What can I say? I spend my days with words and have developed a few pet peeves. Here’s an incomplete list
- ALL RIGHT not alright
- A LOT not alot.
- “He said, ‘toast’.” <–British ”He said, ‘toast.’” <–US. The British grammar makes more sense here.
- OK <–this is the correct spelling of okay, however it looks like you’re shouting. I’m hoping to launch a revolution for Ok.
- Any number that is written like this: 8, instead of like this: eight, is going to stop the reader’s eye.
- The word ‘said’ should be used unless you’re indicating sound volume.
- ESPRESSO not expresso – no matter what they say in Seattle.
- INSURE is used only for insurance related issues.
What are your pet peeves?
a variant spelling of all right
Usage: The form alright, though very common, is still considered by many people to be wrong or less acceptable than all right
Uhhhhh I have no pet peeves ma’am
Dangling participles……. they should always remain tucked in and out of sight.
Merry Christmas Claudia. May your cup be filled with the cheer of your choice. xx
My brother-in-law, bless his heart, uses commas reliably after every two or three words without regard to meaning. I think he suffers from “Commarhea.”
Also, misused quote marks drive me crazy. This is epidemic, which leads to the conclusion that many people have no clue what they are for.
Many and varied