Guilty as Charged
#99 Grammar « Stuff White People Like
Another important thing to know is that when white people read magazines and books they are always looking for grammar and spelling mistakes. In fact, one of the greatest joys a white person can experience is to catch a grammar mistake in a major publication. Finding one allows a white person to believe that they are better than the writer and the publication since they would have caught the mistake. The more respected the publication, the greater the thrill. If a white person were to catch a mistake in The New Yorker, it would be a sufficient reason for a large party.
I’ve been all weekend traumatized because one of my friends kept using the word “shat” in the wrong tense. Clearly “shat” is past tense and she was using it in future tense. I could hardly keep myself from reprimanding her. But in the end I rose above it. *sigh*
Then MyTodd™ said that he thought it wasn’t even a real word! Merciful heavens, the educating I have to do amongst my friends. Who appreciate it one and all, and don’t find me in the least pedantic. *ahem*
2 Responses to “Guilty as Charged”
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There is no need for conflict over this though - you can be superior to the rest of the US Susan, and I’ll just feel superior to NW Europe.
On the subject of grammar though, the Grammar Nazis that are English Teachers (Teachers of English, not teachers from England - though they could be and probably are both) really piss me off when they try to apply the grammar rules of Latin to modern day English and insist that anyone else who doesn’t do so is wrong.
So they don’t like it when you say, “Me and my friend went to the cinema” but tell you it should be “My friend and I went to the cinema” - bo****ks! They’re probably just jealous because no one asked them to go to the cinema.
On a final note, this is another one I have on the office wall at work, because it sums up my lot in life: http://despair.com/pretension.html
And I will maintain my superiority over the rest of the Western Hemisphere I think, and let you have your half. Sounds like a plan.
Current Pet Peeve - new boss who thinks the phrase “thank you” is hyphenated, 100% of the time. Maybe 3.5% of the time, as in “I was sending him a thank-you gift.” but he actually signs his emails (all of them) “Thank-You!” (which, in my head is pronounced thank-dash-you-exclamation-point)