Comments on: Language and its discontents http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/ She escaped from the belly of the liberal beast Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:06:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: judyrose http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18889 judyrose Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:09:52 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18889 BW, I went to school before there were any "pride" studies, so forgive my ignorance. BW, I went to school before there were any “pride” studies, so forgive my ignorance.

]]> By: Bookworm http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18887 Bookworm Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:52:42 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18887 Judy, Judy, Judy (in my best Cary Grant imitation): It's Inuit Pride Studies, not Eskimo Pride studies. And no, I don't think they teach much usage anymore. Judy, Judy, Judy (in my best Cary Grant imitation): It’s Inuit Pride Studies, not Eskimo Pride studies. And no, I don’t think they teach much usage anymore.

]]> By: judyrose http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18888 judyrose Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:31:59 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18888 I don't regularly read the WSJ, so I would have missed Collin Levy's piece, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I particularly liked Levy's insight that using "myself" seems safe to those who are shaky about whether "I" or "me" is correct. I wrote something similar on my blog, but didn't tackle the issue of "myself." The use of "I" and "me" was No. 6 in my post "Ten Common Writing Mistakes Your Spell Checker Won't Find." Actually, these kinds of mistakes have nothing to do with spelling, but instead, are about proper usage. Is anybody teaching proper usage any more? (Maybe they can't squeeze it in between Self-Esteem 101 and Eskimo Pride Studies.) I don’t regularly read the WSJ, so I would have missed Collin Levy’s piece, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I particularly liked Levy’s insight that using “myself” seems safe to those who are shaky about whether “I” or “me” is correct.

I wrote something similar on my blog, but didn’t tackle the issue of “myself.” The use of “I” and “me” was No. 6 in my post “Ten Common Writing Mistakes Your Spell Checker Won’t Find.” Actually, these kinds of mistakes have nothing to do with spelling, but instead, are about proper usage. Is anybody teaching proper usage any more? (Maybe they can’t squeeze it in between Self-Esteem 101 and Eskimo Pride Studies.)

]]> By: greg http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18890 greg Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:14:19 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18890 A professional re-writer is someone we should listen to when it comes to the mechanics of language, *even* when their thinking, otherwise, relies on templates of opinion, rather than original expression. A professional re-writer is someone we should listen to when it comes to the mechanics of language, *even* when their thinking, otherwise, relies on templates of opinion, rather than original expression.

]]> By: expat http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18891 expat Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:15:16 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18891 How about fewer/less? This one drives me crazy. How about fewer/less? This one drives me crazy.

]]> By: highlander http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/01/14/language-and-its-discontents/#comment-18892 highlander Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:13:08 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=2358#comment-18892 Good ones -- and then there's my personal favorite: "It was <i>so</i> fun!" Good ones — and then there’s my personal favorite: “It was so fun!”

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