shop fronts in Bristol for more than a decade. The anonymous crusader carries out his work in the dead of night using the "Apostrophiser" - a long-handled tool he created to reach the highest signs.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC that correcting rogue apostrophes is his speciality.

He uses stickers, rather than paint, to cover up errors. "I do think it is a cause worth pursuing. I have felt extremely nervous and the heart has been thumping," he told the BBC. But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.

"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place," he said.
He's logically impaired, as is typical of those sort of people.

'But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.'
"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place,"

vallankumous

Quote from: muppet on May 13, 2013, 05:05:38 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on May 13, 2013, 04:15:48 PM
One of my pet hates is the misuse of "literally" instead of "figuratively". "Jaysus, when they scored my head literally exploded."  No it didn't. Your brain might have alright.

Jamie Redknapp:

"The ball literally gave him a haircut."
"Alonso and Sissoko have been picked to literally sit in front of the back four."
"He's literally just eaten the fourth official."
"Scholes has such a great footballing brain. He'll see a picture in his head and literally paint it in front of you."
"Center forwards have the ability to make time stand still. And when Chopra got the ball, it literally did just that."
"He's literally sold the defender a dummy"
'These balls now - they literally explode off your feet.'
"The crowd behind the goal are literally going insane."

This also deserves an honourable mention:

"Steven Gerrard makes runs into the box better than anyone. So does Frank Lampard."

Sadly the word 'literally' is abused so often it may be time to redefine it. Definition will eventually catch up with usage. This is the fluidity of language.
An example of where this has already happened  is using and understanding without question 'I see' or 'I get it' as a replacement for 'I understand'.

AZOffaly

Are they not more like contractions which have entered the vernacular, and the full phrase or sentence would have been correct originally?

As in: "I see (what you mean)", or "I get (receive) what you are trying to say, clearly".

Neither are the most graceful.

But the use of 'literally' is almost the opposite of what the person means.

vallankumous

Quote from: AZOffaly on April 04, 2017, 09:22:29 AM
Are they not more like contractions which have entered the vernacular, and the full phrase or sentence would have been correct originally?

As in: "I see (what you mean)", or "I get (receive) what you are trying to say, clearly".

Neither are the most graceful.

But the use of 'literally' is almost the opposite of what the person means.

Yes, I think you're right. I'm just not sure that would hold up one hundred years ago. While they are not opposite they are not related either. To receive is different to understand. I can receive the information without understanding. However, understanding is assumed.

With the constant abuse of the word 'literally', fatigue has set in for me. I'm past the stage of voicing my corrections and am at the ignore stage. Perhaps it can be saved, but I have given up.

passedit

Quote from: Main Street on April 03, 2017, 07:20:20 PM
Quote from: dec on April 03, 2017, 07:03:52 PM
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/offbeat/grammar-vigilante-secretly-corrects-bristol-street-signs-1.3034747

'Grammar vigilante' secretly corrects Bristol street signs

A self-confessed "grammar vigilante" has been secretly correcting bad punctuation on street signs and shop fronts in Bristol for more than a decade. The anonymous crusader carries out his work in the dead of night using the "Apostrophiser" - a long-handled tool he created to reach the highest signs.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC that correcting rogue apostrophes is his speciality.

He uses stickers, rather than paint, to cover up errors. "I do think it is a cause worth pursuing. I have felt extremely nervous and the heart has been thumping," he told the BBC. But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.

"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place," he said.
He's logically impaired, as is typical of those sort of people.

'But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.'
"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place,"


As has already been pointed out, he is a punctuation vigilante not a grammar vigilante. Hopefully this winds him up as much as the dodgy apostrophes.
Don't Panic

Hardy


Never mind apostrophe abuse; what about this?


Main Street

#74
Quote from: passedit on April 04, 2017, 10:08:17 AM
Quote from: Main Street on April 03, 2017, 07:20:20 PM
Quote from: dec on April 03, 2017, 07:03:52 PM
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/offbeat/grammar-vigilante-secretly-corrects-bristol-street-signs-1.3034747

'Grammar vigilante' secretly corrects Bristol street signs

A self-confessed "grammar vigilante" has been secretly correcting bad punctuation on street signs and shop fronts in Bristol for more than a decade. The anonymous crusader carries out his work in the dead of night using the "Apostrophiser" - a long-handled tool he created to reach the highest signs.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC that correcting rogue apostrophes is his speciality.

He uses stickers, rather than paint, to cover up errors. "I do think it is a cause worth pursuing. I have felt extremely nervous and the heart has been thumping," he told the BBC. But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.

"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place," he said.
He's logically impaired, as is typical of those sort of people.

'But the man maintained that he had not committed any crime.'
"It's more a of a crime to have the apostrophes wrong in the first place,"


As has already been pointed out, he is a punctuation vigilante not a grammar vigilante. Hopefully this winds him up as much as the dodgy apostrophes.
I was more referring to the glaring legal and rational shortcomings in his justification for his actions.
A dubious level of emotional intelligence is already assumed, seeing as he appears to take this activity so serious and without a trace of humour.