Scared vs. Scarred

[tootallday]

The above two words are often used interchangeably or, more probably, mistakenly by many of this site's writers, and are overlooked in many cases by the editors. Other misused words are plague and plaque, it's and its. Too, to, and two. Too many writers also use apostrophes where inappropriate. When you insert an apostrophe, ask yourself why, and what the apostrophe stands for. In most cases, it implies ownership; sometimes it creates a contraction (two words created by deleting a letter and joining the two words with the punctuation).

It's important that writers, or at least their editors, educate themselves in the English language; its spelling, its pronunciation, and its grammar. (You'll notice that not one word in this paragraph has an apostrophe. None is necessary.)

 

[sr71plt]

I edit for academic presses and the PhD authors, no matter how much they've written, do the same thing. It's good to point these problem word combinations out and make an effort not to do them. It isn't a mark of illiteracy, though--it's just common habit.

(And when I'm reading erotica, it's not what I'm looking for, so I usually can read through it.)

 

[AsylumSeeker]

The above two words are often used interchangeably or, more probably, mistakenly by many of this site's writers, and are overlooked in many cases by the editors. Other misused words are plague and plaque, it's and its. Too, to, and two. Too many writers also use apostrophes where inappropriate. When you insert an apostrophe, ask yourself why, and what the apostrophe stands for. In most cases, it implies ownership; sometimes it creates a contraction (two words created by deleting a letter and joining the two words with the punctuation).

It's important that writers, or at least their editors, educate themselves in the English language; its spelling, its pronunciation, and its grammar. (You'll notice that not one word in this paragraph has an apostrophe. None is necessary.)

Well, I suppose one could result from the other, but they are certainly not synomyms.

 

[CopperSkink]

I can appreciate an educational message, but let it be known that I'm witholding the urge to stab that lecture to death with a red pen.

Send it to an editor.

 

[Rubyswallows]

I can appreciate an educational message, but let it be known that I'm witholding the urge to stab that lecture to death with a red pen.

Send it to an editor.

When don't you want to stab someone with a red pen?

 

[CopperSkink]

When my eyes are closed and my ears are covered, obviously.

 

[Rubyswallows]

When my eyes are closed and my ears are covered, obviously.

Nah, even then you're actually still thinking about it, even if only in your subconscious.

Ooooh...going back to the original point. I used "you're" and "your" another set of words commonly mistaken for the other. See, even when I'm being snarky I'm still on point. I rock!

 

[CopperSkink]

The only thing you "rock" is cannisters of gelatin.

Honestly, you've been responsible for every single civil war in Mesopatemia over the last eight months. How do you live with yourself?

 

[Rubyswallows]

(And when I'm reading erotica, it's not what I'm looking for, so I usually can read through it.)

I can sometimes, but it will generally draw me out of the story long enough for my interest to flag.

 

[Rubyswallows]

The only thing you "rock" is cannisters of gelatin.

Honestly, you've been responsible for every single civil war in Mesopatemia over the last eight months. How do you live with yourself?

You put your gelatin in canisters? Weird. Mine goes in my belly.

I can live with any action I've taken on behalf of mayhem and chaos simply because I'm just that awesome.

 

[Firebrain]

It's important that writers, or at least their editors, educate themselves in the English language; its spelling, its pronunciation, and its grammar. (You'll notice that not one word in this paragraph has an apostrophe. None is necessary.)

Cough cough!

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Cough cough!

And it also lacks a pronunciation, which is a verbal cue. Not sure what you're getting at here.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Cough cough!

Since you fail to 'splain, I am intrerpreting your decidedly confusing "cough cough" as we, as editors, need to check the "green cards" of those we edit for.

Is this what it's cumming to?

Are you a racist?

Oops, just realizing it was tootdaddy responding to you, Firebrain, who made the comment. Sorry. Ah, fuck, I always seem to be stepping in shit, may as well do so again, sigh. Apologies.

 

[Firebrain]

Erm. Wtf? For an editor, you're not all that astute, are you?

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Never mind.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Erm. Wtf? For an editor, you're not all that astute, are you?

oops, got off-track just a smidge, lol.

No, not very astute. Educate me, bug guy.

 

[Firebrain]

I was just commenting that there was an apostrophe, when he said otherwise...Obama?!

 

[AsylumSeeker]

oops, got off-track just a smidge, lol.

No, not very astute. Educate me, bug guy.

But that did feel good, lol.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

I was just commenting that there was an apostrophe, when he said otherwise...Obama?!

Yes, glad you agree, thanks. Always happy to have another like-minded conservative republican aboard. What a relief! Thought it was lonely here, but now you're with me. Shakes, dude.

 

[CopperSkink]

None is necessary or none are necessary?

 

[sr71plt]

Sticky one. This from Harry Shaw's Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions:

"Since none is derived from not one, a long-standing rule provides that it should always be followed by a singular verb: 'None of us is planning to go.' Unfortunately for the sake of simplicity, this rule is neither grammatical nor logical: none can mean 'not any' and 'no amount' at least as often as it does 'not one.' A reason exists to regard it as singular. When none is followed by a singular noun, then the verb should be singular: 'None of the money was paid to us.' If you wish to stress the idea of a singular, then use a singular verb: 'We were packed in the bus but none was hurt when we crashed.' (Here none is emphasized as not one, but the sentence might better have employed not one, or no one if the sense is to be 'nobody at all.') . . . Recommendation: always follow none with a verb in the singular when the clear and unmistakable meaning of none is 'not one' or 'no one.' In all other situations, use a plural verb."

 

[CopperSkink]

Which, if I"m reading this correctly, leaves us with "no apostrophy is necessary" and "no apostrophies are necessary"

And on the opposite side of "no money was was paid" is "no dollars were paid.

Thankee.

 

[CopperSkink]

Track Changes is fucking annoying.

Thank you for your attention.

 

[sr71plt]

Track Changes is fucking annoying.

Thank you for your attention.

Not anything as annoying as incorporating changes with hard copy and a manual typewriter.

 

[CopperSkink]

You really know how to make a person cringe, don't you?

Since I don't have the background to follow that up, I must resort to the dog business:

Imagine giving a haircut to a ten-pound Cocker Spanial Poodle mix that bites especially hard when it hears any of that goody-goody, "ooh, what a cute doggie!" high-pitched squeally noise.