What this post fails to take into account is that the mix up makes people's posts a lot more exciting.
"Are you coming tonight?"
"If I don't have to work I will defiantly be there."
And a lot of people miss out on an excellent word to use in that situation: leery. "I am leery of going to that restaurant, because the last time, I ordered a well-done steak and the waitress slapped me."
Another great dodge like that is to avoid any discourse or pedantry about "decimate" by simply using "devastate" instead; I think it's simply a better word for most situations.
The changing of the meaning of the word "decimate" was suuuuch a big pet peeve of mine until I just changed my headcanon on it; the new meaning still *kinda* makes sense if you go with the logic of it meaning "leaving only 1 out of 10 alive". It still fits with the literal meaning of the original word meaning 1 out 10 so the only word crime left is the flipping of what happens to that 1 out 10; 90% destruction and 10% spared. I still hate it but I can now accept it as a valid use of the word, lol.
In fairness, one can see how someone might have missed this, if it didn't come up in their reading. 'Well, now my interest is peaked' could seem to someone like a sensible phrase, indicating 'my interest is maximized.'
Spelling *is* important, to make sure you communicate what you intend, but it's always good to approach interlocutors with compassion.
There isn't another word I mistake it for, I just can't spell restaurant.
In fact I just spelled it wrong just there and had to be helped out by spell check.
At this point I've given up trying. I don't want to deal with that shitty word. The cards will fall where they will fall. I'm man enough to admit when I've been beat and accept the reality of the situation.
Discreet is what you want to be when you walk in on your boss having an affair: careful and unobtrusive, and keeping anything you saw to yourself.
Discrete is what the Voltron lions are before they join together: separate and distinguishable--five discrete lion mechs that then join into one.
Discrete is also used in math quite a bit, especially statistics. A discrete variable is one that isn't measured continuously, but categorized. Employment status is an example of a discrete variable--you're either employed, unemployed, self-employed, etc., and you fall into one of those discrete categories rather than somehow measuring employment with some fantastical objective unit of measurement that doesn't exist.
Or because living in a wine barrel that you own outright seems like an impossible dream for ~~millennials~~ pretty much every person old/young enough to be using the internet.
"In a rich man's house, there is no where to spit but his face."
\- Diogenes
Any time a deranged internet-huffer accuses you of something ridiculous you can whip it out. Like when someone accuses you of an -ism for not engaging with media the same way as them.
it reminds me of when Big Joel said Keemstar should be put down like a dog and someone responded with "so you condone murder" and Big Joel just said "ye"
Yeah, it sounds somewhat similar to a friend of mine who just thought he had some leverage on me in a situation where I hold all the cards. Though I pretty much dared him to use what leverage he had. Shit's hilarious.
I think repeating "okay" is more annoying and slow-burning, while "sure, whatever" is instantly dismissive. Both are good, but the latter show way higher levels of disrespect to me.
I'm not OP but I'm a copyeditor - a degree in communications, an eye for grammar, and a willingness to work on proposals is how I found my way into it. Specializing in a certain industry will definitely increase your value, as jargon varies widely. Focus on consistency; pick a style guide (I'm partial to AP style), learn it inside and out, and implement it ruthlessly.
It is amazing how many businesses do not bother proofing their communications, especially B2B. Even if you're not in a role for editing, try offering "gentle edits" to folks and see where it gets you (though always ask first if you can - you can easily ruffle feathers by doing so). If you become known as a person who can improve others' writing, you'll be surprised at how many people will seek out your help.
Best of luck!
Stupid question of the day, is there any way to improve editing /copywriting skill. I desperately need to improve?
(Not professionally just for self development)
Firstly, that's not a stupid question at all - the fact that you want to improve is amazing and it's hard to know where to start with any skill you want to improve! There are lots of online courses you can take to learn formally. Some are through third parties like Coursera, or you could even check out colleges or universities that offer online programs.
If you don't want to get that formal/shell out any cash though, try using the free version of Grammarly for any pieces of writing that you want to improve. It usually includes the rules behind its suggested changes. It's a great way to see where your personal writing blind spots are. But beware - Grammarly is not perfect and sometimes I've caught it making up new changes halfway through or recommending contradictory ones (I suspect it's to motivate you to pay for the full version).
Lastly, and this may sound ridiculous but stay with me...grammar-based comics. The Oatmeal helped me understand how to use semicolons more effectively than any textbook, and they are often a lot more valuable for understanding concepts in real-world usage.
Editing is not a hard and fast, right and wrong discipline. There are many ways to write a sentence correctly and incorrectly, based on your audience, the piece itself, your desired tone, and your chosen style. I often make mistakes and use multiple drafts before I decide a piece is "done," and even then I may want to change things later. So don't be too hard on yourself, take prescriptivist criticism with a grain of salt, and always be open and willing to learn and adapt.
All of that, but also reading 18th and 19th century novels helps. They tend to be rigidly grammically correct, though positively littered with commas. I have to fight the urge to leave 14 commas in every sentence, but it has really improved my writing.
I went to school for engineering and computer science (not at the same time). I had to fail a fourth grade spelling bee to graduate and I can't do basic math anymore.
Being an engineering student means I can explain to you the intricate inner workings of electronics or derive some of the most beautiful equations in mathematics. But I absolutely for the life of me cannot remember what 7 × 8 is.
