Poor Writing Costs Taxpayers Millions

Tampa Tribune ^ | July 4, 2005 | JUSTIN POPE , AP Education Writer

[wildwood]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Erasmus]

I think many of these came from William Safire.

Here are a few I remember from his list (some are near duplicates of items on your list):

- If you use a foreign phrase per say, it is de rigor to spell it correctly.

- Mixed metaphors are a pain in the ass and should be thrown out the window.

- Eschew prolix and impenetrable obfuscation.

- Don't use colloquial stuff.

- Verb and subject number has to agree.

And one or two more from...well, modesty prevents me:

- Never verb a noun.

- Never use a noun in an adjective way.

[Conservatrix]

I like that a lot, am going to copy it and print it out...

[T Minus Four]

I am particuarly unnerved when people use subjects for direct objects, such as:

"I went to the beach with Jim and he." "They gave the presents to Robbie and I."

Oh, me too! Many people think it is always, always, always "Bob and I". Then, when you correctly say something like "Give the books to Bob and me", you get a scornful look. I've taken to saying things like "Give the books to me. And Bob."

[clyde asbury]

let's not even TALK about plural possessives (sigh).

I can't think of an example of a recent one, but this is funny enough:

"Employee's must wash hand's."

[Conservatrix]

Well, its about time somebody be teaching kid's about wear to put apostrophe's. Too many kids' sit in houses's all day long not reading their parents book's.

[Madame Dufarge]

My pleasure, Bernard.

The old NatLamp was hilarious, wasn't it?

For some reason, this article has stuck in my mind all these years.

[Madame Dufarge]

Excellent points!

I bow to your superior writing skills.

[Bernard]

Yes, this article and the frog leg jokes.

[Madame Dufarge]

The frog wheeling out of the kitchen?

We've got boxes of old NatLamps in the attic that we were too stupid to preserve carefully.

The Ted Kennedy/Volkswagen ad's in one of them.

I keep hoping what's left of the Massachusetts Republican Party will resurrect it. I'd donate it to them, being an expatriate Masshole myself.

[johnb838]

LAst Friday was E.B. Whites birthday.

[johnb838]

I hope the dictionary doesn't give in and allow loose as an alternate spelling for lose. It hacks me off because I know a lot of people think that's how it is speled. Alos hugh for huge, and alot for a lot. How much IS a lot anyway?

[T Minus Four]

Buy the book Eats, Shoots and Leaves. You'll laugh your head off and know you're not alone!

[Conservatrix]

LAst Friday was E.B. Whites birthday.

White's. Does not take long to find perfect examples on this site, does it?????

[Conservatrix]

The provincial idiots out here in central PA call a living room SUITE a SUIT. They spell and pronounce it SUIT.

Well, a suit is a matched set of clothes, not furniture,
Lebanon County dunderheads.....

sort of reminds me of the white trash who say, "The house needs painted"......

[johnb838]

I had him to go up to the mega lo mart to look at a suit of furniture.

Here in Houston they spell it right but they do pronounce it "suit". But that "Had him to go" business drives me up a tree.

Course my barber is a coon-ass and a fella was going to Louisiana to go fishin' and he told the guy to tell the guide to "brought ya to where you could caught cha' some big 'uns, he'll know what you mean".

[johnb838]

Sorry, I erred. I usually try to be more careful. :) I generallt proofread before I post. I try to be one of the good'uns. Except when I write in an illiterate manner intentionally, for humorous effect, which I was not attempting, in that post.

[T Minus Four]

Hey, since we're in the mood, come over to this thread and help me pick apart this guy's writing. He thinks he's writing a really deep, suicidal opus and if we just criticize his grammar and lack of punctuation it'll really steam up his glasses :-)

[T Minus Four]

Curses! Caught in my own trap!

[Erasmus]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people on the internet can't spell the word "lose". They all spell it "loose".

Cry havoc, and lose the dogs of war!