Why Does Applying Education in Daily Life Annoy Some People?

[1MileCrash]

Person A:

"Y can't time at work doest go by fast??"

Person B:

"Wow, someone's an english major! :P"

Person C:

"Someone needs to remember that this is facebook and not english class!"

Just happened on my friend's facebook, Person A. I am Person B. Person C is an old lady.

Now, this particular example did nothing to "grind my gears," (it's on facebook for crying out loud) but it reminded me of cases that do.

Have you ever applied the knowledge you've learned through education to a real-life situation to come up with a solution? (hopefully yes) Then while doing this you are met with the response "this isn't physics/math/chemistry/biology/government/whatever class!"

Am I missing something here? Isn't that the point of obtaining an education? Yes, let's cease to apply the skills and knowledge we have acquired simply because we aren't currently seated in a classroom. Brilliant.

 

[lisab]

Happens to me a lot. Yes it's very annoying.

But my advice would be, just get used to it - you're educated and there's no reason to hide it. If it bothers other people, it's their problem.

 

[russ_watters]

"English" should be capitalized.

 

[1MileCrash]

Happens to me a lot. Yes it's very annoying.

But my advice would be, just get used to it - you're educated and there's no reason to hide it. If it bothers other people, it's their problem.

Thanks, I would agree with you.

Though I'm not very educated - just a third year college student here. I think I'm a pretty average guy with a greater interest in physics than most other "normal" people.

"English" should be capitalized.

Hahaha, this is a science forum not a grammar forum! :P

Truth be told, casually, I never point out errors in punctuation or capitalization and whatnot, but "Why can't time at work doesn't go by fast?" was just really hard to pass up.

Although the amount of people who write "rediculous" also starts to overwhelm me.

Rediculous (V.) - to diculous again.
"I thought I'd only need to diculous once, but I had to rediculous to get it right."

 

[Danger]

Rediculous (V.) - to diculous again.
"I thought I'd only need to diculous once, but I had to rediculous to get it right."

I have that same problem with the ubiquitous word "reiterate". To "iterate" is to repeat something, so to "reiterate" is to repeat a repetition. That is, pardon the expression, redundant.
And don't even get me started about how apparently every Yank in show business (even those disguised as otherwise intelligent Vulcans or FBI profilers) thinks that "may" is an acceptable substitute for "might". Do they have no understanding whatsoever as to the difference between permission and possibility?

 

[Upisoft]

I have that same problem with the ubiquitous word "reiterate". To "iterate" is to repeat something, so to "reiterate" is to repeat a repetition. That is, pardon the expression, redundant.

Well, "reiterate" is a useful short form for "iterate again". In software we constantly iterate and then reiterate the elements of the same array. Some task just don't have the proper algorithm that will do the job with only one iteration.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Frankly, unless you posted your comment as a joke, what you wrote is just annoying. Yes, it's very poor English, but so what? Why did you feel you had to make it your mission to point this out? What did you expect the outcome to be?

There is a time and a place for that sort of thing, facebook is not one of them. The old lady is right.

 

[1MileCrash]

Frankly, unless you posted your comment as a joke, what you wrote is just annoying. Yes, it's very poor English, but so what? Why did you feel you had to make it your mission to point this out? What did you expect the outcome to be?

There is a time and a place for that sort of thing, facebook is not one of them. The old lady is right.

Erm, okay, maybe so, but as explicitly said in OP, this isn't really about that particular case.

 

[Danger]

Well, "reiterate" is a useful short form for "iterate again". In software we constantly iterate and then reiterate the elements of the same array.

Well, that's a specialized case that places the term in the category of jargon. I was referring to the more general conversational misuse of it.

 

[Upisoft]

Well, that's a specialized case that places the term in the category of jargon. I was referring to the more general conversational misuse of it.

Jargon usually finds its way out of the closed communities using it, as they tend to have other activities.

 

[Evo]

My pet peeve is people that write reoccur, it's recur. It's been abused for so long and so widely that it's actually starting to appear in some dictionaries.

Here is a great list of commonly abused words.

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/mispronounced_words.html

 

[Moonbear]

There is a time and a place for that sort of thing, facebook is not one of them. The old lady is right.

I disagree. I would agree if he was being picky about something minor like a semicolon, but that statement was so horrendously worded as to be incomprehensible. We aren't taught things in English class or any other class just to use them only in that class. We are taught them to communicate and function in society. People like that "old lady" who think it's okay that ignorance be excused outside the classroom are contributing to the problem of ignorance in society.

