Ect., ect., ect.

There you go, etymology of et cetera:

www.etymonline.com/word/et%20cetera

Mamardoit

I always notice it. I did latin at school but lots didn't and it is probably an easy mistake to make. My spelling isn't great and I hope others don't judge me because of that.

Didn't do Latin, but I did French - 'et' meaning 'and'. Had no idea what 'cetera' meant, but I could logically guess.

Mollygo

But decimate, whilst it doesn’t mean utterly destroy also means to destroy or remove a large proportion so saying only 10% is inaccurate as well.
Are you good on who’s and whose?

10% is accurate. The word comes from a Roman legionary punishment where every tenth man was executed. I make that 10%...

Split infinitives are fine. They also arise from Latin, in which the infinitive is expressed by one word; pedantic classical linguists argued that it couldn't be split in Latin, so it couldn't be split, despite the fact that English infinitives are two words. . I think we've passed that now...

Anyway. Happy New Year to all pedants?

Americans just never learnt to spell, always dropping their ‘u’s and getting ‘re’ s the wrong way round. As for Australians ,well but…

Split infinitives.
I absolutely love them.

MayBee70

MissAdventure

I know a fair bit about apostrophe use, but sometimes I leave them out.
Just because I can.

Better out than in the wrong place!

A common one the last two years- metre and meter.

Juliet27

mrshat

In reply to the OP - yes, it drives me nuts!

Just wondering whether that’s Mrs or Mr ?

???

Leaving out apostrophes is as bad as putting them in the wrong place to me. Think this needs a grrr

mrshat

In reply to the OP - yes, it drives me nuts!

Just wondering whether that’s Mrs or Mr ?

I know I don't proof read my dashed off postings on here as I would a letter or report. Perhaps others are the same.

But decimate, whilst it doesn’t mean utterly destroy also means to destroy or remove a large proportion so saying only 10% is inaccurate as well.
Are you good on who’s and whose?

MissAdventure

I know a fair bit about apostrophe use, but sometimes I leave them out.
Just because I can.

Infer and imply?.

I'm with you, pedant. Here is something else which, to me, is beyond the pale. I cannot stand it when people use the word decimate to mean utterly destroy. Once, I actually lost control of myself and said, "Only 10% were lost? That's not too bad, actually". This was followed by a completely blank stare. I enjoyed it far too much.

I have been known to use grrr occasionally when I am angry about something. Maybe like 'Next door neighbour....grrr' in my e-mail heading. I think it's a wonderful word because the growling expresses anger perfectly.

Lucca

Not really to do with grammar etc but what grates for me is grown women writing LOL on their posts.

Me too. I know that all of us will have traits that annoy others, so these threads can be unsettling, but as well as LOL, Grrr, and 'Why, oh why. . .' both grate for me, too. 'Why, oh why' sounds like it's being said with the back of a hand against the brow and the other one in the air.

(and don't get me started on 'uni' )

Not really to do with grammar etc but what grates for me is grown women writing LOL on their posts.

I agree about etc. Drives me mad! Another thing that annoys me is overly long sentences. I've even seen a whole post without a full stop!

Me too!
“Global pandemic “ drives me up the wall - why not “world, global pandemic” while we’re at it?

In reply to the OP - yes, it drives me nuts!

Anniebach

Posts on this forum are not legal documents , criticising posters spelling is unkind, all you gain is hurting people.

They're not, and some people are dyslexic.
I am a pedant married to a dyslexic and it's not always easy but we manage!

MissAdventure

Thank you, doodledog.
I can't quite get past the effect that the notion of Mr. Clooney, shirtless, is having on me.
(Still think I've got it wrong!)

I'm quite unmoved.
In fact, I'm helping him on with his shirt as I post!

MissAdventure

Thank you.
I'll try to bear all that in mind.

? Just concentrate on GC removing his shirt. You might get the word wrong, but you'll have a smile on your face.

Articles used to be quite simple. Now ‘a’ and ‘the’ also belong to an emergent group called determiners.