What do you hate most?

[BWdem4life]

(or vice versa)

89 votes, 3 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	"waive" when it should be "wave"
	1 (1%)
	"your" when it should be "you're"
	15 (17%)
	"less" when it should be "fewer"
	6 (7%)
	"lay" when it should be "lie"
	1 (1%)
	"to" when it should be "too"
	5 (6%)
	"no" when it should be "know"
	2 (2%)
	"except" when it should be "accept"
	2 (2%)
	gaaaaaahhhh!!! I hate them all, can't choose one
	25 (28%)
	grammar nazis
	20 (22%)
	other (please list)
	12 (13%)
	3 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[askyagerz]

1. Loser spelled looser

I see this one a lot now days

[Lunabell]

2. I usually let it fly even if it irks me.

Unless someone is being a jerk about something, then my grammar/spelling police lights flash and I make a citizen's arrest. And that's another one: not using an apostrophe to show possesive as opposed to plural, lol. Gggrrr! 😆

On edit: Alot instead of a lot.

[qwlauren35]

47. I don't know why...

I have a SUPER hard time with its and it's. I also want to put apostrophes places when there are plurals of acronyms like CV's. When I type things like "its time to go", I forget the apostrophe and have to go back and at it. If I say "dog's toy", I think "it's toy". And then I have to take it out.

Usually, I catch myself within about 5 seconds. But my fingers/brain always wants to do it wrong.

[Lunabell]

48. No peoblem. It can be confusing.

As long as you're not being a jerk, I keep my thoughts to myself. I'm sure I've made mistakes that I haven't caught.

[multigraincracker]

3. My mother was an English teacher.

She gave up on me. I’m on the language spectrum.

[Jeebo]

4. "prior to" instead of "before"

Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2024, 02:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Every English teacher I had in high school tried to teach me the principle of economy of words. Don't use more words when using fewer words has the same meaning. The word "before" is one word; "prior to" is two words. Not only that, but "prior to" has always sounded pompous to me. It's as if the person who says "prior to" is trying to sound erudite or intelligent or something. Why is that nobody wants to use the word "before" any more? There's nothing wrong with that word. Use it. Same thing about "subsequent to" instead of "after".

-- Ron

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

5. That when it should be who.

[Skittles]

6. right now, CAUSE instead of BECAUSE

WTF

[beveeheart]

7. Me when it should be I

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. You and me gone have word's.

[enid602]

9. Reflexive

Improper use and overuse of reflexive.

[True Dough]

10. It seems that many people are unaware of fewer instead of less

If it's something you can quantify, it should be "fewer."

There are fewer calories in that dessert.

I couldn't care less.

But: It will cost you $100, less the $20 deposit.

English is full of exceptions (not acceptions).

[Skittles]

36. and while we are at it.....

"I could care less."

[justaprogressive]

11. There They're Their!!

Gaaaaah!

[Fla Dem]

12. Too minor issues to bother me. People make mistakes and these are the least of them.

Last edited Sun Nov 3, 2024, 08:59 AM - Edit history (1)

Have a great "2 days before we Elect Kamala Day"!!!!

[milestogo]

13. "should of" instead of "should have"

[skypilot]

20. I'm late to this party but...

...that is what I was going to post. I see "should of" more than all of the other things in the OP combined. It's horrifying.

[John1956PA]

55. Years ago in a grammar thread, a witty DUer replied . . .

. . . "Thanks for setting me straight. I must of got lost somewhere down the line." (Acknowledgement to The J. Geils Band)

[Aristus]

25. Oh God! Me too!

[Ohiya]

14. "Awesome" instead of "mildly interesting".

[chouchou]

15. I'm very kind, regarding proper English..except for Your..You're. (I do like to change the rules a little bit)

[Doc_Technical]

16. their there they're

[Harker]

17. Definately.

[Harker]

18. Prolly.

[Skittles]

34. ooh

it just makes me cringe

[Harker]

37. It's an eye-roller and a head-shaker for me. n/t

[Skittles]

38. I can only picture it in the diary of a 12 year old girl

yes indeed

[Junebug46]

43. Or a sixteen year old boy!

[Skittles]

44. uh huh

do we make you nervous?

[Polybius]

51. That's different in one way though:

Like welp, it's not done by mistake. It's done on purpose, the way Xer and Millennials in the 90's spelled cool: kewl.

[Harker]

54. Quite right.

My zeal got the better of me.

[Upthevibe]

19. BWdem4life.......

I know there are people on DU who aren't into the show Friends but it's one of my very favorites. It's gotten me through some hard times.

The reason I bring it up is because there's a scene where Ross and Rachel are having a huge fight that involves the use of the words your and you're. For me, it's one of the funniest scenes in any comedy ever. Sometimes when I need to laugh I'll go to YouTube and watch scenes from various shows. This is one I almost always go to but you need to be a regular viewer because in order to get it you need the context.

[Clouds Passing]

21. "If you will" used incorrectly and too frequently

[Abolishinist]

22. Modifying a word with asterisks/whatever

so that the 'offending' word is not spelled out. Such as the "N-word", or the "C-word".

Guess what, when I hear someone saying "N-word", my brain immediately translates this to... well... you know. Why all the f***ing b***s**t over this?

[JoseBalow]

23. If you don't know the difference between to, too, and two...

your an idiot.

[Harker]

24. Definately.

[Junebug46]

45. "You're" LOL!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

26. loose / lose

[Historic NY]

27. I'm glad I have language tool on my computer

it can be annoying, but it does capture this stuff.

[Ferrets are Cool]

28. "I could care less" drives me CRAZY!!!!

[surfered]

30. My wife was a high school English Teacher. Her pet peeve is misplaced apostrophe's😁see what I did there?

[Skittles]

35. it's

it's either IT IS or a possession of Cousin It! THAT'S IT!

[Different Drummer]

40. Another headbanging one for me.

[Different Drummer]

39. That's one of my big annoyances, too.

I know people who think a plural just isn't a plural without 's.

[rogerballard]

31. Dangling Participles

[Basso8vb]

32. "Could of" or "should of"

Instead of "could've" or "should've".

No faster way to come off as an idiot in my opinion.

[sorcrow]

33. Then when it should be than

Then when it should be than and vice versa.

Best regards
Sorghum Crow

[electric_blue68]

41. Wait... what the heck is "waive"?

[BWdem4life]

42. I'm waving my right to a jury trial

Might as well waive goodbye to me for a long time

[Abolishinist]

46. Using 'What' instead of 'Which'

(I'm not a good grammar person, so I'm prolly wrong).

[3catwoman3]

49. "Wala" instead of voila.

When I started seeing this in print on message boards, it took me the longest damn time to figure out what "wala" was supposed to mean, and I was horrified when it finally became clear.

I particularly dislike the word impactful. It sounds clumsy and heavy. What's wrong with influential or effective?

My distaste for this word may have its roots in my nursing career. When someone is severely constipated, they are said to be impacted. Colloquially known by those of us in health care as the FOS syndrome - full of shit. Not a big leap from there to impactful.

[quaint]

56. Add wahla; I asked the poster what it meant.

Sometimes the mean in me leaks out.

[Polybius]

50. Other

I hate "alot" when it should be "a lot."

[Silent Type]

52. If it's on an informal post, especially a quick response to BS, I don't mind grammar errors.

Think we should avoid them when possible. But prefer to focus on content, not grammar.

Does embarrass the heck out of me to read an old post where one would question my education.

[TlalocW]

53. Preposition followed by "you and I"

Between you and I, etc. Nails on chalkboard.