 

[Gokul43201]

<OT> Haven't seen you in a while! </OT>

 

[Moonbear]

<OT> Haven't seen you in a while! </OT>

I've been BURIED in work.

 

[Jasongreat]

Something that grinds my gears is someone who corrects things I say, my aunt was an english teacher, I used aint all I could when younger to grind her gears. Langauge is all about communication, it doesn't matter if all the rules are followed as long as the person you are conversing with understands what you are saying, imo. But I would say that if you are so worried about proper grammar you might introduce a few more comma's to your sentences, your other posts just go on and on and on, as well as switching directions mid sentence. IMO, there is nothing worse than someone who want to show their academic superiority, by nit picking the use of english, I get away with it though because I am not educated, atleast not if you only consider educated as someone who went to college.

 

[Gokul43201]

Frankly, unless you posted your comment as a joke, what you wrote is just annoying. Yes, it's very poor English, but so what?

So write more sensibly if you want people to understand you without having to strain their imagination.

Why did you feel you had to make it your mission to point this out?

If you pointed out that someone had their laces untied, would that be considered a mission as well?

What did you expect the outcome to be?

If I were the OP, I'd hope the outcome would be that the person put the tiniest bit more effort into communicating.

There is a time and a place for that sort of thing, facebook is not one of them. The old lady is right.

Why do you feel you have to make it your mission to point this out?

 

[Gokul43201]

I've been BURIED in work.

Clawed your way out on Halloween?

 

[mugaliens]

Have you ever applied the knowledge you've learned through education to a real-life situation to come up with a solution?

Absolutely.

Isn't that the point of obtaining an education? Yes, let's cease to apply the skills and knowledge we have acquired simply because we aren't currently seated in a classroom. Brilliant.

Lol, I feel you, dog (sorry about the English - after all, this isn't a...)

Just kidding. My point, however, is that it's fairly easy to let one's guard down, so I wouldn't sweat it too much when others do that. As for any flippant comments, it might be better just to let it be water off a duck's back.

 

[Danger]

As for any flippant comments, it might be better just to let it be water off a duck's back.

That should be "water off of a duck's back.

Or was that remark too flippant?

 

[jambaugh]

... it doesn't matter if all the rules are followed as long as the person you are conversing with understands what you are saying, imo...

I think it was Emily Post who first said this but it's a good heuristic, "You must first know the rules to know when it is appropriate to break them". What you say is true w.r.t. the main point is communication, and an occasional "ain't" won't bring down civilization. But we do need to know how to speak, write properly and unambiguously when appropriate.

I have my share of bad habits and spelling errors but I do wince at the egregious grammar errors you hear on TV by professional communicators.

BTW, Has anyone read the book "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynn Truss?

 

[Danger]

BTW, Has anyone read the book "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynn Truss?

I have not. I'm familiar with the phrase as the punchline to a panda joke, of course, but was unaware of the book. It should be entertaining. For some reason, the title makes me think of Dave Barry or Jack Douglass.

 

[Gokul43201]

That should be "water off of a duck's back.

I believe you've got it exactly backwards. I can't imagine any grammar book not cringing at the use of 'off of', when the single-word preposition 'off' is sufficient.

 

[G01]

Most of the time I let grammar mistakes go, as I am not saint in this matter. However, I do have at least one language pet peeve:

I don't like it when people, especially debaters or TV Talking Heads use the phrase "begs the question" to mean "raises the question."

It seems stupid, but "begs the question" has a whole different logical meaning. It really bothers me when people use begs the question the wrong way in debates. (They should know their logic!)

Raises the question: Brings a new question or topic into the realm of discussion.

Begs the question: Flaw in an argument where, in order to prove something you have assume it to be true.

 

[lisab]

I believe you've got it exactly backwards. I can't imagine any grammar book not cringing at the use of 'off of', when the single-word preposition 'off' is sufficient.

Meh, I could care less.

 

[Evo]

I believe you've got it exactly backwards. I can't imagine any grammar book not cringing at the use of 'off of', when the single-word preposition 'off' is sufficient.

Another fine list.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nonerrors.html


First list.

Here is a great list of commonly abused words.

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/mispronounced_words.html

 

[Danger]

I believe you've got it exactly backwards. I can't imagine any grammar book not cringing at the use of 'off of', when the single-word preposition 'off' is sufficient.

