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I post a lot in these threads about my impatience with poor grammar, poor vocabulary, or poor usage. But I'm also a pretty tough self-critic. I'm probably harder on myself than I am on the stupid fools who make grammatical errors consistently. So here are my confessions:
I used to mix up "ersatz" and "erstwhile." They have totally different meanings, but I still have to stop and remind myself whether I'm reading about something that doesn't exist anymore or something that's a cheap fake when one of them pops up in something I'm reading.
Up until about a year ago, I thought it was correct to say "I was pouring over all the books I could find on the topic..." but it's actually "poring." I guess I had a mental image of a person "pouring" themselves like a liquid over a whole lot of written material, sort of becoming one with it. But stupid me, it's "pore."
I somehow got through my whole life (42+ years so far) without learning the word "chanteuse." I read a LOT, so how did the word get by me without my looking it up? I'm embarrassed to say I heard someone on TV (who isn't necessarily very bright) say the word--"so-and-so was a very famous chanteuse..." and was like "huh?" Then I looked it up. My boyfriend, who reads about as much as I do and who also has a decent vocabulary, even knew the word (but he also does crossword puzzles a lot). Of course, as things like this always seem to happen, once I learned the word, I now see it a lot.
I had thought that the saying "toe the line" was "tow the line." I didn't know the origin of the phrase, but I knew when a person was told to "tow the line" they were being told to "buckle down," follow the rules, or pay better attention to what they should be doing." So I pictured fishermen towing a fishing line, working more diligently to catch a fish than just sitting there dozing with a fishing rod in their hands. Then I learned that it was actually "toe" and it came from either track & field (put your toe on the starting line before running) or from shooting contests (put your toe on the line when you shoot for the target and don't go beyond it).
Okay grammar/vocab-snobs (like me), what have been your embarrassing blunders? I came forward with my shame, how about you?
In college, I used the (incorrect) phrase "from the gecko" in a report. My professor circled it and wrote "a small lizard?!". My then BF, now DH, had a good laugh over that one. I still blush thinking about it.
I post a lot in these threads about my impatience with poor grammar, poor vocabulary, or poor usage. But I'm also a pretty tough self-critic. I'm probably harder on myself than I am on the stupid fools who make grammatical errors consistently. So here are my confessions:
I used to mix up "ersatz" and "erstwhile." They have totally different meanings, but I still have to stop and remind myself whether I'm reading about something that doesn't exist anymore or something that's a cheap fake when one of them pops up in something I'm reading.
Up until about a year ago, I thought it was correct to say "I was pouring over all the books I could find on the topic..." but it's actually "poring." I guess I had a mental image of a person "pouring" themselves like a liquid over a whole lot of written material, sort of becoming one with it. But stupid me, it's "pore."
I somehow got through my whole life (42+ years so far) without learning the word "chanteuse." I read a LOT, so how did the word get by me without my looking it up? I'm embarrassed to say I heard someone on TV (who isn't necessarily very bright) say the word--"so-and-so was a very famous chanteuse..." and was like "huh?" Then I looked it up. My boyfriend, who reads about as much as I do and who also has a decent vocabulary, even knew the word (but he also does crossword puzzles a lot). Of course, as things like this always seem to happen, once I learned the word, I now see it a lot.
I had thought that the saying "toe the line" was "tow the line." I didn't know the origin of the phrase, but I knew when a person was told to "tow the line" they were being told to "buckle down," follow the rules, or pay better attention to what they should be doing." So I pictured fishermen towing a fishing line, working more diligently to catch a fish than just sitting there dozing with a fishing rod in their hands. Then I learned that it was actually "toe" and it came from either track & field (put your toe on the starting line before running) or from shooting contests (put your toe on the line when you shoot for the target and don't go beyond it).
Okay grammar/vocab-snobs (like me), what have been your embarrassing blunders? I came forward with my shame, how about you?
I've made some, but I can't think of one right now. However, what's worse for me is that I often know the word IN PRINT, but have no idea how it's pronounced so the word will come to mind in a conversation but I'm afraid to say it.
For example, I had this issue with the word "naivete" for a long time. I would write the word, but I wasn't sure how to pronounce it, so I didn't use it.
One more recently was the phrase "ad infinitum". I've never said it out loud nor have I heard anyone use it, though I know how it should be used. Recently I had to drive an older lady somewhere, and she is a retired schoolteacher. She was very chatty and she used "ad infinitum" and I thought, "AHA!!!!" I got very excited, though I kept it to myself, of course.
I thought "scenic" is pronounced "sen-ik" instead of "seen-ik." But when I looked it up just 10 years ago after confronted on my pronunciation [oops...not sure if it's pronOUNciation), both were listed-- and my version was listed first!
Huh? Really? But I've never heard anybody else use my version, and wouldn't dare use it again.
i misunderstood "exigency" to mean any situation that comes up, but the word pertains to urgent situations that come up, not just any old situationhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exigency
i love "erstwhile"! i don't get a chance to use it much
I sat in a meeting yesterday that included a lot of Brits. One of the most pressing topics was the schedule for the project, and it amused me to listen to the back-and-forth as the Brits said "shedyul" and the Americans said "skedyule.
Is it sad that I was not aware of the meanings of both ersatz and chanteuse?
As an incoming college freshmen, most of the grammar/ vocab mistakes I make occur because of the timed environment I have to write mostly all of my essays in.
i have definitely said martial status, instead of marital status a few times.
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i don't get a chance to use it much
