Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Pet Peeve
Many people find it a pet peeve when people misuse grammar. Maybe someone says "good" when they should have said "well," or they said "stupider" when they should have said "more stupid" - my pet peeve is when someone corrects my or someone else's speech in these types of situations. To me there is nothing more irritating than a grammar snob who is disturbed enough by a misuse of words that they feel the need to publicly correct a violation of grammar. I understand that sometimes a misuse of grammar can get under the skin of even the simplest of people, particularly when someone expresses a word unknown to the present English dictionary, but the necessity to publicly denounce another person's intelligence is quite out of line. Even well educated people who know the rules of grammar will resort to a more casual use of rhetoric from time to time depending on the formality of the situation. In a formal situation, most people understand that grammar use is important because it speaks volumes about your intellect, but in more comfortable situations with friends and family, people should be able to use language they are comfortable with as long as their point is clearly represented. When someone says "I feel pretty good," everyone who speaks English understands the meaning. Is it necessary to correct someone aloud and say, "I think you mean well?" It doesn't make you any smarter or better of a person because you can point out when someone misuses "good," or makes up a word like "stupider," - a twelve year-old child could point out such obvious mistakes. To sum up my thoughts on this issue, I guess what I'm trying to say is that people who take their pet peeves with grammar misuse too far, represent my largest pet peeve of all.
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I agree with the author completely. I think that grammar correcting and as he phrased it "grammar snob" is a big pet peeve of mine. His main points center around recreational vs formal diction, and he says that the recreational grammar use doesn't show a lack of intellect and that the most intelligent people in the world sometimes reduce their language to levels far below academic or professional standards. The one that always bothers me is the "well" instead of "good" correction. As the author states, everyone around you knows exactly what you are saying, to correct is arrogant, controlling, and highly annoying. Just by using "good" you are implying that you do not care about your formality and people need to take that hint, unless they think yo utruely do not know. Quickly, the other one that is annoying is the "may I" vs "can I" correction and I find this absurd. Cleraly, I have the ability to go to the bathroom. Dont be stupid and assume Im asking you whether or not I have that ability. You know what I mean, lets move on. The last key point of his that I want to hit on is his use of the word simple. He says that grammar mistakes can get under the skin of the most simple people. Exactly. You arent smarter than anyone else by pointing it out. Nobody else is as annoyed as you are. You can be the sore thumb, or you can lighten up and relax, like everybody else who decided not to comment was doing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that I found this blog post because the misuse of grammar (especially things like "good" versus "well") is my very own pet peeve. I get very, very frustrated with things like this because we've been learning grammar since before I can remember and always just want beg of him or her "JUST LEARN THE RULES!" HOWEVER, I do not do this. Unless it's a major mistake (which I realize is almost never), I resist the urge and hold back. I'm not crazy-- I do not mind using "can I" instead of "may I" or "who" instead of "whom". Lets be honest--those are slowly leaving the English language anyway. Point being, I understand how annoying it is when people correct grammar. I understand that it appears (and can be true) that they think they are better and/or smarter than the other person. However, I do understand their "pain" in wanting to correct grammar. I honestly am not a "grammar snob". I do not think that I am better for using correct grammar-- I mess up too! I just get frustrated with words and phrases that we have been learning since kindergarten that adults still have yet to understand. The worst is when you don't correct him or her and then he/she just keeps misusing the word or phrase or whatever it is! It just kills me! Regardless, for people like you and for the sake of not wanting to look like a snob, I will continue resisting the urge to correct and allow the misuse to live on.
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