Incorrect. "Off" means "not on"; "off of" means that it was on and then was removed.

Meh, I could care less.

You are a truly evil creature...

 

[texasblitzem]

I was raised by an English teacher, and always had my grammar corrected. I find myself doing the same to others all (of)? the time, and I'm trying to stop it, but I have a friend that says "supposably" instead of supposedly. It drives me crazy and I want to enlighten her as to the proper pronunciation of the word, but without insulting her intelligence. I think she would be offended that I would correct her. I've even used it in conversations while talking to her but she doesn't get it.
Any ideas on how to enlighten her without straight-out telling her? I know some will say 'just let it go' and I have so far, but I cringe every time she says it.

 

[Evo]

I was raised by an English teacher, and always had my grammar corrected. I find myself doing the same to others all (of)? the time, and I'm trying to stop it, but I have a friend that says "supposably" instead of supposedly. It drives me crazy and I want to enlighten her as to the proper pronunciation of the word, but without insulting her intelligence. I think she would be offended that I would correct her. I've even used it in conversations while talking to her but she doesn't get it.
Any ideas on how to enlighten her without straight-out telling her? I know some will say 'just let it go' and I have so far, but I cringe every time she says it.

Get someone to send her a chain e-mail on the dangers of misusing the word?

 

[Danger]

I tend to not to correct people in conversation, even though some of their gaffs drive me up the wall. My intolerance tends toward written (or typed, or whatever) forms.
Another one that irritates me is the constant misplacement of "really" in a sentence. For example, in a current Fountain Tire commercial, Jon (the actor) says "I should really be steering." There are several other examples similar to that. How hard is it to put the words in the proper sequence?

 

[Gokul43201]

Incorrect. "Off" means "not on";

It also (approximately) means 'away from', when used as a preposition.

See: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off?show=1&t=1288909280

Note that Webster is okay with 'off of' when used idiomatically, especially in speech. From the same page:

Usage Discussion of OFF OF

The of is often criticized as superfluous, a comment that is irrelevant because off of is an idiom. It is much more common in speech than in edited writing and is more common in American English than in British.​

"off of" means that it was on and then was removed.

That is sufficiently conveyed by just the 'off', and eliminates the need for an extra word. But more to the point, the idiom is indeed 'water off a duck's back'.

See:

1. http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp
2. http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=294
3. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/water+off+a+duck's+back
4. http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/water+off+a+duck's+back.html
5. http://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idioms/W/_like_water_off_a_duck_s_back_575.htm
6. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/water

Back in ye olde days when little Dan went to grammar school, the usage of 'off' as a preposition probably hadn't gotten terribly popular yet. Ref 2 above speaks a little about the semantic changes but doesn't put actual dates on the timeline.

 

[rootX]

I always use "off of" in things like "get off of my bed" because it is more natural than "off".

On related, I just found...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7457287.stm

 

[Office_Shredder]

Just happened on my friend's facebook, Person A. I am Person B. Person C is an old lady.

Now, this particular example did nothing to "grind my gears," (it's on facebook for crying out loud) but it reminded me of cases that do.

Have you ever applied the knowledge you've learned through education to a real-life situation to come up with a solution? (hopefully yes) Then while doing this you are met with the response "this isn't physics/math/chemistry/biology/government/whatever class!"

Am I missing something here? Isn't that the point of obtaining an education? Yes, let's cease to apply the skills and knowledge we have acquired simply because we aren't currently seated in a classroom. Brilliant.

This reminds me of that time that you were Peter in Family Guy

 

[Gokul43201]

I always use "off of" in things like "get off of my bed" because it is more natural than "off".

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp

Correct: Take your shoes off the bed.
Incorrect: Take your shoes off of the bed.

 

[lisab]

Incorrect. "Off" means "not on"; "off of" means that it was on and then was removed.

Unless you're talking about an alarm. When an alarm goes off, that means it goes on.

You are a truly evil creature...

 

[Evo]

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp

That there 'off of' is heathen speech.

—Usage note
The phrasal preposition off of is old in English, going back to the 16th century. Although usage guides reject it as redundant, recommending off without of, the phrase is widespread in speech, including that of the educated: Let's watch as the presidential candidates come off of the rostrum and down into the audience. Off of is rare in edited writing except to give the flavor of speech.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/off

I use either version depending on my mood.