Gransnet forums

Pedants' corner

Ect., ect., ect.

(179 Posts)
Esspee Fri 31-Dec-21 12:56:16

If I see even one more ect. on Gransnet I am going to have to comment. I know that “as long as the meaning is clear” is the usual standard but ect. is like chalk screeching on a blackboard to me.
Does it drive you crazy or is it just me?

Caleo Mon 03-Jan-22 11:13:56

The King in "The King And I " said et cetera et cetera just like etc. means . Bad spellers include people who have not paid attention to the varieties of audible speech.

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 03-Jan-22 11:04:25

Life is never too short for a dyed-in-the-wool pedant!

Luckygirl3 Mon 03-Jan-22 10:54:02

I notice the mistakes and let them wash by - I have a dyslexic DD so am used to this. Life is too short .......

yggdrasil Mon 03-Jan-22 09:40:38

So you don't know Nigel Molesworth of St Custards grin.
I have quoted him myself in the past

MayBeMaw Sun 02-Jan-22 23:36:32

So much has been said already and we pedants will always feel the pain, so here is my contribution -

MayBeMaw Sun 02-Jan-22 23:32:09

I also use etc
No problem with that Barmeyoldbat
It’s ect OP was lamenting?

MissAdventure Sun 02-Jan-22 23:02:31

Yes, but talking about something that was spelled wrong on another thread, when it had already been bought up in that thread, and no doubt upset the person goes beyond pedantry.

Lucca Sun 02-Jan-22 22:42:39

But this is pedants corner !

Barmeyoldbat Sun 02-Jan-22 22:26:53

Life is far to short to get annoyed how posts are written and the words used. I often have complete brain fog and cannot for the life of me think how to spell a word, or write something. Just had to ask Mr B how to spell loss for goodness sake. Also auto correct doesn’t help as it changes words and spelling without noticing. I also use etc.

MissAdventure Sun 02-Jan-22 21:22:43

I agree with you, too. smile

Marydoll Sun 02-Jan-22 20:57:46

I guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom, we shouldn't all be tarred with the same brush. That too is rude!

As a teacher and mother of a child, who has dyslexia, I wouldn't dream criticising anyone, who mispells on a public forum.
In fact I often make mistakes, myself. blush

MissAdventure Sun 02-Jan-22 20:53:10

I agree.

lilyofthewest Sun 02-Jan-22 20:37:24

It’s just rude to correct other posters spelling or grammar on a public forum. Not everyone has had the benefit of a good education. English may not be a poster’s first language.
I guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom but etc.ect.

MissAdventure Sun 02-Jan-22 19:43:29

I got a letter dictated by a consultant I have been seeing.
It said "the blood test done by yourself on the....."

happycatholicwife1 Sun 02-Jan-22 19:16:04

Esspee, right you are.?

Calistemon Sat 01-Jan-22 16:07:52

grandtanteJE65

Billybob4491

Sign seen in a Charity Shop "anyone caught shoplifting will be bard in the future". Just so....

Is the charity shop overstocked with harps?

I keep seeing that insufferable character from Asterix in my mind's eye. What's his name? Toubardourex?

Forget Toubardourex

Here is a link about the Welsh Bard, Hedd Wyn:

www.visitwales.com/things-do/culture/hedd-wyn-soldier-poet-snowdonia

JaneJudge Sat 01-Jan-22 16:05:55

whatever etc

Calistemon Sat 01-Jan-22 16:02:06

MissAdventure

It might be nice to remember that a real life person made that thread, and possibly may look at this one, too.

I didn't mean to either and did apologise - we never know if someone is dyslexic or autocorrect takes charge.

Sometimes it does sound like a deliberate play on words, though, and can be quite funny.

Mollygo Sat 01-Jan-22 15:59:32

I’m puzzled. Do pedants not accept that language evolves?
I agree that decimate does not mean annihilate or exterminate, even in the Oxford Dictionary of English, but if as pedants we only ever use the original meaning of any word -usually listed as ‘historical meaning’ in a dictionary, there would some very stilted conversations going on.
Never mind. Merriam-Webster put this very simply.
www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-original-definition-of-decimate, though it’s a long article.

Esspee Sat 01-Jan-22 15:21:56

Mollygo

MaizieD the Oxford Dictionary of English gives that as the historical definition related to the Roman army and tithes in Cromwell’s time. It also gives the meaning in current usage, which says a large number, e. g. the virus decimated the population of a village in SouthSudan where vaccines were limited in supply.
May we both be right?

Decimate has always meant to kill one in ten. Nowadays it is used as though it means annihilate or exterminate which is just plain wrong.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 01-Jan-22 14:33:04

MissAdventure

It might be nice to remember that a real life person made that thread, and possibly may look at this one, too.

Well, it certainly was not my intention to hurt anyone, so I am sorry if I did.

I had mistakenly assumed that Pedant's Corner was for people who enjoyed a quiet non-malicious laught at their own and others' typing errors or other slips of the pen, and that we were not seens as commenting nastily on the standard of their education.

Perhaps the thread title should include the expression Caveat emptor!

grandtanteJE65 Sat 01-Jan-22 14:23:16

Billybob4491

Sign seen in a Charity Shop "anyone caught shoplifting will be bard in the future". Just so....

Is the charity shop overstocked with harps?

I keep seeing that insufferable character from Asterix in my mind's eye. What's his name? Toubardourex?

MissAdventure Sat 01-Jan-22 14:09:38

It might be nice to remember that a real life person made that thread, and possibly may look at this one, too.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 01-Jan-22 14:06:16

As a retired English teacher, any spelling mistake makes me want to shout, "Will you please remember to use the dictionary?"

However, "Crossing the boarders" did make me laugh. I clicked on the thread expecting it to be a discussion of someone's problems with a boarder, and stared in disbelief at the actual content.

Mollygo Sat 01-Jan-22 13:30:47

MaizieD the Oxford Dictionary of English gives that as the historical definition related to the Roman army and tithes in Cromwell’s time. It also gives the meaning in current usage, which says a large number, e. g. the virus decimated the population of a village in SouthSudan where vaccines were limited in supply.
May we both be right?