Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Perhaps my BIGGEST pet peeve.....

It might come as a shock to many of you that I fancy myself a writer. Then again, as you're actually here reading something that I wrote, maybe not.

I wish I could make a living doing this, and I still have aspirations to do so, but I lack the business acumen to actually send out prospecti...prospectuses letters of intent, so my (soon to be) award-winning writing career will have to wait on the as-yet named agent/manager that is even now moving towards our fated meeting some time in the future....

Something that may not be immediately clear is that I'm also a reader. I mean, like voracious. I read just about anything and everything. If I'm not actively engaged in something else (blogging for instance or playing a vid) I'm usually reading. I read when I eat, in the crapper, I even usually read with the t.v. on as I lay in bed readying myself for sleep.

That prolly doesn't surprise any of you. Most writers are readers as well. It kinda goes with the territory. I also have the heart of a proofreader. I've tried not to be to anal about it on here, but sometimes, I'll read my preview 6 or 7 times before hitting that 'publish' button. I also find typos/grammatical errors in books, magazines, newspapers...you name it, I've found an error in it.

I also read a lot on the internet (another shocker i know) and I find errors there too. I know, right? Who would have thought that the unnamed masses of anonymous bloggers/message board surfers/whatevers out there (some im convinced without any formal education whatsoever) don't take the time/trouble to read what they've typed before commiting it to the 'net.

I'm guilty of it, I know. I often read one of my posts (sometimes after the preview process above) and find a dropped letter, or a missed word. Transpositions? Yeah, guilty. There is one thing I've never done though, and never will. It's the thing I hate the most.

No, it's not a wall of text (find your return key you ass) nor is it the internet equivilent of SHOUTING (its not cool it makes you look like an idiot), no, what I'm talking about is Then v. Than.

It's pretty simple, really. Then denotes time, Than denotes degree.

I'll be crusing along, reading a post, perhaps even thinking 'Wow, someone that has a coherent thought,' and then it happens...'I love it more then.....'

No, you fucktard, it's than. Then is not a typo for than, it's an entirely different fucking word!! For the love of Mike, learn the fucking difference before I come to your house and beat the life out of you.....

'I was so much older than, I'm younger then that now.'

Yeah, that just doesn't do it for me. I swear, everytime I see it I usually just stop reading, no matter how lucid or provocative the material is, because as soon as I read the wrong word, I automatically question the intelligence of the author.

It really gives me the red ass.

Buenos con queso,

T.

9 comments:

Beth said...

OMG!! I am SO totally on the same page with you, there.

I am not a perfect writer, nor will I ever be. But, it should be such a simple distinction. One that you learn in the 2nd grade, for the love of PETE. :D

I mean, seriously folks.
Maybe you need to go back to skool and lurn sum skillz.

Kelly said...

My two pet peeves are their/they're/there and loose/lose. If you can't get those right, you're a big fat looser!

I constantly proofread. It drives my husband to distraction. I constantly find all sorts of mistakes in the rolling headlines at the bottom of CNN and (big surprise) all over the front page of the Nevada Appeal. Whenever he sees me reading the paper, and I groan out loud, he doesn't ask me, "uh-oh, who died?" but rather, "who fucked up the cutline this time?"

T.J. said...

Kat: I wonder if Pete is Mike's brother.....

Kelly: Yeah, the Appeal (i told you i used to work there right) in a constant source of irritation for me. Especially when the shit's on the FRONT PAGE!!!

T.

Kelwhy said...

ok, well for the record - I'm totally with you and i agree on all points. That said - i screw up the 'then/than' thing ALL OF THE TIME! I hate it, why do I do it? I don't do it with anything else but that one. sigh. So, any typos and/or grammatical errors found on my page are put there on purpose so that you will find them. ;)

Unknown said...

63951 and 259 i want you to guess what those numbers stand for i think its kinda kool

wcgillian said...

Paragraph four, line one, you screwed the pooch.
Just kidding, I just mentioned it because you did. I agree with everything you said here. I stopped by because you have Northern Exposure listed as an interest. I wanted to see who else was a fan of the show. I have a number of connections to the program and was missing it today.

RJ

T.J. said...

Kelwhy: I knew you were just giving me something to do. When you do it, it's cute.....

Homer: Yeah, we've talked about it.

wcgillian: If you're refering to the 'prolly' I do that on purpose...

T.

Princess Sparkle Pants said...

I do prolly on purpose, too. It's one of those made-for-internet than "words". Have I told you lately how much I adore the fact that you are as grammar-picky as I am? This is just one more example of how much I wish you didn't live way out west because I TOTALLY want to hang out together while you play GTA and Husband plays Zelda and I make a quilt. And we listen to Presto at the same time.

Andie Pandie said...

One of mine? Is when people use "set" for "sat", as in, "I went and set down." Holy crap you hick, no you did not. You sat down! Crikey!