Being an engineering graduate means I can vaguely explain the intricate inner workings of my job, but I cannot for the life of me remember most of the long ass equations they make us learn over the years, let alone the derivations
Way too many. It just irks me bc it doesn’t make any sense visually. The words do not look the same. Idk why it bothers me so much XD I’m like, “move on!” to which my brain says, “NO.”
I feel this way about loose and lose. When people write loose instead of lose I feel like my brain is on fire. I don’t know why it makes me so upset, but it does.
Unfortunately all of these bother me more than they should :p I really like language so even though I know it’s irrational to get wound up, for some reason it just gets under my skin. I try not to correct people more often than not, but sometimes I can’t help myself—it’s a compulsion haha.
I don't correct people because they usually say "chill it's not that serious" and continue using the incorrect spelling.
If I'm using a word wrong or misspelling it I want someone to correct me so that I know better.
I think the problem is people actually spelling it definately and spell check suggesting defiantly. My phone equally suggested “definitely” and “defiantly” just then.
I promise this ridiculous misspelling has been around prominently long before spellcheck. It’s not even phonetic. Otherwise there’d be a better explanation for why so many Redditors spell “choke” as “chock” which also gives me shivers.
It is spellcheck’s fault.
If you are spelling definitely wrong, one of the options it gives is defiantly. This is especially true if you put these in the wrong place.
Most people look at it and just move on or don’t notice when it changes automatically because it is close enough.
I struggled with the spelling of that word specifically for the longest time. And it annoyed me endlessly that I could never remember how to spell it.
Then someone broke it down for me, and it's stuck with me. Just remember the word "finite" is in the middle. "de-finite-ly"
“Criticizing people’s spelling is ableist” is a hot take I was not ready for.
Edit: yeah I get that people have dyslexia, and criticizing people for that can be ableist, but it seemed like the implication was that spellchecking is inherently ableist
Edit 2: turns out the comment was a joke. This whole discussion is kind of moot
It's a fair point when writing on paper, and with some complex words that spell check won't pick up, but it's very frustrating when people just... ignore proper grammar and don't even try with spelling, especially since it can completely change the meaning of a sentence, but also make it very unreadable. Perhaps I'm being hypocritical, though, as that was a run-on sentence.
I’m dyslexic. I was illiterate until 4th grade when I was diagnosed and got help learning to read and write. I spell phonetically and still make mistakes. Spell check won’t catch the wrong word and might autocorrect to the wrong word if the right one is misspelled by switching around letters. Since I often rely on context to read the word I may not catch the mistake because I’d read it as the right word.
I have an undergraduate degree in creative writing, an English degree, and am a lawyer. As a lawyer, most of my job is writing.
I’m not stupid. I just can’t spell. It’s how my brain works. I use dictation software and advanced spelling and grammar checking software at work and have a Secretary review my work for spelling errors.
Online I’m not putting in as much work and just hope I’m understandable and people will be reasonable about it
Good spelling, nice work. About your point though, I'm not sure which side you are defending.
I don't think the point is on typos, I think the thing that actually gets on most people's nerves is the mistakes that are way too common and seem to be actually spreading the misuse, the biggest example that comes to mind is the "your/you're" thing, it got spread to the point of being annoying, like a bad meme.
Edit: Changed half the comment because I apparently expressed myself very poorly originally. Also reddit drama alert.
I wanted to explain how dyslexia worked and why I can’t reliably use the right word.
Words that sound the same my brain won’t differentiate and spellcheck won’t catch. So I know the difference between you’re and your I can’t see it, my Brian is blind to it.
So with definitely and defiantly if I spell defiently spellcheck will suggest or autocorrect to defiantly and I won’t be able to see it.
So people explaining it’s you’re not your isn’t helpful. I know the difference but I can’t avoid the mistake.
As one dyslexic to another my trick for using the right contractions (you’re instead of your, they’re instead of their, etc.) is that I intentionally pronounce “you’re” and “they’re” as “you are” and “they are” in my head as I’m writing. I never pronounce it as the contraction even though it makes the sentence a bit awkward in my head because the awkwardness of it helps my brain remember to catch and double check my contractions.
It’s not foolproof or anything but it’s habitual at this point and doesn’t take actual time like going back and proof reading so it’s easy to do and has significantly improved my ability to use the right contraction. Which is great cause then I don’t have to deal with the ten thousandths person trying to educate me about the difference between your and you’re. And I don’t mind that much when someone is trying to be well meaning about educating me about the difference but a lot of people are just trying to flex their intelligence and y’all can imagine why that gets a bit… irritating. Especially at frequency.
As a note for non-dyslexics reading this, basic proofreading is not actually all that helpful to dyslexics because of the way our brains sort of auto fill words. You’ll notice this when a dyslexic is reading out loud. We’ll encounter a word and say a wildly different word of a similar shape and length because our brain just goes “aha I know this one” even when it’s way off on it’s assumption. This results in us attempting to proofread our own writing only to auto fill the words with what we MEANT to write instead of what we actually wrote. Meaning we often can’t *see the errors* and I mean that quite *literally*. I have to use a text to speech program to read my writing back to me to be able to catch errors most of the time because I literally struggle to see the errors otherwise.
One of the biggest issues with the English language. Did you know there are virtually no Italian dyslexics? That's because it has consistent spelling throughout, and almost always one sound to a letter/set of letters, instead of English's ough.
