"I couldn't care less" - Let's set the record straight

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Or find musicians who take great pride in their language skills. :D
👍 👍 👍

The yellow Roosevelt Avenue leaf overturned
The ardor of arboreality is an adventure we have spurned, we've spurned
A new leaf overturned...​

That verse is just full of puns and wordplay.
 
I wasn't aware that Green Day was the epitome of grammar. I mean, way back on their Dookie CD they mixed the sex of the subject in Basket Case.
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The point wasn't that I thought that musicians were intelligent enough to not fall into these kind of traps, but the fact that on an album as intensely produced as American Idiot, I'd think that they could've used more appropriate wording (don't challenge my use of appropriate).

I feel like I'm overdefending a bunch of pop-punk-rockers here, but I bet there's a reason behind the Basket Case lyrics. The two words are so close in proximity to eachother, it couldn't've slipped attention. Right when you mentioned it, I thought it was in reference to the shrink, but she too is female. Oh well...
 
You can't beat a well thought-out lyric.

I'm afraid of the dark
Especially when I'm in a park
When there's no one else around
Oh I get the shivers
I don't wanna see a ghost
It's the sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast
Watch the evening news

Courtesy of Des'Ree.
 
Then its they're problem.


'their problem'. This is another area where people make mistakes. They're/their/there and you're/your.. etc. However, it's not necessarily a sign of ignorance as of inattention. I am guilty of it myself on occasion.

For the record, I have always said "I couldn't care less." rather than the other.
 
That was deliberate, there's loads of deliberate mistakes like that in this thread.
 
Affect vs. Effect

If you can substitute the word “influence” in the sentence and get the same basic meaning, then use “affect.”

The threat of rain affected our plans for the day.

Now, substitute “influence”:

The threat of rain influenced our plans for the day.

The basic intent is the same; therefore “affect” is the right word.

If you can substitute words like “reaction” or consequence” in the sentence and get the same basic meaning, then use “effect.”

The effect of the rain was that we moved our backyard picnic into the kitchen.

Now, substitute “consequence”:

The consequence of the rain was that we moved our backyard picnic into the kitchen.

Well, OK, it isn’t something you would likely say, but the meaning of the sentence remained basically the same, so “effect” is the right word.

Once again, this is a very simplified rule, but you should get the general point. If you can make the substitutions I’ve given you without changing the basic meaning of the sentence, then you will know which word is the right word.


That vs. Which

Use “that” when the phrase following “that” is essential. For example:

Buy the dress that is red and blue.

As you can see, “red and blue” is essential to the instruction to “buy the dress” and therefore is prefaced by “that.” Without “red and blue,” you might buy the wrong dress.

Use “which” when the phrase is merely an add-on thought or not essential.

She bought a lovely dress, which was red and blue.

Here the sentence says that “she bought a lovely dress,” but “red and blue” is just an add-on thought. If you eliminated “red and blue” the basic intent of the sentence remains unchanged: she bought a lovely dress.

Now personally, red and blue isn’t the most attractive color combination for a dress, but the point is clear. In the first sentence “red and blue” is necessary to the intent of the statement, and in the second sentence “red and blue” is merely additional information.


Different FROM!

It's "different from." Not "different than" or "different to" or "different with" or "different anything else, ever." She is different from him, and he is different from her.
 
I must admit, sometimes typos can be quite entertaining - especially when someone is pointing out a mistake, only to make a mistake in their own post! And there has been some classic Freudian slip typos recently too, something my ex-gf used to do quite alot.... Speaking of witch, I always double-check my posts before hitting 'Submit Reply'.
 
I must admit, sometimes typos can be quite entertaining - especially when someone is pointing out a mistake, only to make a mistake in their own post! And there has been some classic Freudian slip typos recently too, something my ex-gf used to do quite alot.... Speaking of witch, I always double-check my posts before hitting 'Submit Reply'.
We've really drifted off topic by now, but speaking of typos and proofreading:

It absolutely ASTOUNDS me how frequently a critical word is left out of a sentence or post, that alters the meaning 180 degrees, yet is not caught by the author. Usually it's something like:

I'm a big Michael Schumacher fan.​
...posted by someone that you know thinks MS is an arrogant jerk. Clearly the 'not' was omitted from the sentence, but it wasn't caught, and that makes a fundamental difference in the meaning of the post.
 
Hmm... "I helped my Uncle Jack off a horse", anyone?
 
If thoes words came from Rebecca Loos I'd take them very literally.
 
A girl with the name of Loos and a horse just don't belong in the same sentence. You actually made me google her, and I found she digs David Beckham. Thus, I don't get your entirely British point.
 
We've really drifted off topic by now, but speaking of typos and proofreading:

It absolutely ASTOUNDS me how frequently a critical word is left out of a sentence or post, that alters the meaning 180 degrees, yet is not caught by the author. Usually it's something like:

I'm a big Michael Schumacher fan.​
...posted by someone that you know thinks MS is an arrogant jerk. Clearly the 'not' was omitted from the sentence, but it wasn't caught, and that makes a fundamental difference in the meaning of the post.

Now is this a mistake in itself? Should it be

I am a big fan of Michael Shumacher. ?

Unless your one of Michael's entourage charged with the job of keeping him cool by waving something in his direction.


I have also noticed there are many errors made when using singular/plural.

Such as: Everyone and their dog knows the answer to that.

As the every is indicating a singular, i.e. every one (1), every body(1), the sentence should be written as:

Everyone and his or her dog knows the answer to that.
 
A girl with the name of Loos and a horse just don't belong in the same sentence. You actually made me google her, and I found she digs David Beckham. Thus, I don't get your entirely British point.
Probably for the best, you might want to look her up in relation to reality TV, I won't go into any more deatil.
 
Such as: Everyone and their dog knows the answer to that.

As the every is indicating a singular, i.e. every one (1), every body(1), the sentence should be written as:

Everyone and his or her dog knows the answer to that.

You're pointing out a need for a singular gender neutral pronoun in the english language. We actually have one... "it". "Everyone and its dog knows the answer to that". Of course since we use it for non-human things, it doesn't sound quite right to use for humans (unless they're babies in which case we seem to not care "how old is it").

Long ago I proposed a new word along these lines. We need a singular gender-neutral pronoun. I suggest derpondle.

Everyone and derpondle's dog knows the answer to that.
How old is derpondle?
 
I like it. How does one go about submitting a new word to the dictionary and actually putting in use? I suggest posting it on 4chan.

Anyway, aren't words ending in -le usually actions, like fiddle or dribble or waddle and the like?
 
I like it. How does one go about submitting a new word to the dictionary and actually putting in use? I suggest posting it on 4chan.

Anyway, aren't words ending in -le usually actions, like fiddle or dribble or waddle and the like?

We could call it sledgersen if you wanted, but I'm partial to derpondle.
 
It has to sound good with the " 's " Everyone and shim's dog doesn't sound too good. How about... hmm... I don't know...
squig? I like it: "Everyone and squig's dog"
Or blert perhaps.

(I am really expecting those to be real words, that happens a lot - Especially when Famine comes to town)
 
Dude, I've totally heard Famine use Squits before. His STUMUK virus gave you SQUITS, remember? And did your name imply "one that gooses" or "one that operates a goose"?

Was not actually implying anything really, but if I had to pick one, I would say "one that gooses" :P
 
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