Wednesday, October 18, 2006

White rectangle against the black night

It's an ungodly hour, and here I post. Watch out for low-flying random topics.

Spelling. Amongst my friends, I am known as two things: a Tequila Snob (meaning I can only stand high-end stuff. No Cuervo for me, no thank you!) and a Spelling Snob. Let's discuss...

I don't spell correctly all the time. Sometimes I mix usages; for example, recently I used pour instead of poor. For the life of me, I have to consciously speak out loud words like "they're" (they are) or "definitely" (de-finite-ly).

What does proper spelling say to me though? It shows careful thought, it shows appreciation for language, it shows validation of one's education. I hereby embrace that I'm a Spelling Snob. So be it! I probably come across as arrogant to my friends. Oh well. I just appreciate fine spelling, and if that makes me conceited, I can deal.

Recently I have come up with Reasons to Stay in Utah. On the one hand, it's a relief because moving is always a pain. But on the other hand, it's very sad to me. I was dead set on high-tailing it out of here! I'm seeing some benefits to staying, though, and they've been occupying a large chunk of my thought scheme of late.

We haven't gotten any of our Halloween decorations out. We haven't purchased pumpkins for carving. Halloween is fast approaching, and I have yet to even acknowledge it. It's the 17th already?!? Sheesh.

There's some dog barking in the neighborhood. I wonder what his deal is? Doesn't he know he should be asleep? I also just heard the furnace turn on. Or rather, the air coming out of the ducts. It's getting chilly here at night, so we've had to use the furnace or our body parts will flash freeze and shatter when we roll out of bed at 7 am. I HATE 7 am. But I've mentioned that before.

"Lord let us out of this hall full of mirrors
Make it all clearer
Dont let us fall
In the middle of the night..."

-Jimmy Buffett Middle of the Night

24 comments:

m said...

it pisses me off to no end when people confuse its and it's. Ugh...

ok, my mini-vent is over.

Christy said...

I also hate it when people use their, there, and they're wrong. Oooooh, and your and you're. And want to know a major pet peeve of mine? When people say "yah" or "yea" instead of "yeah".

OH! One last thing... but this is a grammar issue, not spelling. When people think it's always proper to say "so-and-so and I". For example, when someone says "They gave those tickets to Laura and I", when they should, in fact, say "They gave those tickets to Laura and me". There you have it.

Dude, 4:35 in the morning? What gives?

Sister Mary Lisa said...

I'm also a spelling snob. Except for nite. I always catch myself writing nite when I'm writing. Intentional throwback from high school. Whatevah!

I'm totally with the other comments above...those are serious pet peeves of mine too. Now, how do we connect that with our Mormon upbringing? Or is it even connected?

Rebecca said...

One of my pet peeves is people who get all pissy when others confuse words like "their," "there," and "they're." I get it IF someone is consistently misusing them - he/she would probably appreciate an FYI. But once in a while? Dude, chill. It's a typo. Also, almost everyone I've ever known who got SERIOUSLY irritated over things like that were like, "Hey, I'm smart, and that's my identity, and I'm threatened when I think someone might be as smart, or smarter, than I am, so I'm going to correct every mistake I see because, hey! Look at ME! I'm SMART!" Again, chill.

It's humid and gross and I feel bitchy today.

La said...

Oh shit!! That is SO who I am, Rebecca!! Wait, no it's not. What am I if I want to correct every mistake I see but often hold my tongue?

I really should get a job as an editor, then in every day life I'll want to just ignore it, I'm sure. :)

Sideon said...

I make typos to see if anyone's reading for content. Sometimes I make typos because I type too fast. Sometimes I make mistakes because I'm so SURE that the word I'm using is right. Sometimes I let typos go because I often compose through notepad, which doesn't have a spell check feature.

The kind of spelling that makes me want to pull out an Uzi and blast someone's head off is: "ur so kewl" or "phat" or "luv." It's lazy, ghetto, trash talk.

Tequila snob? Nothing wrong with that. The good stuff is downright medicinal. Lately, I've been on a rum and vodka kick. I made dirty martinis (vodka, touch of vermouth, splash of olive juice) over the weekend - delightful, but I should have made Cosmos instead.

Christy said...

Ouch, that was harsh. Okay then... hmmm. Moving along....

Sideon said...

Reasons to Stay in Utah?

With your family and friends there, that list would be considerable. Plus, those mountains can't be beat. If not for the fucking Mormons, Utah would really rock.

La said...

Uh-oh, Christy do you use "luv" and "ur so kewl"?? HAHA I never took you for that type, but to each his own! :) (I so know you don't talk like that...)

Sid: Wait a sec. Why should've you made cosmos instead? I feel so uninformed!! :)

Christy said...

no, that wasn't the harsh comment I was talking about. :)

La said...

