Another Nitpicking Treatise on Grammar

#1

Another Nitpicking Treatise on Grammar

Posted: 6/6/06 at 7:42am

This one has been bothering me for some time.
Addicting. I don't think anyone is quite using it correctly. In almost every instance of this word I see, the intended meaning implies they should have used addictive. I realize which words ending in -ing are much more common than words which end in -ive but come on, folks.


Addicting Versus Addictive - The More You Know

#2

re: Another Nitpicking Treatise on Grammar

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:14am

Preach it, sister!

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"Fundamentalism means never having to say 'I'm wrong.'" -- unknown

#3

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:31am

y'know, bway, i read this and thought, "oh, bway's just seen it once or twice and it's bothering him, sheesh, chill hairboy." but then i did a search. jesus h. christ. people read this over and over and over agin, k?

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r.i.p. marco, my guardian angel.

...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty

pray to st. jude

i'm a sonic reducer

he was the gimmicky sort

fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective

#4

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:34am

I don't think anyone should chill when it comes to grammar. It's a dying art!

#5

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:45am

Thank you bway!! Sadly, my office computer is afraid of that link, so I will have to read it when I get home.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

Updated On: 6/6/06 at 08:45 AM

#6

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:52am

The most intriguing part is that more research is showing me that, while addicting IS proper conjugation, it really doesn't exist historically and has come into use AS an adjective, which is completely improper.
And, Papa, just do a search on the off-topic board for the word addicting.
Then search addictive. I've noticed a few certain people know the difference (Thanks, KelRel!) and many do not.

#7

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:53am

I find it fascinating how many words/expressions "come into use" - and if I'm not mistaken, in this internet age, it's happening much more frequently.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#8

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:58am

It's the ease of communication for otherwise illiterate folk, Rath.

#9

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 8:58am

It frustrates me.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#10

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:04am

I think it frustrates a lot of people.
I won't sit here and pretend I'm not prone to mistakes but I do think I'm different in that I will attempt to correct them. The real problem as I perceive it is, rather than LEARN, most people will just make it up. When I'm hazy on word usage or spelling, I dictionary.com it. It might not be THE best grammatical source but it's good and easy and the word pops up right there in Google; you don't really even have to go to the page to see how it's correctly spelled (and Google will attempt to correct your spelling for you if you misspell your search! HELLO!).
It amazes me that, in the age of the internet, where knowledge is impossibly easy to gain, people choose to be this illiterate and unread.

#11

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:06am

I agree - I'm certainly far from perfect, but at least I try.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#12

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:24am

i did search it, bway. that's why i told people to read it over and over.

---

r.i.p. marco, my guardian angel.

...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty

pray to st. jude

i'm a sonic reducer

he was the gimmicky sort

fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective

#13

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:25am

bway, will you paste some of the relevant info for those of us who can't get to the article?

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#14

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:31am

Papa, it's enough to make me lose my BWW addiction (hey, check it! That's a noun!).

For the record, addicting is in fact a word. A transitive verb, more precisely. These are verbs that require a direct object (like abuse, as in The Digg user physically abused the grammarian.) And we all seem to agree that addictive is a word. An adjective. Those are describy words. You remember those. Adjective != verb. Addictive != addicting. An interesting fact about dictionaries is that when two forms of a word are included, interchangeability is not implied.

#15

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:32am

Great! Thank you.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#16

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:34am

Funny how I like his creation of the word "describy" but addicting bothers me. Then again, one is very Whedonesque and clever and the other is not.

#17

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 9:35am

That's because we know he's playing.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#18

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:03am

Recommendation:

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite by June Casagrande

In this collection of hilarious anecdotes and essays, June Casagrande delivers practical language lessons not found anywhere else, demystifying the subject and taking it back from the snobs.

I can't vouch for how entertaining the printed version of this book is, but the audiobook is terrific. It identified, one by one, all those grammatical issues that I'm never quite sure about. This has to be THE most painless way to clear up some problems.



Audible link

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Sueleen Gay: "Here you go, Bitch, now go make some fukcing lemonade." 10/28/10

Updated On: 6/6/06 at 10:03 AM

#19

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:03am

But I quite like being a great, big, meanie Grammar Snob.

Updated On: 6/6/06 at 10:03 AM

#20

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:05am

That sounds like a fun read, iflit!

Bway, get rid of that comma, you idiot.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

Updated On: 6/6/06 at 10:05 AM

#21

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:08am

actually, it needs another.

#22

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:09am

It doesn't need any.

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Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

#23

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:13am

No, no.


Use, commas, sparingly, but, correctly.

#24

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:16am

Rath is correct. Great, in this case, modifies big, not snob, so no comma is needed.

The way to remember is: If an "and" would fit between the words, you need a comma.

Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot.
(Rush Limbaugh is a big and fat idiot? Nope. No comma)
Rush Limbaugh is a bigoted, obese blowhard.
(Rush Limbaugh is a bigoted and obese blowhard."

Updated On: 6/6/06 at 10:16 AM

#25

another nitpicking treatise on grammar (but not capitalization)

Posted: 6/6/06 at 10:18am

Your, sooooooooooooooooooooooo meen.