vocabulary nitpicking

[dhritter@newmail.dukepower.com (David H Ritterskamp)]

Poster: dhritter@newmail.dukepower.com (David H Ritterskamp)

     
     
     On Mon, 10 Mar 1997, "Heather Swann" <swannh@psi.com> wrote:
     >
     >Poster: "Heather Swann" <swannh@psi.com>
     >
     >> Elen Prydydd wrote: 
     >>  
     >> > These two words are:  populous and populace.  "Populous" is an 
     >> > adjective that means, roughly, densely inhabited.  "Populace" is 
     a 
     >> > noun that means, roughly, inhabitants. 
     >>  
     >> And then said that the misuse of "populous" was making her twitch. 
     >>  
     >> Normally I frown on quoting someone and saying "Me Too!" on the 
     net, 
     >> but in this case I'd like to register my support for the correct 
     use 
     >> of English.  Every time I read someone writing about "the populous" 
     I 
     >> get a facial tick. 
     >>  
     >> Dafydd 
     >>  
     >Um, myself as well, milords and ladies.....auntie was an English 
     teacher, you 
     >see....
     >
     >Miri
     >
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     Now, I NEVER thought I'd be MORE inured to anything than Dafydd.  Just 
     goes to show how
     beating your head against a brick wall will do wonders for your 
     viewpoint...
     
     FYI, I've been known to correct grammar/spelling/punctuation in my 
     sleep.  So believe me
     when I say that I used to get just as narked off as anybody else on 
     here.
     
     Problem is, there aren't many good ways to tell somebody they don't 
     know how to parse/spell/punctuate/whatever
     without coming across as condemnatory.  Also, as Falcone pointed out, 
     good GRAMMAR checkers aren't cheap.  So I 
     pretty much gave up awhile back, primarily because there wasn't any 
     point to it.  IMO, for every person that 
     says "Thanks for correcting that" there are a dozen more that 1)won't 
     thank you and/or 2)will actively resent 
     you.  Sort of like standing behind somebody who's playing bridge.
     
     The useless ones (like the ones that come with MS Word or whatever) 
     are of the you-get-what-you-pay-for school.
     
     UNFORTUNATELY...
     
     So, all we need is to have whoever's most annoyed with the whole 
     concept agree to serve as the Official Merry 
     Rose Grammar Checker, filter all the messages through him/her, and 
     have them attach a standard disclaimer to 
     every message that it's been edited for clarity...
     
     ROFL,
     
     Ld. Jonathan Blackbow
     House O'Shannon
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