THEN is not interchangeable with THAN

[All The Fire]

I saw someone here write "for all intensive purposes" instead of "for all intents and purposes" a while ago. I thought that was very strange.

For the most part, I've sort of given up caring about people's grammar and calling them out, or even making a spotless job of it myself.

[alaricljs]

So, which of the following:

1)  I could care less
2)  I couldn't care less

I see way too many people thinking #1 makes sense, or at least not realizing that it doesn't work.

[hashbaz]

So, which of the following:

1)  I could care less
2)  I couldn't care less

I see way too many people thinking #1 makes sense, or at least not realizing that it doesn't work.

This one actually does bug me.

[captain]

I think that should be a dash between "mean" and "neither", rather than a hyphen.  I say this in the spirit of the thread, not to rib you.

You are absolutely correct!  I didn't proofread what I was quoting.  :-P
Of course, in typing (like here, where we either don't have full typesetting, or I don't know how to abuse the vBulletin formatting system) one uses two hyphens to represent an em-dash.  I'll go back and fix that now.  Thanks!

[Nighted]

"A lot" is two words!

Yes, thanks "a lot"! haha

[captain]

So, which of the following:

1)  I could care less
2)  I couldn't care less

I see way too many people thinking #1 makes sense, or at least not realizing that it doesn't work.

I heard a funny bit on this subject from a comedian on the radio this morning.  He went on a tear about how much less he could still care, even though he didn't care much at the moment.  Ah ha!  Here he is, although this performance seems to be an abridged version:

(skip to ~01:30 to hear the grammar rant)
[video=youtube;7fhyZ-c9c7Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fhyZ-c9c7Y[/video]

I recall having this epiphany early in college, where I encountered an inordinate number of seemingly functional illiterates who abused the first phrase with alarming regularity.

[J-P]

so addicting!

[captain]

I identify with the sentiment of this post, from another BBS:

I've noticed several instances lately (not on this list, thanks be) in which
somebody says something like "I got a pit in my stomach when I thought about
X."

Is this as ridiculous as I think it is

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pit-of-your-stomach

or do I have to accept this idiocy because after all, English is an
evolving, ever-changing, living language?  How many ignorant people does it
take to make something which is obviously incorrect, correct or at least
acceptable? And what's the minimum number of instances of such usage, or
what is the length of time during which the incorrect usage is used,  that
it takes before it's accepted even though it's obviously wrong? And will
somebody please tell  me where and when to draw the line?

I agree that the English language is flexible and it should be;  but words
mean certain things after all, and aren't copyeditors supposed to make sure
that they're used correctly?

Stuff like this drives me nuts.

I think I may just spout this to the "English is a living language!" wankers:  

How many ignorant people does it take to make something, which is obviously wrong, acceptable?




How the Hell did I get to 1000 posts?!?   :-o

One more post Captain.

One more....
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=The+Ripster+Signature+Wiki#RIPS  TER+CODE+OF+BULSHIDO

Actually, according to the bulshido code, I still have ONE to go!  ;-P    (and please stop capitalizing my moniker)



Meanwhile, 1000th post written while listening to:

[video=youtube;xat1GVnl8-k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xat1GVnl8-k[/video]

[ricercar]

and please stop capitalizing my moniker

ripster's accuracy decreases when he's not discussing keyboards. He thinks my name is RicerCar.

[Lanx]

ripster's accuracy decreases when he's not discussing keyboards. He thinks my name is RicerCar.

it's not?

[ricercar]

Irony is a disciplinarian feared only by those who do not know it, but cherished by those who do.

- Soren Kierkegaard

[ricercar]

"I my experience Grammar Nazis are just trolls. [sic]"
-ripster