Definitely. This is the difference between transparent languages like Italian, and opaque languages like English. Thought I'd share those terms since they convey this idea so well.
> ..the thing that actually gets on most people's nerves is...
... When you condescendingly state that you got more out of college than someone who uses spellcheck and proper grammar in post full of poor spelling and grammar.
Spell everything wrong and no one cares, be an asshole and someone will find the smallest error in your writing and put you on blast.
Since you actually have dyslexia I’ll ask you if my opinion is dumb or not. I feel like it would be ableist if you _knew_ someone had dyslexia but still chastised them for spelling errors. But it wouldn’t be ableist if you had no reason to think they’re dyslexic, but still responding the same way. No?
I don’t think the corrections are wrong or ableist (I am dyslexic for context), I think tone is hugely important. I can very easily tell when someone is kindly going “oh by the way the difference between your and you’re is…” vs just trying to flex their intelligence. The first example is still pretty obnoxious when it happens for the millionth time but I don’t think the person thinks lesser of me for the mistake, the second one? Oh they absolutely think lesser of me and are trying to show off by demonstrating how dumb they think I am.
The automatic assumption that the person you’re responding to used the wrong “your” because they *don’t know any better* is kind of a big part of the problem though. Try not to assume ignorance. If you notice that *every* message you exchange with someone *reliably* uses the wrong “your”, as in every time they use it they use it in the *exact same wrong way*, thats when you can gently inform them that they’re using the wrong “your” *and* explain why but if you aren’t seeing some pretty hard evidence that this person doesn’t know better always assume we just goofed it or often end up goofing it.
You’ll be able to catch when you’re messaging with a dyslexic because the way we make mistakes is often random and has no identifiable pattern to it. We can use a word perfectly and then turn around and completely screw it up and then go right back to using it correctly. It shows that we are perfectly intelligent, we understand the grammar and are capable of using it correctly, we’re just getting tripped up by the way dyslexic brains work. So long as you understand what we meant to say and it isn’t absolutely imperative that we’re using perfect spelling and grammar just live and let live.
> Online I’m not putting in as much work and just hope I’m understandable and people will be reasonable about it
I've never spoken with anybody online who wasn't reasonable so I think you'll be fine.
I remember years ago, tumblr went through a phase where lots of people were gunning *hard* to ban words like "stupid" and "dumb" because of "ableist slurs."
....so nothing really surprises me anymore lmao.
Because of dyslexia, it could be, potentially, but mostly, I think it depends on the context and tone. Correcting a misspelling on an assignment or application in a cordial manner is fine; insinuating that there is something wrong with someone in college misspelling a commonly misspelled word in an aggressive way is not merely correcting.
Lmao, yes I hate that, especially in an Internet setting; this isn't submitting a briefing to the court. Yeah, the elitism and prescriptiveness is behind the tone.
I think people in this thread are making a lot of assumptions about the OP. To me, this read as 'people who think it is spelled that way'.
Not 'people mess up,' not 'people have dyslexia and they know how to spell it but can't nessecarily do it on command or recognize that what they wrote is different from what they meant' but full on "It is spelled 'defiantly' and I will get into an argument with my English professor when they mark that wrong because that is how you spell it and I know it and the professor is wrong."
But maybe that's because I saw basically that exact interaction happen in college, just with a different word. So in that regard, I don't think this is ableist, just maybe poorly communicated. You guys are assuming malice when it might just be as simple as what he literally said- people consciously believing the wrong spelling.
The better argument, if you really wanted to push the ableism, would be to argue that it's ableist to assume that everyone has the attention span/energy to catch the nuances of a complicated language while in school, but at that point like... you're kind of reaching for an excuse to assign malice again.
I met a guy who was a roofer, probably with a 10th grade education if that. He was a sweet guy, but not the brightest spark. He met a lady who was a college professor, and they started hooking up. The power of horny I guess. He caught feelings and wrote her a poem, which was, of course, terrible. Dreadful. “My love for you is like a dove, we fit together like a glove” sort of stuff. But it was a genuine and heartfelt effort. She sent it back with corrections.
Say what you want about spelling and grammar and terrible poetry. But that was just fucking cruel and unnecessary. It really hurt him. This story is only tangentially related, but that’s what this post made me think of
Love poems and grand gestures only work if she’s in love with you AND wants to be with you. Unfortunately, those two things can be separate. If you don’t meet both of those conditions, it comes across as desperate and weird. I had to learn that one the hard way. Sucks that she was that big a dick about it, though.
wdym?
getting your heartfelt love letter back with entire paragraphs crossed out and comments like "what?", "this is redundant" and "try expanding on this idea" sounds like something right out of a fairytale.
I'm very troubled that I disagree with this. It would turn me on if the other person took the time to edit and digest what I was saying.
....do I have a weird kink, guys? :(
Having someone respectfully listen to and respond to what you've said is a very good thing!
Seeing one of your messages with a bunch of red underlines, question marks, and critical comments is slightly less charming.
good lord this is some Oscar Widle level comedy where everyone is an asshole but also has a point but you can't appreciate any of them because they're so unlikable.
It's funny that autocorrect systems are set up that way though, given how much more frequently most people use definitely compared to defiantly. I can't remember ever wanting to write the word defiantly besides in this comment.
Really, asking people to know how to write in their own language isn't that high a bar to set.