Ok, hmm, was it about "nothing wrong with being a tequila snob"? You may have to fill me in here... I AM brilliant, but not today. :)

Sideon said...

Dirty Martini - dry and tart (cf olive juice)

Cosmopolitan - it's a sweet and delicious sensation that comes on nice and slow, like a mango kiss.

La said...

I do NOT get enough mango kisses... So maybe I'll try your Cosmo someday! :)

Christy said...

la, you're always brilliant. :) Indeed, totally about you being a tequila snob and the way you turned your nose in the air after we did a shot of Cuervo together on Saturday. mwah! :)

Sister Mary Lisa said...

OK, Eric, I'm reading a smut novel right now (I know, I supposedly gave up reading to do art, but I gave in to temptation) and the love scene went something like this:

She was undoing her sandals, and when she stood up her eyes traveled up his legs and landed on his naked, throbbing member....

So when I read your "JS and BY dismembering members" comment, I had to laugh. I'd have to say it will definitely cause your neighbors to avoid you, or come over as often as possible, depending on how depraved they are!

Ha ha. I crack myself up.

MattMan said...

La! I had no idea you were a fellow spelling & grammar snob! (Whips out super-secret-snob handshakes) Now I'll feel completely free to unleash my spelling wrath on your blog, and when you least expect it. Muwahahaha!

I've reformed a little bit... I think I was close to jeopardizing my job at one point by correcting people's emails at work -- coworkers, manager, manager's manager... no one was safe. lol. Unfortunately, as part of my detox, I've gotten very lazy on my own spelling and grammer and just let thing's go alot.

Yeah, I know, I just made at least three intentional errors in that last statement, but it's FUN to drive a fellow snob mad! :)

Montgomery Q said...

Eye think your write.

SPeaking of grammar, I hate it the current trend of saying "myself" by lazy people that have been corrected a few times and now use it in EVERY case. For example, Kenny and myself went to the store, which was what he and myself had in mind when we decided to go get a doughnut.

MattMan said...

Good one, MQ. That one gets me too -- similar to using "[x] and I" in *every* case, or "[x] and me" in *every* case, not knowing the difference.

What is so hard about figuring out which to use by simply removing the "[x] and" to hear which one is correct, then go with that? For example, consider the incorrect... "La and me are spelling snobs". If you take away "La and" and change the verb tense, you get "Me is spelling snob" -- ridiculous, right? Why can't people see that? Conversely, "The morgbots are out to get La and I"... take away... "The morgbots are out to get I". WTF?! Come on, people, it isn't *that* hard to figure out! :)

Rebecca said...

God, you people are the effing snobbiest people about the stupidest things! This reminds me of a class, during my last semester at BYU, in which everyone would sit around smugly discussing how smug everyone ELSE was. Get over yourselves. You screw up too.

*wandering away, grumbling to myself and looking crazy*

La said...

*HUGS*

Do you need someone to bring you a green tea latte, sweetie? You sound upset...

Rebecca said...

Oh, and Sister Mary Lisa - you wrote, "...those are serious pet peeves of mine too. Now, how do we connect that with our Mormon upbringing?"

We were brought up to always be on the lookout for everyone's screwups - after all, we are our brothers' keepers. We have to make sure everyone gets to the CK! Also, if we see how much other people screw up we can say, "Oh, look at how bad/stupid/ugly/un-spiritual that person is! I'm way better by comparison!" So then we get two Heavenly Brownie Points - one for being "better," and one for "helping" the other person realize what he/she is doing wrong. Because ugly? Stupid? Sins. For sure.

So I'm totally getting my Brownie Points for pointing out how snobbish all you people are. AND I'm becoming completely TERRIFIED of making mistakes on my blog because you're all so pet-peevied by them.

La said...

Ok wait a sec. I have no superiority complex over spelling issues. Like I said, to me it is a reflection of how one validates their education. It doesn't mean they're LESS than me if they don't do it. Besides, I suck at spelling a lot of the time...

I only brought it up because Amy keeps giving me shit for correcting spelling. I'm sorry, but "coral" and "corral" have two very different meanings. Sue me.

Rebecca said...

#1) I adore you. And your superiority complex.

#2) I don't CARE if you're a snob (or if you're not). Because I adore you.

#3) Lots of educated, super-brainy people can't spell. Just like I (an educated, amazingly brilliant, Stephen-Hawking-can-kiss-my-brain girl) can't do calculus. Or a back handspring.

#4) It's your blog. BE an effing snob on it. It's all the people who co-opt the comments to prove how brilliant they are who I hate with all my hate-filled heart.

#5) People who are my friends can get away with almost anything. If you're my friend, you're not included in my pig's-blood rage.

MattMan said...

Rebecca,
If it's any consolation, I never do my spelling/grammar snobbiness without a smile in my face -- it's all in good humor for me.

Unless of course those who insist they are correct when they aren't, then it gets serious. :)