That way EarlG has a better chance of seeing it.

My wife is ESL...although very fluent verbally, but she struggles with written English.

universe precise and orderly. They remind me of my high school English teacher, Mrs. Hobgood. Stand up straight, speak precisely, and wear a cardigan (we don’t want to catch a chill). Oh, me, oh, my! Pay the Mrs. Hobgoods of the world no mind. Some of us are messy and imprecise but still manage to communicate effectively. 😇🤓🫢🤗

and empathy toward others.

her nickname was Mrs. Hobgoblin!

If she found out our very existence would be questionable. 😰😱

language, not catching an autocorrect that selects the wrong word, etc etc. Many reasons for errors in a message and yes, sometimes I do detect an air of smug impatience in calling out other's mistakes. As long as their point is understood, I find it unnecessary to grammar shame the poster. JMHO.

lots of other things about which to complain.

But I do try to curtail them upon entry to DU. Thank you Debm55 for helping me remember why that is important and telling us of yourself!

It's more their problem.

Sometimes I rush to get something out, and miss mistakes. I see them, then go back to correct them.

Other times slower, and i try to catch them. Usually much better, but still miss one at times.

Nighty night 👍

though I don't know if that would be appropriate for this particular topic.

I often won’t even correct spelling unless it is important to the post and then I do so nicely. Sorry I haven’t been posting much. My life hasn’t been very good right now.

on behalf of all of us who make errors & those who struggle with language skills.

Wait, doesn't that make us human?

I believe, all language creates a visceral response due to neurological triggers in the listener/reader.

Words are like 2 edged swords, they can cut both ways, good or evil.

That visceral response is why advertising works.

Our use / mis-use of language is what curtails the human race from achieving balance, imho.

Just my 2 ducats

I like your posts and think they are fun.

Here is a Pusheen for you:


Which pusheeniverse character are you Deb? I am going with sloth for me ;-/



?v=1703100801

You bring much fun and joy to the Lounge.

Once in a blue moon, you choose to speak out on a topic like this. I respect you for it. I hope everyone thinks twice before chastising others over their grammar on this discussion forum. It is not an English classroom.

Hope you had a good night's rest!

I was managing a department at a large retail store. There was one sales associate who was always getting things wrong. I confronted her on her poor performance and she started crying. She said "You always use these big words and I don't understand.. " I felt two inches tall.. I realized that I didn't have to sound like a Rhodes Scholar when talking to people. I learned a valuable lesson that day.

I agree with you. As long as I can understand what a person is trying to convey, it is OK with me. We all speak and understand differently. That's the way it is, and we might as well learn to live with it. We are all different-enjoy it.
Mark Twain was right: Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination.

Have turned way too many people into bullies and know it alls. Correcting grammar or a typo does not make the person doing the correcting a better person. But, many think it does.

I’m sorry that your childhood wasn’t the best.

sometimes, when I see their mistakes. Sometimes there are typos. I make typos, too. I am not trying to embarrass anyone. I think most people just want their posts to seem polished and intelligent. Some people here have thanked me after I pmed them.

This is a LOUNGE not a classroom.

This is a place to relax and get to know one another and readers IMMEDIATELY pick up on a different vibe when topics don't fit the bill in this particular space.

I'm GLAD you spoke up, gal.

Life just isn't fair to far too many.

Calling out grammar mistakes is a type of OCD imo. Some people just can't help themselves. Others do it for more obvious, less excusable reasons.

The conflation of "lose" and "loose" is my Pet Peeve. It's the only thing that bothers me because it's prevalent across all skill sets. I see it with the younger folks especially so I think it's a recent gap in the school curriculum and that's the part that bothers me. But to call anybody out specifically? Nah. Far bigger things to worry about and I'm pretty sure I'm not perfect either.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. I was so lucky to be an ASL interpreter. I've absolutely come to love deaf speech and writing. If I hear a person speaking at the store who sounds like they might be deaf or hard of hearing I get so excited because I miss those friends so much.
Deb, you have survived some really tough barriers in your life and come out the other side as a good and emotionally intelligent human being. Thanks for reminding everyone that diversity has many forms. 🤟🏼

My late beloved first wife was born in Mexico to a Spanish speaking mother and an Irish/Cherokee orphan. My dear present wife was brought up by German parents, for whom English is still somewhat difficult.

I love them for who and what they are (were), not for their syntax or vocabulary.

Stay sweet!

I'm sure a lot of us here have stories of pain and suffering. I grew up with a mother who was unhinged. She could be the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was difficult and still, at this point of my life, it haunts me. I am a true believer in the adage that the best revenge is living well.

I hope you know how much you are valued and appreciated here on DU. Your posts always bring a bit of light into my day and I always search out your posts. Take care, dear Deb. You are among the best of us.

Those tiny little buttons and autocorrect play havoc on anything I type on my phone.

I'll admit I used to be a grammar Nazi, but then I realized the purpose of language is to communicate. Has the posted gotten their message across despite typos and misspellings? Their mission was accomplished and calling folks out for how they communicate is just a weird flex.

for picture-straighteners here.

...that picture on the wall behind you is crooked!

understandably so, since they are sometimes a means of covertly undermining or devaluing the person corrected/advised, even when the corrector's conscious intentions were to be helpful.

On the other hand, the purpose of language is communication, which is among the most important sources of human empowerment – arguably perhaps even the most important source. Diction and grammar, evolved over eons of continual use, can when skillfully deployed be incredibly efficient and effective means not only for communicating and storing precise information (or alternatively, for deception), but even for thinking.

I often hear or see people confusing themselves or others through an imprecise use of language, sometimes unwittingly and sometimes willfully.

All of that said, I absolutely agree that it's a speaker's intent that matters.

I haven't noticed many spelling or grammatical mistakes in your posts. I just enjoy the fun questions you come up with!

Turns out he was a Vietnam-era vet who had suffered a bit of trauma, but still knew how to communicate, in his own way. I never sent him a correction or anything, and I would be embarrassed if I had. RIP, MM.

I try to make *helpful* corrections, where they might serve a purpose, but generally don't care too much if they're ignored. I'm just trying to keep the confusion levels low, if I can, and I believe others do too. We're not trying to be MIRT.

Besides, when a misspelling provides a perfect setup for a joke (or worse -- a pun ! ) I can't resist.