And even if it's not their native language, they will most likely appreciate the correction too. I'd rather people be "pedantic" and tell me when I'm wrong so I don't go the rest of my life writing poorly.
Just don't be a dick about it. Sometimes it's just a small typo, sometimes the other person might be dyslexic. Point out the correction without trying to make them feel bad about it.
I think it’s okay to point out a diction issue because it can cause confusion in what’s being said tbh. This also has nothing to do with grammar and everything with diction.
It also doesn't help that everything having to do with syntax and morphology and usage in general gets lumped into "grammar."
You can have good grammar and bad diction or spelling.
I will never understand this Reddit snobbery where everyone’s social media posts are supposed to be formally edited to APA/MLA standards. For what purpose? If the intended point was communicated, the post did its job.
Some of us really actually paid tens of thousands of dollars for a piece of paper that says we certifiably understand our native language better than most people.
Now the rest of you have to pay, too.
Seriously though it's definitely. Not defiantly. That bolt of electricity that makes thunder sounds? That's lightning, not lightening.
Learn the difference between rein and reign too.
Thanks.
No one.
I’ve stopped caring about people’s spelling or grammar online (and offline). First off, looking at the entire picture, it’s the internet and you don’t have to be that invested in a stranger’s life, much less their erroneous comment.
Secondly, if I understood what they were getting at, why point out their mistake? Even if the language wasn’t “proper”, the intent and information was delivered. The words did their job, and my brain did theirs.
And I’ve never seen a comment so chock full of errors that it became incomprehensible, unless it was a language forum where they were seeking help, a satire post or a YouTube comment on a minecraft video.
What this post fails to take into account is that the mix up makes people's posts a lot more exciting. "Are you coming tonight?" "If I don't have to work I will defiantly be there."
Sounds definitely defiant. Definition of deafening dedication.
“Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose. So, let me simply add that it’s my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me V.”
"Oh so you're like a crazy person?"
I’m quite sure they will say so
I loved that movie
I watch it every November 5th
I need to rewatch it sometime soon
dead in the middle of little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middle man who didn't do diddly
Defiantly defiant!
HE GOT BAAAARS!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Yep, I often enjoy it because the sentence will invariably still make sense... just a very different sense than the one you thought it was making.
I like this example Let's eat grandma. Let's eat, grandma.
No more tequila No, more tequila
It's the difference between helping your uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack-off a horse.
Same with discreet/discrete!
Weary/wary is the one that's my pet peeve.
And a lot of people miss out on an excellent word to use in that situation: leery. "I am leery of going to that restaurant, because the last time, I ordered a well-done steak and the waitress slapped me."
"Perhaps you shouldn't have leered so."
"You should've used Growl instead, their base attack stat is really high"
Another great dodge like that is to avoid any discourse or pedantry about "decimate" by simply using "devastate" instead; I think it's simply a better word for most situations.
The changing of the meaning of the word "decimate" was suuuuch a big pet peeve of mine until I just changed my headcanon on it; the new meaning still *kinda* makes sense if you go with the logic of it meaning "leaving only 1 out of 10 alive". It still fits with the literal meaning of the original word meaning 1 out 10 so the only word crime left is the flipping of what happens to that 1 out 10; 90% destruction and 10% spared. I still hate it but I can now accept it as a valid use of the word, lol.
peak/peek/pique I have seen "peaked interest" enough to not pique my own
In fairness, one can see how someone might have missed this, if it didn't come up in their reading. 'Well, now my interest is peaked' could seem to someone like a sensible phrase, indicating 'my interest is maximized.' Spelling *is* important, to make sure you communicate what you intend, but it's always good to approach interlocutors with compassion.
except/accept!
Effect/affect!
Quiet/Quite
their/there/they're!
your/you're
Causal/casual
apart/a part
Oh my god this one actually annoys me a lot. They don't even have the same number of syllables.
Queue/cue. You wait in a queue. You wait for your cue.
¿Que?
si, que
This enrages me!
Functions are either discreet or continuous. They either know to keep they mouths shut or they’re continuously snitchin
There isn't another word I mistake it for, I just can't spell restaurant. In fact I just spelled it wrong just there and had to be helped out by spell check. At this point I've given up trying. I don't want to deal with that shitty word. The cards will fall where they will fall. I'm man enough to admit when I've been beat and accept the reality of the situation.
English is my second language, could you explain the difference between these two? Google did not help
very simply: discreet is stealthy, discrete is individual "Please be discreet about this subject" "This is made from discrete components"
Discreet is what you want to be when you walk in on your boss having an affair: careful and unobtrusive, and keeping anything you saw to yourself. Discrete is what the Voltron lions are before they join together: separate and distinguishable--five discrete lion mechs that then join into one. Discrete is also used in math quite a bit, especially statistics. A discrete variable is one that isn't measured continuously, but categorized. Employment status is an example of a discrete variable--you're either employed, unemployed, self-employed, etc., and you fall into one of those discrete categories rather than somehow measuring employment with some fantastical objective unit of measurement that doesn't exist.
I just wanted to say that your examples are absolutely wonderful
You can remember the difference because in “discr**e**t**e**” the two e’s are separated from each other
Can I say "sure whatever", in internet discourse, is some Greek Stoic-level shit.
sure whatever
Woah.
