Am I getting old and pedantic?

Thanks for explaining, retrolady2.
I would say that grammatically 'try and' is completely wrong as it makes no sense.

However, the usage is very common in speech and will no doubt soon be accepted as 'correct' by way of the 'language follows usage' argument which prevails.

As are most of the usages we pedants dislike

A 'Does Grammar Matter' thread would be fun, but as we're all pedants on here who think it does, would we find anyone arguing against it?

Good point MaizieD. The only argument I would attempt is that spoken English is a different being than written English. The latter should always aim to be correct; the former ... well, as long as people understand the point, then communication is always better in any form, than none.

I have a friend who teaches French and I used to support her in-class, using my schoolgirl French. I was worried about my French grammar (which was ... well, unique to me, would be the most accurate way to describe it) and she said, if you were to speak like that in France, people wouldn't mind as long as you were attempting to speak to them in their own language. A bit like when French people try to speak English I suppose.

I also think there is a big question mark over which is incorrect grammar and which is just a local dialect. (Coming from deepest Somerset, I know that I don't speak the way I write, especially when talking with local people.)

(I think I may have just started a sub-thread!

Pet peeves:
People who respond to a question by replying yes,no or no,yes - one or the other.

People who say Haitch rather than aitch.

Esspee - people who say 'assume' often also say 'tissue' rather than tishue and 'issue' rather than ishue.

Another word that grates on my nerves is when people don't know the difference between "been" and "being". Its just common sense....isn't it????

Language is evolving and developing constantly but for me there are still some basic rules that should stay:
1. different from not to or than
2. the correct use of apostrophes
3. (my pet hate)less and fewer even the BBC gets this wrong sometimes - less for volume and fewer for number
4. in similar vein - amount and number - amount for volume and number - well for number
5. and what's happening to the adverb - the trend seems to be for using the adjective instead - eg he went quick instead of quickly.
6. correct use of the past participle - I've heard I rung her and I've rang her - and others!!!!
Yep I'm a real pedant when it comes to the English language - perhaps comes from teaching it to speakers of other languages.

Nanna Oh yes, that fewer/less than thing! My DH watches Pointless. I'd advise you to steer well away ... or we'll both be screaming at the telly. IT'S FEWER THAN 20 NOT BL***Y LESS, YOU STUPID MAN!!!!

Hooray retrolady2 - you speak my language !!