Academics KO Grammar Again

Accuracy in Academia ^ | July 18, 2006 | Malcolm A. Kline

[BarbaricGrandeur]

Holy cow, I got that on the first read! It was instantaneous. Should I be scared?

[yankeedame]

“grammar is dead”
Has anyone told grampa?

Wakka...wakka..wakka...

[pbmaltzman]

Yet let me attempt to correct another poster's misspells, pronoun error, not a probable typo but actual and in fact grammatical error on one of these internet forums and I am labeled pedantic, *grammar-cop*, or some other derrogative name.

Yes, and then they'll tell you what a waste of time it is to bother with the mechanics of the English language.

I was once harassed in e-mail because I dared to leave a comment at a website that they ought to have the contents proofread (this was a business website, mind you).

I'm amazed at the number of people who realize that to get a computer to perform correctly, they first have to type the commands correctly ("spell" them correctly, if you will), but who also seem to take some sort of idiotic pride in mangling the English language.

A lot of these people are the same ones who bleat everywhere that they "just want to find someone to except my love." Or they don't know "to" from "two" from "too."

Sheesh.

[snowsislander]

or some other derrogative name.

For what it is worth, the spelling is "derogative", not "derrogative."

;-)

[Windsong]

Wonder where the anti-immigration ppl are on this issue.

[webboy45]

I'm a strong supporter of the simplification of the English language. We should not, however, have a free-for-all that ignores all rules. However, spelling badly needs to be simplified to the extent that rules are actually followed. It was a common practice when the early dictionaries were written, to use the pronunciation from one area and the spelling from another area, an early practice of political correctness. That's how we ended up with the French spelling of colonel and the Italian pronunciation. It's time we stopped such nonsense.

[pbmaltzman]

For what it is worth, the spelling is "derogative", not "derrogative."

I missed that one the first time around.

But the way I've usually heard it, most of the time it's "derogatory." Anyone got a dictionary around here? ;)

[snowsislander]

Anyone got a dictionary around here? ;)

I like onelook.com: http://www.onelook.com/?w=derogative&ls=a

I generally find http://m-w.com to be the most useful of the dictionaries presented by onelook.com.

When searching for the use of a particular word in the King James Bible, I use http://www.wordsake.com.