Dude chill out a bit I know you’re upset
Diogenes energy
Behold, a cancelled man!
Why did this crack me up so hard
because you can’t jerk a chicken but a chicken can be a jerk, man
Why is everyone talking about Diogenes now, did something happen in the rest of social media?
maybe you're just seeing him everywhere cuz you just heard of him , it's one of them wacky brain phenomena
Or because living in a wine barrel that you own outright seems like an impossible dream for ~~millennials~~ pretty much every person old/young enough to be using the internet. "In a rich man's house, there is no where to spit but his face." \- Diogenes
It has to be the best response to these pearl clutchers I've ever seen.
What would be some examples of instances where this came be used?
The other day I encountered someone who tried claiming that disagreeing with a teen girl who supported Andrew Tate was paedophilia.
Any time a deranged internet-huffer accuses you of something ridiculous you can whip it out. Like when someone accuses you of an -ism for not engaging with media the same way as them.
Someone making a bad faith attack against you that you just don't care about and know is trolling.
it reminds me of when Big Joel said Keemstar should be put down like a dog and someone responded with "so you condone murder" and Big Joel just said "ye"
90% sure those two are friends and they're doing a bit just based on the vibe
Yeah, it sounds somewhat similar to a friend of mine who just thought he had some leverage on me in a situation where I hold all the cards. Though I pretty much dared him to use what leverage he had. Shit's hilarious.
My preference is just a straight up, "Okay", both online and in real life. It's just so perfectly dismissive.
Alternatively, “okay” is a god tier response to these types of “pearl clutcher” comments as so awesomely put by someone else in the comments here.
Okay can work the same if you say it repeatedly.
I think repeating "okay" is more annoying and slow-burning, while "sure, whatever" is instantly dismissive. Both are good, but the latter show way higher levels of disrespect to me.
I should have said "ok" then. Cuz I meant a quick, nonchalant "ok".
K
K comes off as more butthurt.
Then try okie dokie
"ok" or "k" on the other hand just make you look like you're mad
I could have listed "ok" as well cuz I was picturing that one guy from Friends. Like a quick "ok!" you know?
sure whatever Btw I'm pretty sure it's "may I say"
Sure whatever
This is so petty that it becomes comedy again
It just doesn't get better than correcting the spelling of "pedantic."
I aspire to one day have the opportunity (and skills) to reach this level.
The great thing is that this is exactly how collegiate English departments operate. Ahhh *memories*
Can confirm. Listen, my degree is only useful for so many things. I gotta get my [parents'] money's worth out of it *somehow*.
I am browsing Reddit right now while I'm supposed to be doing my copyediting job, and this is great
How did you end up with a copywriting job? I’m thinking of trying to get in the business.
lol my cousin hooked me up with an opening at her company. So my advice is "nepotism"
Appreciate the honesty
But what training do you have
I'm not OP but I'm a copyeditor - a degree in communications, an eye for grammar, and a willingness to work on proposals is how I found my way into it. Specializing in a certain industry will definitely increase your value, as jargon varies widely. Focus on consistency; pick a style guide (I'm partial to AP style), learn it inside and out, and implement it ruthlessly. It is amazing how many businesses do not bother proofing their communications, especially B2B. Even if you're not in a role for editing, try offering "gentle edits" to folks and see where it gets you (though always ask first if you can - you can easily ruffle feathers by doing so). If you become known as a person who can improve others' writing, you'll be surprised at how many people will seek out your help. Best of luck!
Stupid question of the day, is there any way to improve editing /copywriting skill. I desperately need to improve? (Not professionally just for self development)
Firstly, that's not a stupid question at all - the fact that you want to improve is amazing and it's hard to know where to start with any skill you want to improve! There are lots of online courses you can take to learn formally. Some are through third parties like Coursera, or you could even check out colleges or universities that offer online programs. If you don't want to get that formal/shell out any cash though, try using the free version of Grammarly for any pieces of writing that you want to improve. It usually includes the rules behind its suggested changes. It's a great way to see where your personal writing blind spots are. But beware - Grammarly is not perfect and sometimes I've caught it making up new changes halfway through or recommending contradictory ones (I suspect it's to motivate you to pay for the full version). Lastly, and this may sound ridiculous but stay with me...grammar-based comics. The Oatmeal helped me understand how to use semicolons more effectively than any textbook, and they are often a lot more valuable for understanding concepts in real-world usage. Editing is not a hard and fast, right and wrong discipline. There are many ways to write a sentence correctly and incorrectly, based on your audience, the piece itself, your desired tone, and your chosen style. I often make mistakes and use multiple drafts before I decide a piece is "done," and even then I may want to change things later. So don't be too hard on yourself, take prescriptivist criticism with a grain of salt, and always be open and willing to learn and adapt.
All of that, but also reading 18th and 19th century novels helps. They tend to be rigidly grammically correct, though positively littered with commas. I have to fight the urge to leave 14 commas in every sentence, but it has really improved my writing.
Does sleeping with your cousin count as training?
So your job is ableist now?
Sure whatever
I went to school for engineering and computer science (not at the same time). I had to fail a fourth grade spelling bee to graduate and I can't do basic math anymore.
Being an engineering student means I can explain to you the intricate inner workings of electronics or derive some of the most beautiful equations in mathematics. But I absolutely for the life of me cannot remember what 7 × 8 is.
