Well that's ok, because I wasn't arguing it.
The all-in-one Consolidated Grammar Thread Page 4
Quote: Godot Taxis @ April 26 2010, 5:31 PM BSTSure, I understand that floozy, and I'm not against adopting words, if there is a need. With 'Ew' you simply have a case that more young people watch American TV shows than read English books or study the language. There is no need for this mimickry and it is irritating as it is not really occurring through need for an expression at a local level, but ignorance of words available.
BTW We use the word pyjamas because it is the actual name of the Indian garment. We didn't take the name for our own garment. Before we took up wearing them we wore nightshirts. It's usage is equivalent to Anorak or Skis.
*sigh* Poor example then. However, it's not mimicry! It's just how language works. I say "ew", and I think I read more English books, and certainly study the language, more than I watch American TV shows. Besides, how else would you express "ew"? "Oh my! I do believe that that is vile!"?
One I've noticed more and more is people saying muted when they mean mooted. Sports reporters do it quite often. As in 'we haven't heard much of Wayne Rooney's muted transfer to Spain lately.' Probably because it was muted.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ April 26 2010, 9:14 AM BSTI do see the poster's point, however seeing that he's an American, I think it's very rich of him - how many language crimes have the Americans committed sir? Ask yourself this. Are you wearing nice comfy sox this morning?
I Like to think that my English is better than an Eton alum. At least we don't go around calling our pants trousers! 
Quote: deckard @ April 26 2010, 7:25 PM BSTAt least we don't go around calling our pants trousers!
You crazy Americans. Pants are undergarments.
Quote: Nogget @ April 26 2010, 9:26 AM BSTIt's OK to do this. There is only one rule in language, and that is that the message be communicated as effectively as possible. 'Questions to which you need answers' is no more clear than 'Questions you need answers to', and to my ears, the latter sounds more elegant.
Anything else is a matter of style.
Yeah, there is really no such thing a language rule book, and I am sure I end may a sentence with a preposition in everyday conversation.
I think it mainly bothers me because I tend to want to end a sentence with a preposition and I have had to catch myself for so long writing in school I have trained myself to dislike the looks of it.
Particularly I hate when it people mixed get words up and misspel thengs.
Also, I am not a grammar nazi. I have been so accustomed to my word processing program auto-capitalizing the letter 'I' that I never capitalize it any more, and on Facebook and Twitter I have completely abandoned capitalization and mostly abandoned punctuation. The only reason I capitalize on this board is because back when I was a lurker I remember Aaron chastising (maybe 'chastising' is too harsh a word) someone for not capitalizing in their posts. I have been too scared to not capitalize since.
I am also a terrible speller. If it wasn't for the fact that Firefox and Chrome have spell check I would be lost.
But I like to consider myself the Picasso of the English language. I have mastered the classical forms and now I have branched out into abstract English. I hope that one day soon I will have abandoned wordspacingaltogetherliketheromans.
Quote: deckard @ April 26 2010, 7:42 PM BSTI have been so accustomed to my word processing program auto-capitalizing the letter 'I' that I never capitalize it any more, and on Facebook and Twitter I have completely abandoned capitalization and mostly abandoned punctuation.
This is such a common practise now that I fear that my continuing habit for capitalising 'I' risks making me look pretentious. To use 'i' seems comparatively self-deprecating.
Textification and twitterization probably means that in twenty or thirty years grammar and spelling will look quite different to how it looks now.
i*
*"i" is what some Scottish people say instead of "yes"
Here, here. That's another one that gets my goat. It's not here, here. It's there, there.
Quote: John Mairs @ April 26 2010, 8:19 PM BSTi*
*"i" is what some Scottish people say instead of "yes"
But it's spelt 'aye' or even 'grunt'. 
Hear, hear actually.
Not grammar I know but I have come close to striking someone in the sandwich queue at work (Wolverhampton remember!) who says 'Hi, can I get a ham sandwich?'
I feel like saying 'Yes, of course you can. Do you want to get it here or somewhere else?'
Quote: Oldrocker @ April 26 2010, 9:01 PM BSTHear, hear actually.
Not grammar I know but I have come close to striking someone in the sandwich queue at work (Wolverhampton remember!) who says 'Hi, can I get a ham sandwich?'
I feel like saying 'Yes, of course you can. Do you want to get it here or somewhere else?'
Why?