...people who can't tell the difference between 'then' and 'than'.
My latest example: I just read a blog post by a famous author; some idiot flamed him in the comments; and a later commenter wrote (and I quote): "There are better places to be a troll then here."
I don't know whether this kindergarten grammatical error is becoming more common or if it's just that I'm *seeing* it more often, but I've caught it dozens of times in the last few weeks and it's becoming about as irritating as people who write "I should of been there" or "I would of come if I'd known."
What's more, I suspect it has the same root. That is, people writing how they speak. Should of, could of, would of, all come from hearing should've, could've, would've in their daily lives without ever seeing them written down properly or being taught the grammatical explanation for the contraction. I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover "better places then here" has a similar explanation. It probably started in the U.S. where "than" is often pronounced closer to "then" and pretty soon with a lame school system (both there and here, sadly), no-one knows the difference.
The real sad thing is that it's not confined to kids and illiterate forum dwellers. Even those who should know better - professional writers among them - have fallen into the trap.
We recently watched the final series of The Wire - a marathon viewing session lasting most of Sunday - and I was struck by the way not only the kids manning "the corners" but also senators, lawyers and the police expressed themselves with minimal vocabulary. A single word like "shit" - uttered with variable expression and dependent on context becomes something like a universal noun.
An expression of surprise: Shit!
An expression of disgust or disbelief: Sheeeeeeeeyit.
A generic description of one or more objects: Don't mess wit' my shit.
A reference to a horrific event or something that must not be spoken of: Shit like that.
A misdemeanour: What's with that shit?
etc, etc.
After a few hundred years of increasing literacy - pretty much since the invention of the printing press - anarchy is returning to language. At this rate it won't be long before we're all communicating in a series of grunts again. Sheeeeeeeeyit.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
No thats just teenagers. :D We have a horrible effect on people.
No I do think you're right - people don't talk properly anymore. You know what I think the problem is? Instant messaging.
A long time ago I attended a National Film Board movie which was supposed to educate us Canadians on the newly introduced metric system. One point that was clearly made was that Ometers were gauges to measure something, and that Metres were what were being measured.
If you say "Speedometer" or "Odometer", then you can see what I mean. However, if you say the word "Metre", millimetre", "centimetre", etc., you'll see how the word "kilometre" should be pronounced.
It bugs me too much that it's pronounced like it was a gauge.
But that's just me being overly picky, I suppose.
Miss S and I are currently using an extended-as-possible 'Sheeeeeeeeyit' at every opportunity after watching the Wire.* Great fun.
Although attempts at 'alright' in Wire-speak ('Aiiiiight'?) are currently more Yorkshire than West-side.
* - We're still on season 4 so please no spoilers.
No spoilers then, but I have to tell you that the greatest proponent of the extended Sheeeeeeeeyit - senator Clay Davis - lets one rip in Season 5 that is so long he has to be interrupted by one of the other characters. Classic. (I can't get the proper hang of Aiiight? either. Must be a black thang)
And Don... I know what you mean, but it's SO common that I can rarely stop myself from saying kill-O-meter. Tsk. Just to balance things up I occasionally say Mi-limiter and Cen-timmeter too :o)
oh heavens, i commented on your other post before reading this one (re "should of") .... save wavelength!
I, too, keep thinking "aiight" though i won't say it outloud. I do think i have a better handle on it, being North American.
I know i often speak "lazy", but i usually take care to write fairly well unless i'm doing it on purpose. And in my blogs and casual writing, i'm a bit less careful as well quite often. Yes i know i use lower-case "i", that's how i've always done it even when hand writing back in school unless i was writing an exam or paper or something professional.
You think that's bad. Every tuesday I had to endure a friend of mine telling me she was
"going to tharapy tomarrow"
... |:
Post a Comment