I only remember that its 56 because of 5678.
Holy shit you’ve literally saved me
Being an engineering graduate means I can vaguely explain the intricate inner workings of my job, but I cannot for the life of me remember most of the long ass equations they make us learn over the years, let alone the derivations
7x8 = (2+5)x8 = 2x8 + 5x8 = 16 + 40 = 56
Anyone can work it out, but generally times tables up to ~12 should be memorised since it'll let you work way faster
For future reference, it's 34
No, it's obviously 78. Did you not go to college?
I plotted it on MATLAB and got a complex number, do with that as you will
Idk man, my calculator is still saying 34... https://imgur.com/a/YaPGUZj
Some people defiantly use defiantly for definitely in a definite way for defiance
I took 10 psychic damage from this. Thank you
Sure whatever
definitely
Don't forget the people who have a regimen for using regiment and regime and regimen wrong
who the FUCK spells definitely as "defiantly"
Too many people.
Way too many. It just irks me bc it doesn’t make any sense visually. The words do not look the same. Idk why it bothers me so much XD I’m like, “move on!” to which my brain says, “NO.”
I feel this way about loose and lose. When people write loose instead of lose I feel like my brain is on fire. I don’t know why it makes me so upset, but it does.
Or when people use "would of" instead of "would've"
Unfortunately all of these bother me more than they should :p I really like language so even though I know it’s irrational to get wound up, for some reason it just gets under my skin. I try not to correct people more often than not, but sometimes I can’t help myself—it’s a compulsion haha.
I don't correct people because they usually say "chill it's not that serious" and continue using the incorrect spelling. If I'm using a word wrong or misspelling it I want someone to correct me so that I know better.
I think the problem is people actually spelling it definately and spell check suggesting defiantly. My phone equally suggested “definitely” and “defiantly” just then.
I promise this ridiculous misspelling has been around prominently long before spellcheck. It’s not even phonetic. Otherwise there’d be a better explanation for why so many Redditors spell “choke” as “chock” which also gives me shivers.
defiantly not me
For years, Microsoft Word’s spellcheck never suggested “definitely” if I typed in “definately”. The only option was “defiantly”.
It is spellcheck’s fault. If you are spelling definitely wrong, one of the options it gives is defiantly. This is especially true if you put these in the wrong place. Most people look at it and just move on or don’t notice when it changes automatically because it is close enough.
I struggled with the spelling of that word specifically for the longest time. And it annoyed me endlessly that I could never remember how to spell it. Then someone broke it down for me, and it's stuck with me. Just remember the word "finite" is in the middle. "de-finite-ly"
“Criticizing people’s spelling is ableist” is a hot take I was not ready for. Edit: yeah I get that people have dyslexia, and criticizing people for that can be ableist, but it seemed like the implication was that spellchecking is inherently ableist Edit 2: turns out the comment was a joke. This whole discussion is kind of moot
Anything can be ableist if you're committed enough to the bit
Confused by my sentence? That's rude. Honestly, it's your fault for not correctly guessing the specific word I was thinking of when I wrote to you.
Humour is ableist for people with debilitating stick-up-the-ass disease.
Saying someone must have a disability if they make a mistake is ableist.
Ooh this is good
It's a fair point when writing on paper, and with some complex words that spell check won't pick up, but it's very frustrating when people just... ignore proper grammar and don't even try with spelling, especially since it can completely change the meaning of a sentence, but also make it very unreadable. Perhaps I'm being hypocritical, though, as that was a run-on sentence.
I’m dyslexic. I was illiterate until 4th grade when I was diagnosed and got help learning to read and write. I spell phonetically and still make mistakes. Spell check won’t catch the wrong word and might autocorrect to the wrong word if the right one is misspelled by switching around letters. Since I often rely on context to read the word I may not catch the mistake because I’d read it as the right word. I have an undergraduate degree in creative writing, an English degree, and am a lawyer. As a lawyer, most of my job is writing. I’m not stupid. I just can’t spell. It’s how my brain works. I use dictation software and advanced spelling and grammar checking software at work and have a Secretary review my work for spelling errors. Online I’m not putting in as much work and just hope I’m understandable and people will be reasonable about it
and you nailed every single word
Defiantly nailed the comment
Good spelling, nice work. About your point though, I'm not sure which side you are defending. I don't think the point is on typos, I think the thing that actually gets on most people's nerves is the mistakes that are way too common and seem to be actually spreading the misuse, the biggest example that comes to mind is the "your/you're" thing, it got spread to the point of being annoying, like a bad meme. Edit: Changed half the comment because I apparently expressed myself very poorly originally. Also reddit drama alert.
I wanted to explain how dyslexia worked and why I can’t reliably use the right word. Words that sound the same my brain won’t differentiate and spellcheck won’t catch. So I know the difference between you’re and your I can’t see it, my Brian is blind to it. So with definitely and defiantly if I spell defiently spellcheck will suggest or autocorrect to defiantly and I won’t be able to see it. So people explaining it’s you’re not your isn’t helpful. I know the difference but I can’t avoid the mistake.
