The four words “anyway,” “any way,” “everyday” and “every day” illustrate for me just how precise and seemingly random the English language can be. It’s not always easy to tell which usage is correct. Specifically, getting “everyday” and “every day” mixed up is so common, I bet many people don’t even realize they mean two […]
Anyway/any way and everyday/every day Read More »
One thing that fascinates me, though the result often frustrates me, is how many of our spelling errors arise from the spoken word. The phrases “should of” and “could of” are perfect examples of this. Why “should of” and “could of” are incorrect “Should of” and “could of”, if you break them out into their
“Should/could have” vs “should/could of” Read More »
I know that the English language is ever evolving (though I try in my own way to keep it from evolving into incoherency), but there are some popular phrases that just make my skin crawl. I hereby vow to never use these in any form, written or spoken: Across the pond Pout – to describe
What phrases really bug you? Read More »
I’m reading a certain novel right now. It’s good, but it uses the word “which” in a way that really bugs me. This spelling and grammar pet peeve has been a fairly recent, but intense, one of mine for the past couple of years. Dear editor of said novel: The word “which” is not a
Can you use “which” to signify an afterthought? Read More »
