Do some words bug you?

If the truth be known, most of us have an internal list of words that we don't want other people to use. When we hear certain words, we get a slightly unpleasant feeling.  And we wouldn't be caught dead using those words ourselves.

I'm not talking about the usual suspects, curse words like the F bomb or racial or gender slurs.  I mean just words that people use in everyday conversations.

Here is my list.  I do really dislike "suck" and its adjective "sucky."  Too much like the F bomb maybe?  I think "crap" is an ugly word.  Putting aside what it refers to literally, I find the very sound of the word unpleasant.  And to describe someone with an uptight personality as "anal" is just a little too graphic for me. I also dislike hearing a woman expecting a child referred to as "preggers."  I have never heard a female use that derivative of "pregnant."  Somehow "preggers" carries a whiff of machismo.    

My list goes on.  The expanded uses of "literally" and "actually" are starting to bug me.  They are ubiquitous. I'm probably fighting a losing battle here.  These two adverbs may be serving as intensifiers used to strengthen expressions. "The salesman was literally falling all over himself to help us."  (He was very anxious to help us.)   "Are you planning to go to the party?  "Well, actually, I bought a new outfit to wear."  (I'm greatly anticipating the party.)

I'm becoming a bit weary of everything from the Grand Canyon to the new green chile cheeseburger in town being described as "awesome."  But I realize we have a great need for superlatives in our language.  I am all for putting a positive spin on life, but a fresh, new adjective would be appreciated.

Another expression that catches my attention is "price point."  Yes, I have probably been watching too many episodes of "House Hunters" on HGTV, but why is "price point" better than "price"?  That million dollar vacation home in the Caribbean is still going to cost the same.          

Whew!  I'm exhausted with all of this complaining about language.  And me a person who fancies herself a linguist, interested in language for language's sake!

But misery loves company.  I would enjoy hearing about words that bother other English speakers. And I hope I haven't used any of your forbidden words in this blog post!

How do you make "correct" grammar decisions?

Somewhere inside most of us, there is probably a small, nagging doubt from time to time about how to use "correct" grammar when we use our native language.

If only speaking and writing correctly were as simple as memorizing a set of rules and sticking to them religiously.

Wow!  That's a lot of rules to learn!

One of the main reasons why slavishly following a set of rules won't work is that languages are constantly evolving.  Word definitions, pronunciations, and grammar all may change as a language is used constantly by its speakers.

Let's check your opinions on some common grammar doubts discussed in Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language by Patricia T. O' Conner and Stewart Kellerman. Do you find any of the sentences below objectionable?  If so, why?  (You may want to consider if the sentence is being used in speaking or writing also.)


I don't know all the rules of English.

Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should.

The thief snuck into the house.

Michael Phelps dove into the water.

He was the one that helped me with English.

Bill Gates is richer than me.

The queen has woken from her slumber.

Every senior thinks they know it all.

.

Did your inner grammar police nab any sentences as being "incorrect"?






What you may be perplexed to learn is that the authors of Origins do not give a yes/no definitive solution for any of the above grammar doubts.  They state that some sentences are permissible in speaking but not in writing, some are permitted by some style manuals and dictionaries but not others, and some may be generational decisions, The only form I found as being forbidden was poor old misunderstood "ain't". (There is a book out by David Skinner with the title The Story of Ain't:  America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Every Published. )

The decision about which English forms constitute "correct"  English is made by "We, the People". And often the decision is a personal one.  My guide to using "correct"grammar is what I hear on National Public Radio.  But occasionally a Texas "y'all" sneaks into my language as exactly the right thing to say to express myself well.

Conquering pesky grammar doubts

Anyone who has ever sat in an English class in an American school may have the same doubts and insecurities that I have when I write.  Now, when I speak, not so much.  After all, who has time to check their grammar on the fly? But composition is another matter.  It is so permanent. Someone centuries from now may read this post and criticize my use of English grammar!

I'm currently teaching a short course called "Myths of English Grammar."  I'm hoping that examining grammar not from a "gotcha" angle, but from a more pragmatic viewpoint, may be helpful to others. This week's session will focus on some common grammar myths described in the book Origins of the Specious:  Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman (2009).

(1) Splitting infinitives 

Is it proper for the Starship Enterprise "to boldly go" where no man has ever gone?  Yes, absolutely. English speakers have been splitting infinitives for a very long time, depending on meaning and style.

As a matter of fact,  the term "splitting infinitives" is misleading. In the phrase "to boldly go" the infinitive is just the word "go".  The "to" is identified as another part of speech (often as a preposition) which is sometimes used with infinitives and sometimes not.  An example is,
"The editor helped her write more clearly." So, just as in Latin, there are no English infinitives to split.  Whew! One more worry in life to check off my list.    

 (2)  Ending a sentence with a preposition

Do you get nervous when you reach the end of a sentence and all you have left to use is a preposition? Go right ahead.  It's quite all right to use a "terminal preposition."  Although Winston Churchill probably did not say "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put,"  the purported quote is a good example of the danger of following an outmoded rule rather than writing in clear English.

(3)  Beginning a sentence with a conjunction.

Does beginning a sentence with "and" give you a frisson of excitement as you defy your high school English teacher?  Although that teacher was probably trying to help you improve your writing style, there is nothing ungrammatical about beginning a sentence with a conjunction.  And, using a conjunction may actually help your writing by linking ideas. 

I was in a committee meeting recently participating in proof reading a document, and one member triumphed in all disagreements by saying, "There is a rule."  The rest of the committee bowed to the sanctity of  "the rule."   

My personality is to be a rule follower in all aspects of life . It takes hard evidence to convince me to be otherwise.  But many grammar rules are not really rules; they are myths. And myths are legendary, imaginary, and unverifiable.  

In the future , I hope to be a more discerning consumer of grammar information! And a little less up tight!