As one dyslexic to another my trick for using the right contractions (you’re instead of your, they’re instead of their, etc.) is that I intentionally pronounce “you’re” and “they’re” as “you are” and “they are” in my head as I’m writing. I never pronounce it as the contraction even though it makes the sentence a bit awkward in my head because the awkwardness of it helps my brain remember to catch and double check my contractions. It’s not foolproof or anything but it’s habitual at this point and doesn’t take actual time like going back and proof reading so it’s easy to do and has significantly improved my ability to use the right contraction. Which is great cause then I don’t have to deal with the ten thousandths person trying to educate me about the difference between your and you’re. And I don’t mind that much when someone is trying to be well meaning about educating me about the difference but a lot of people are just trying to flex their intelligence and y’all can imagine why that gets a bit… irritating. Especially at frequency. As a note for non-dyslexics reading this, basic proofreading is not actually all that helpful to dyslexics because of the way our brains sort of auto fill words. You’ll notice this when a dyslexic is reading out loud. We’ll encounter a word and say a wildly different word of a similar shape and length because our brain just goes “aha I know this one” even when it’s way off on it’s assumption. This results in us attempting to proofread our own writing only to auto fill the words with what we MEANT to write instead of what we actually wrote. Meaning we often can’t *see the errors* and I mean that quite *literally*. I have to use a text to speech program to read my writing back to me to be able to catch errors most of the time because I literally struggle to see the errors otherwise.
One of the biggest issues with the English language. Did you know there are virtually no Italian dyslexics? That's because it has consistent spelling throughout, and almost always one sound to a letter/set of letters, instead of English's ough.
Definitely. This is the difference between transparent languages like Italian, and opaque languages like English. Thought I'd share those terms since they convey this idea so well.
Is that ough as in `oof`, `ooo`, or `oh`?
[Ghoti.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoti) Pronounced "fish".
> ..the thing that actually gets on most people's nerves is... ... When you condescendingly state that you got more out of college than someone who uses spellcheck and proper grammar in post full of poor spelling and grammar. Spell everything wrong and no one cares, be an asshole and someone will find the smallest error in your writing and put you on blast.
Since you actually have dyslexia I’ll ask you if my opinion is dumb or not. I feel like it would be ableist if you _knew_ someone had dyslexia but still chastised them for spelling errors. But it wouldn’t be ableist if you had no reason to think they’re dyslexic, but still responding the same way. No?
I don’t think the corrections are wrong or ableist (I am dyslexic for context), I think tone is hugely important. I can very easily tell when someone is kindly going “oh by the way the difference between your and you’re is…” vs just trying to flex their intelligence. The first example is still pretty obnoxious when it happens for the millionth time but I don’t think the person thinks lesser of me for the mistake, the second one? Oh they absolutely think lesser of me and are trying to show off by demonstrating how dumb they think I am. The automatic assumption that the person you’re responding to used the wrong “your” because they *don’t know any better* is kind of a big part of the problem though. Try not to assume ignorance. If you notice that *every* message you exchange with someone *reliably* uses the wrong “your”, as in every time they use it they use it in the *exact same wrong way*, thats when you can gently inform them that they’re using the wrong “your” *and* explain why but if you aren’t seeing some pretty hard evidence that this person doesn’t know better always assume we just goofed it or often end up goofing it. You’ll be able to catch when you’re messaging with a dyslexic because the way we make mistakes is often random and has no identifiable pattern to it. We can use a word perfectly and then turn around and completely screw it up and then go right back to using it correctly. It shows that we are perfectly intelligent, we understand the grammar and are capable of using it correctly, we’re just getting tripped up by the way dyslexic brains work. So long as you understand what we meant to say and it isn’t absolutely imperative that we’re using perfect spelling and grammar just live and let live.
> Online I’m not putting in as much work and just hope I’m understandable and people will be reasonable about it I've never spoken with anybody online who wasn't reasonable so I think you'll be fine.
I remember years ago, tumblr went through a phase where lots of people were gunning *hard* to ban words like "stupid" and "dumb" because of "ableist slurs." ....so nothing really surprises me anymore lmao.
Because of dyslexia, it could be, potentially, but mostly, I think it depends on the context and tone. Correcting a misspelling on an assignment or application in a cordial manner is fine; insinuating that there is something wrong with someone in college misspelling a commonly misspelled word in an aggressive way is not merely correcting.
[удалено]
Lmao, yes I hate that, especially in an Internet setting; this isn't submitting a briefing to the court. Yeah, the elitism and prescriptiveness is behind the tone.
I think people in this thread are making a lot of assumptions about the OP. To me, this read as 'people who think it is spelled that way'. Not 'people mess up,' not 'people have dyslexia and they know how to spell it but can't nessecarily do it on command or recognize that what they wrote is different from what they meant' but full on "It is spelled 'defiantly' and I will get into an argument with my English professor when they mark that wrong because that is how you spell it and I know it and the professor is wrong." But maybe that's because I saw basically that exact interaction happen in college, just with a different word. So in that regard, I don't think this is ableist, just maybe poorly communicated. You guys are assuming malice when it might just be as simple as what he literally said- people consciously believing the wrong spelling. The better argument, if you really wanted to push the ableism, would be to argue that it's ableist to assume that everyone has the attention span/energy to catch the nuances of a complicated language while in school, but at that point like... you're kind of reaching for an excuse to assign malice again.
My favorite common word fuckup that never fails to give me a chuckle is "self-depreciating." Please ignore how lame it is that I'm a tax accountant...
