Uncorrected Grammar, August 13th

I have several friends who pride themselves on being grammar Nazis. I’m constantly asking them to proof things even after I’ve run my copy through Word several times. I don’t trust a machine to do what a human does better. (I have a strong command of the English language if it’s spoken, but commas and spelling still elude me!) I think verbal mistakes by growing kids are completely hilarious. They use the funniest words and descriptions when they are young, oblivious to the snickering adults near and far. Their mispronunciation of words or the substitution of lyrics is also hysterical. I have personal experience with all of this and I’m sure you do, too. (Truth: I had to look up how to spell mispronunciation!)

When my niece Sydney was all of five, she belted out the lyrics, “Then one FROGGY Christmas Eve, Santa came to say…” We were doubled over laughing and of course nobody ever corrected her because it was just too funny every year to hear her sing. My son Matty was big on coloring and he called his waxy artistic instruments “kay-rons” and his favorite colors were “geen” and “lello.” I, of course, was all smiles. He also had trouble with the word certificate, always saying “cer-tik-a-vit.” He tried so many times and laughing through the practice, he just couldn’t say it correctly. Matty also loved to wear his “glubs” to cover his hands in the winter, and he called his cousin “Sinny” since he couldn’t pronounce the “d.”

We were once in the car visiting a friend in Syosset when Matty asked where we were going. When I told him we were going to Syosset, he looked at me, pointed at himself and said, “My Osset? I love it there!” He also decided at a tender age that “or-ange” is how you pronounce the color but “ar-ange” is how to say the fruit! Where does he get all this from??

Many adults I know still use the word “supposebly” instead of supposedly. That drives me crazy! “Irregardless” is another nails on the chalkboard word for me, but I do purposely use the word “misunderestimate” because I think it’s just comical. Apparently I’ve been pronouncing Oregon wrong all these years, and I’m sorry to say Nevada also falls into that category.

I love that meme that says commas can kill with the example: “Time to eat, Grandma.” vs. “Time to eat Grandma!” Still hilarious, but like anyone would really think to eat the matriarch? C’mon. Regardless of whether you’re here or there (not their!) doing your (not you’re) best to communicate is a good idea. Hell I learned recently that compliment had a complementary cousin– I never remember learning that! Spellcheck is always a good idea. And just a note to my iPhone, I never mean duck!