Lottie1001 
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I also dislike the increasing use of 'I' when it should be 'me', which now seems much more common than the opposite problem of 'me' instead of 'I'.
However, I think my pet bugbear is the use of an adjective where an adverb is required.
Reply #21. Sep 07 10, 3:15 PM
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Cymruambyth
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Jonno, have you ever read Anthony Burgess' 'A Clockwork Orange'? It's a novel about a dystopian future society and one of the features of such a society is the ignorance of or lack of regard for rules of any kind. There has to be some semblance of regulation of language, otherwise communication is impossible. I agree that language is a fluid creature, constantly changing, but I would prefer that we didn't completely destroy the language of Shakespeare, Austen, Keats, Dickens, Wilde, Fry, Thomas, Churchill et al in the name of change! I don't want to turn over the structure of English to the lowest common denominator.
Reply #22. Sep 07 10, 3:52 PM
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Deunan
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Good book...
Reply #23. Sep 07 10, 4:15 PM
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reeshy
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Lottie1001, tell me about it! I die inside a little every time I see or hear someone say something like "I actual died". Apart from the fact they didn't actually die, whatever possesses them to use "actual"? Where would they ever had heard that before starting to use it?!
"Literally" is another one. People these days think it's for emphasis or something; who knows exactly how they think they're using it. "I literally died!" "My head literally exploded from laughing!" Haha, I highly doubt it!
Reply #24. Sep 07 10, 4:36 PM
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Deunan
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Some help here, please...
I've heard "I couldn't care less" and "I could care less".
Which one is correct?
I also wondered if they don't care", why are we discussing the subject at all.
Reply #26. Sep 07 10, 5:13 PM
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| lesley153
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Jon, I'm going to play Devils's advocate now - double negatives are regarded as wrong in English now, but there have been languages, and times, and cultures, in which double negatives were used for emphasis. I would happily give examples, but I am surprisingly tired, which is why I couldn't read more than half your article. The first half was indeed fascinating, but the second half will have to wait till tomorrow.
***I've heard "I couldn't care less" and "I could care less".***
I've only ever heard "I couldn't care less" in Britain, and to me it makes perfect sense. "I have absolutely no interest in this: I couldn't be less interested in it if I tried."
I've only ever heard "I could care less" from Americans. It tells me that they're not very bothered, but there is scope for them to be even less bothered, and I don't think this is what they mean when they say it.
I prefer "I couldn't care less" but then I would, wouldn't I?
Reply #27. Sep 07 10, 5:43 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Here's an interesting piece on "couldn't care less" vs. "could care less." According to the author, the former is totally British, so score one for Lesley (and her team). :)
 http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm
I just avoid the phrase and come up with something like "I give a fig" instead. Oh, drat, now I need to go look up the origin of that! :)
Reply #28. Sep 07 10, 6:01 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Ah, the comment I just linked is from "International English from a British Perspective." Figures (or is it 'figgers'? :) )
Reply #29. Sep 07 10, 6:11 PM
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Cymruambyth
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I get annoyed with the addition of 'of' to 'outside', 'inside' and 'off', as in "She stood outside of the building.", "He was inside of the house.", and "They jumped off of the bridge."
Reply #30. Sep 08 10, 7:43 AM
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Wildisthewind
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Well my Gammar is 96 next month, I an’t sure if you ever gona make that age but still I an’t gona get critasizing nobody bout the way they’d expressing things!
Sorry Lochalsh but you do sound eleatist. Here say I.
Windy
Reply #31. Sep 08 10, 2:18 PM
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| Lochalsh
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No, I'm not elitist. I'm just careful with language. I want to understand and be understood.
That wasn't very nice of you, by the way.
Reply #32. Sep 08 10, 3:04 PM
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wsm22
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Knowing Windy, I think that was just a joke, please don't take him too seriously.
Wendy.
Reply #33. Sep 08 10, 3:42 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Not knowing Windy, I have to assume that he or she is a name-caller. There's no place for such rudeness in a friendly discussion.
Reply #34. Sep 08 10, 4:06 PM
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Wildisthewind
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Perhaps we should criticise people that can’t through the shot put over twenty metres.
My point is it’s easy to criticise. Lets not use these boards to upset people who can’t live up to your standards in certain subjects, we all have our failings and we all have something to give.
Reply #35. Sep 08 10, 4:31 PM
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daver852
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Grammar is a fairly flexible part of any language; it doesn't bother me to see so-called rules broken. There are lots of times when it's not only okay to split an infinitive ("to boldly go where no man has gone before") or end a sentence with a preposition, but actually preferable. It does, however, cause my hair to stand on end when words are used improperly (e.g., "nauseous" for "nauseated", "irregardless," etc.). And pronunciation seems to be a lost cause; there is no "t" sound in "often," and no appeal to authority will change that.
Reply #36. Sep 08 10, 4:34 PM
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jonnowales
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I have wondered about that - I have heard Sheldon Cooper of 'The Big Bang Theory' pronounce often as "offen". Thought it was either odd or a TV thing as the letter 't' can sometimes sound strange on the box.
Reply #37. Sep 08 10, 4:44 PM
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| Lochalsh
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I'm not asking anyone to live up to my standards, though I do have them. Language is important to me both personally and professionally; it's one of the things that gives my life both depth and breadth. If it appears that I've been soliciting or fielding criticism, then I'm afraid you've misapprehended me. Can't we intellectualize a bit here, does it all have to be about pop culture?
Let's get back to grammar, shall we?
Reply #38. Sep 08 10, 5:27 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Daver, interesting comments about pronunciation and vocabulary. We're discussing grammar here, but I'd certainly like to see threads on the subjects you just brought up!
(Now that I think of it, "regionalisms" might be a good topic. I lived in Illinois for years and never did get used to "Do you want to go with?" I kept waiting for the object of the preposition!)
Reply #39. Sep 08 10, 5:32 PM
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| lesley153
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Lochalsh #28
This site is a gem. At last I understand that "I could care less" needs to be uttered in the style of Damon Runyon to make any sense.
I followed the two links as well. I can't understand how "cheap at half the price" would confuse anyone, and I've never understood where "beg the question" came from, so I've never used it.
Shouldn't that be "I don't give a fig"? Just a thought.
Reply #40. Sep 08 10, 6:04 PM
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