Word use that drives you up the wall!

[Abraham]

Erudite pronounced as: Area-Dite

On accident, instead of by accident.

Or incorporating some hackneyed bit of word flotsam stolen from a T.V. commercial as in: "I could've stayed at Holiday Inn Express last night" and then proudly act as if these dreary pearls of non-wit are their own, not comprehending how ghastly platitudinal they sound.

[bdickens]

... not comprehending how ghastly platitudinal they sound.

Since we're on the subject anyway...

ghastily platitudinal

[MeMelYup]

Imply and infer.

One implies to and infers from.

But what really drives me up the wall is when people can't seem to understand the plain meaning of simple, basic English phrases like "shall not be infringed" and "the right of the people."

That one's simple. If you're a collectivist (in all things), then "The People" is a collectivist term. Therefore, The People may be armed through the agency of appointed enforcers and bureaucrats and armies, but not individually. The People's this. The People's that. The People's Republic of Californiastan. If you're a conservative/libertarian, then you properly understand the rights of the people as individual rights.

One of my latest bugaboos...... "Pivot," which from Obama has come to mean "more of the same."

Doesn't "the right of the People" indicate the individual, where "the People's rights" would indicate the mass?

[G26ster]

Doesn't "the right of the People" indicate the individual, where "the People's rights" would indicate the mass?

Both people and persons are the plural of person. (Google )

[Abraham]

bdickens,

I confirmed the spelling of the word Ghastly and indeed I had it correctly spelled, however

Ghastily was nowhere to be found in my dictionary.

Please tell the name me of the dictionary that contains: Ghastily.

Thanks

Some of the other non-words commonly used on the internet: Noone and alot

Congratulations spelled Congradulations

Lose and loose continue to fall through the cracks. These words stump a lot of people and I've yet to understand why...?

I just love to read where someone took a coarse or needed to take a brake.

Before I sound to highfalutin, I have a confession to make. I'm hopeless with proper punctuation placement. So, we all have our word crosses to bear...

[bdickens]

Ghastly is indeed the correct spelling. It is the wrong word.

Ghastily is the adverbial form of ghastly.

"not comprehending how ghastily platitudinal they sound" is an adverbial phrase wherein the words "ghastily" and "platitudinal" are used to modify the verb "to sound."

[Abraham]

bdickens ,

O.K., but why isn't the word "Ghastily" not found in the dictionary?

Surely, you're not being whimsical?

If a word isn't found in the dictionary it's use appears without credibility...

P.S. this exchange is fun for me and I sincerely hope for you. Also, if I'm found wrong in my argument, I'll happily stand corrected.

Of course, I'm not wrong...

[bdickens]

I am not being whimsical. I am being correct.

There are plenty of legitimate words not found in "the dictionary."

Say "hearty ate" and then say "heartily ate" out loud. Which one sounds correct?

[Abraham]

"There are plenty of legitimate words not found in "the dictionary."

Really?

Like Ebonics?

[bdickens]

Um, yeah. Really.

And my ABD (that's All But Dissertation to you non-academics) wife who went through a Doctoral program in English Literature agrees with me.

But I'll bet you that the 20-volume OED has the word "ghastily" in it.

[LikesShinyThings]

bdickens ,

O.K., but why isn't the word "Ghastily" not found in the dictionary?

Surely, you're not being whimsical?

If a word isn't found in the dictionary it's use appears without credibility...

P.S. this exchange is fun for me and I sincerely hope for you. Also, if I'm found wrong in my argument, I'll happily stand corrected.

Of course, I'm not wrong...

Found it: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ghastily

[jimlongley]

I worked with a gentleman, many years ago, who would comment, as we finished a job, that he had to gather all his "derbis."

It wasn't until I had worked with him for a while that I realized he meant "debris" and mispronounced just as he did "ambliance."

[BigGuy]

Imply and infer.

One implies to and infers from.

But what really drives me up the wall is when people can't seem to understand the plain meaning of simple, basic English phrases like "shall not be infringed" and "the right of the people."

That one's simple. If you're a collectivist (in all things), then "The People" is a collectivist term. Therefore, The People may be armed through the agency of appointed enforcers and bureaucrats and armies, but not individually. The People's this. The People's that. The People's Republic of Californiastan. If you're a conservative/libertarian, then you properly understand the rights of the people as individual rights.

One of my latest bugaboos...... "Pivot," which from Obama has come to mean "more of the same."

Jump to 1:50 for the punch line.
[youtube][/youtube]

[texanjoker]

"right"

that annoys the heck outta me..right