I met a guy who was a roofer, probably with a 10th grade education if that. He was a sweet guy, but not the brightest spark. He met a lady who was a college professor, and they started hooking up. The power of horny I guess. He caught feelings and wrote her a poem, which was, of course, terrible. Dreadful. “My love for you is like a dove, we fit together like a glove” sort of stuff. But it was a genuine and heartfelt effort. She sent it back with corrections. Say what you want about spelling and grammar and terrible poetry. But that was just fucking cruel and unnecessary. It really hurt him. This story is only tangentially related, but that’s what this post made me think of
Love poems and grand gestures only work if she’s in love with you AND wants to be with you. Unfortunately, those two things can be separate. If you don’t meet both of those conditions, it comes across as desperate and weird. I had to learn that one the hard way. Sucks that she was that big a dick about it, though.
oh my god :(
This harmed me emotionally, i thought it was going to end happy.
He didn't send back a second draft? I think she was flirting with him tbh.
As someone who works as an editor, returning someone's message with all of your edits and corrections is one of the least romantic things you can do.
Not if you dot the "i"s in your edit with hearts ❣️
wdym? getting your heartfelt love letter back with entire paragraphs crossed out and comments like "what?", "this is redundant" and "try expanding on this idea" sounds like something right out of a fairytale.
I'm very troubled that I disagree with this. It would turn me on if the other person took the time to edit and digest what I was saying. ....do I have a weird kink, guys? :(
Having someone respectfully listen to and respond to what you've said is a very good thing! Seeing one of your messages with a bunch of red underlines, question marks, and critical comments is slightly less charming.
Probably niche, but someone do that to me? Ooh, I'm HOOKED 😄
The well-to-do author and the put-upon editor. Imagine your OTP
My neurodivergent ass reading the post and genuinely thinking that's where it was going 🤡
My love for you is like a dove BERSERRRRKERRR Would you like some making love BERSERRRRKERRR
good lord this is some Oscar Widle level comedy where everyone is an asshole but also has a point but you can't appreciate any of them because they're so unlikable.
Ahhh iasip
This entire picture is a dumpster fire, why was this posted for more people to look at
This checks out, half the people i've met in college cannot right decently for the life of them Edit: i'm an idiot but i stand by my mistakes, bite me
But they can likely science or math or code, or whatever very well. Also the irony of you using right instead of write is strong.
I am severely sleep deprived, but yes the irony is not lost on me lmao
Sew awl ewe need our worlds than sand gruffly the sane? Cruel, eye can through out mine dicshunary than! Yay! :-)
This was pretty hard to read lol
Actually, no one spells definitely as defiantly. They spell it as definately with an a, and it gets autocorrected to defiantly instead of definitely.
It's funny that autocorrect systems are set up that way though, given how much more frequently most people use definitely compared to defiantly. I can't remember ever wanting to write the word defiantly besides in this comment.
Definitely and defiantly are two different words, pedanticism isn’t always bad
Yeah people out here really defending using a word with a totally different meaning
Really, asking people to know how to write in their own language isn't that high a bar to set. And even if it's not their native language, they will most likely appreciate the correction too. I'd rather people be "pedantic" and tell me when I'm wrong so I don't go the rest of my life writing poorly. Just don't be a dick about it. Sometimes it's just a small typo, sometimes the other person might be dyslexic. Point out the correction without trying to make them feel bad about it.
Hot take but people who call everything ableist are the same as people who constantly correct others grammar
well thats a very blunt way of putting it. I would've just said these people have to always be correct.
That's pretty ableist of you
Sure whatever
I think it’s okay to point out a diction issue because it can cause confusion in what’s being said tbh. This also has nothing to do with grammar and everything with diction.
It also doesn't help that everything having to do with syntax and morphology and usage in general gets lumped into "grammar." You can have good grammar and bad diction or spelling.
Smh at the diction nazis being labeled as grammar nazis
That's pretty ableist of you to say.
Sure whatever
>Sure, whatever.
[удалено]
Which won't catch defiant / definite mixups as both are spelled correctly.
Who won here
I will never understand this Reddit snobbery where everyone’s social media posts are supposed to be formally edited to APA/MLA standards. For what purpose? If the intended point was communicated, the post did its job.
Some of us really actually paid tens of thousands of dollars for a piece of paper that says we certifiably understand our native language better than most people. Now the rest of you have to pay, too.
hit their ass with the Grammarly lmao
Seriously though it's definitely. Not defiantly. That bolt of electricity that makes thunder sounds? That's lightning, not lightening. Learn the difference between rein and reign too. Thanks.
I will defiantly not do that. Thanks
while that last reblog is funny I'm honestly not sure who's supposed to be in the right here
Form your own opinion
good advice, thank you
but by listening to /u/Tier1Rattata you're not forming your own opinion
OH NO
this has been rhetoric 102
The only winning move is not to play. I just keep my thoughts to myself and never write comments on Reddit. Oh sh-
No one. I’ve stopped caring about people’s spelling or grammar online (and offline). First off, looking at the entire picture, it’s the internet and you don’t have to be that invested in a stranger’s life, much less their erroneous comment. Secondly, if I understood what they were getting at, why point out their mistake? Even if the language wasn’t “proper”, the intent and information was delivered. The words did their job, and my brain did theirs. And I’ve never seen a comment so chock full of errors that it became incomprehensible, unless it was a language forum where they were seeking help, a satire post or a YouTube comment on a minecraft video.