Fancy yourself as a cunning linguist?

Thought a few of you lot might like this.

In his latest book, “The Sense of Style,” Harvard cognitive scientist and linguist Steven Pinker explores the most common words and phrases that people stumble over.
…
We’ve highlighted the most common mistakes according to Pinker using examples directly from his book along with some of our own.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/harvard-steven-pinker-misused-words-2015-9

There’s a few blindingly obvious ones (affect / effect, really?!) but there’s a couple of interesting ones I didn’t know.

(Er, I mean, obviously being a Grammar Nazi I knew them all already. Ahem.)

Nice find! I don’t always agree with Pinker, but I can’t liking him.

And indeed: a few surprises in there for a Grammar Nazi like me, too.

I always like to give fulsome apologies whenever i am coerced into them

AH the joys of knowledge

How discombobulating 😯

Some good ones there.

Not really having ‘begs the question’ – it’s used incorrectly all of the time to the point where few people understand the ‘true’ meaning and the ‘wrong’ use makes intuitive sense to everyone. It’s not like a grammatical error or basic ignorance of what a word means.

Good one to know, though – can be a subtle fallacy that people roll out when arguing.

in there for a Grammar Nazi like me, too.

To. Not too. There is no quantity.

Not entirely sure he’s right about “begs the question” tbh, it does have a specific usage but it’s also a perfectly normal use of words to say something raises questions. It feels like an artificial restriction/distinction, a bit like further/farther.

Must admit I had appraise/apprise wrong though.

Nice find! I don’t always agree with Pinker, but I can’t liking him.

I meant to say ‘can’t help liking him’: a funny mistake in light of what I claimed one sentence below. 😳

@Northwind: how do you fancy further/farther is an ‘artificial distinction’?

Literally does also mean figuratively. The OED changed it this summer. Sob.

When be suggests that no one really uses data as a mass noun anymore, but then goes on to comment that “he still likes it”. One gets the measure of the man

That’s exactly what I was going to say nickc.

When be suggests that no one really uses data as a mass noun anymore, but then goes on to comment that “he still likes it”. One gets the measure of the man

I was reviewing one of my reports recently, and concluded that I am the last person on earth to use “data” as a plural, outside of scientific journals. The battle has been lost.

in there for a Grammar Nazi like me, too.
To. Not too. There is no quantity.

Nope, SaxonRider is correct.

“in addition; also.
“is he coming too?”
synonyms: also, as well, in addition, additionally, into the bargain, besides, furthermore, moreover, yet, on top of that, to boot; More”

SaxonRider – Member

@Northwind: how do you fancy further/farther is an ‘artificial distinction’?

It’s the same word, spelled differently but used interchangably. There’s no historical basis for the distinction, it’s a modern invention.

Goon +1, absolutely right.

I may not be a cunning linguist but I am a master debater.
Sorry, couldn’t resist

blimey, a few of these caught me out..

staunch .. disinterested as well.

not sure he’s right with the disinterested one

disinterested
d?s??nt(?)r?st?d/
adjective
adjective: disinterested

1.
not influenced by considerations of personal advantage.
“a banker is under an obligation to give disinterested advice”
synonyms: unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, neutral, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, detached, uninvolved, objective, dispassionate, impersonal, clinical; More
open-minded, fair, just, equitable, balanced, even-handed, unselfish, selfless;
free from discrimination, with no axe to grind, without fear or favour
“she is offering disinterested advice”
antonyms: biased
2.
having or feeling no interest in something; uninterested.
“her father was so disinterested in her progress that he only visited the school once”
synonyms: uninterested, indifferent, incurious, unconcerned, unmoved, unresponsive, impassive, passive, detached, unfeeling, uncaring, unenthusiastic, lukewarm, bored, apathetic, blasé, nonchalant; informalcouldn’t-care-less
“he looked at her with disinterested eyes”

oxford definition

Usage note
Disinterested and uninterested share a confused and confusing history. Disinterested was originally used to mean “not interested, indifferent”; uninterested in its earliest use meant “impartial.” By various developmental twists, disinterested is now used in both senses. Uninterested is used mainly in the sense “not interested, indifferent.” It is occasionally used to mean

besides english is an ever evolving language which with why grammar nazis are such ****

I’ll admit to not knowing about Meretricious and Homogeneous

Staunch is good British English for the same usage as the US stanch.

I understood “begs the question” to be derived from “beggars the question”, ie, takes away the value of the question by not really answering it.

That bloke needs to remember two things:
One- language evolves, just because it was right/ wrong once doesn’t mean it is now
Two- The name of the language is ‘English’ don’t come round here telling me how to use my own sodding language