The Internet Makes Everything Better
I’ve posted a few times on grammar rules, or more specifically on things that aren’t rules even though people act like they are. So here is one more post about bogus grammar rules, and as usual, the fact that it is on the Internet makes it far more interesting. If I were just to retype the rules, or print them out on a piece of paper and hand them to you, well, that’s just a list of anti-rules, really.
But because these particular anti-rules are on a website, you can enjoy the comments. Because nothing makes a post about pointless rules that only need to be followed because of pedantry more amusing than comments. My personal favorites are the vigorous back and forth about “I could care less”. If someone is already lacks a sense of humor and insists on taking everything very seriously indeed, it is sort of difficult to explain an interpretation of a phrase that relies on a sarcastic inflection, but there are those who gamely try.
The person correcting the grammar in the lyrics of a song by Beck are also fairly amusing, though.
Oh, and from the same source: a delightful set of old-fashioned swears.
Who needs grammar? I try my best not to use it. I’m gonna use What in thunderation?, I am.
I recall a fine book from my youth titled “By the Great Horn Spoon!”, actually (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Great_Horn_Spoon!). That wikapedia entry is riddled with errors that I recognized despite not having read the book in 30 years, alas. But who knew the expression had such racy origins?
Oh, here’s a better link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/596246.By_the_Great_Horn_Spoon_