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A rough road

LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,499
edited October 2012 in The Commons

A rough road is a coarse course.

I realize that there are many non-native English speakers in this forum and I give them slack, but to keep them from getting confused and to keep my head from exploding I have to vent at native English speakers with bad habits.

I've seen the habitual misuse of "coarse" and "course" several times recently. (*argh!!!*)

The opening sentence above says it all. "Coarse" means rough. "Course" means a path of travel.


And if someone says "it's all good" I'm going to try to jump through the wires and strangle them. 8-o

Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
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Comments

  • ledheadledhead Posts: 1,586
    edited December 1969

    Why of course it is.

  • DWGDWG Posts: 770
    edited October 2012

    Remember English speakers may still have dyslexia or similar issues, in fact there's an increased likelihood of people with dyslexia being involved with graphics because of their enhanced ability to 'think in 3D'.

    “Course” means a path of travel.

    Or to hunt: I'll course the Course of Honour

    Or a set of lessons: Of course the course is open to all

    Post edited by DWG on
  • Mari-AnneMari-Anne Posts: 363
    edited October 2012

    I am a firm believer in commas. It seems as when you have to learn English as a foreign language (as I did), you pay special attention to grammar and punctuations. I am by no means perfect, but a correctly placed comma can sometimes help the reader to "get" the intended meaning of a sentence.

    Post edited by Mari-Anne on
  • jaunke_29fff27795jaunke_29fff27795 Posts: 144
    edited December 1969

    hmmmmm... :smirk:. "It's all good". :cheese:

    I had to do it!!!! :red:

    ;-P

    Grtz Jean-Claude

  • Kendall SearsKendall Sears Posts: 2,995
    edited December 1969

    Of course you'll have to forgive the students of the American public schools... they aren't native English speakers either. Their teachers usually can't spell their way out of a paper sack, and most have grammar skills that leave much to be desired. In many locales, the schools aren't allowed to correct bad grammar/spelling as it will adversely affect the students' self-esteem.

    Kendall

    PS
    Let's not get into the iPhone's tendency to change one's text to what Apple thinks one is trying to say. Then there's the movement to allow txtspeak as a recognized form of grammar...

  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,038
    edited December 1969

    Kendall Sears said:

    Let's not get into the iPhone's tendency to change one's text to what Apple thinks one is trying to say. Then there's the movement to allow txtspeak as a recognized form of grammar...

    My wife is constantly cursing the phone because of this.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited October 2012

    And let's not mention Firefox's habit of wanting me to correct what it considers as incorrect spelling of some words, such as colour, catalogue, neighbour, etc etc.

    Post edited by Chohole on
  • PennamePenname Posts: 343
    edited December 1969

    Ah, yes, Firefox loves American spelling and we Canadians (at least some of us) like to preserve our British heritage. I relate!

  • PennamePenname Posts: 343
    edited December 1969

    I do have some sympathy (if that's the correct word) as spelling is not drilled into kids in school the way it once was, and spell-check does not equal brain-check. Language is a fluid thing though - compare today's English to Chaucer's time. So perhaps (shudder) we'll all be writing txtspeak in future. Eeeww, what a horrible thought to start my day.

  • DWGDWG Posts: 770
    edited December 1969

    Kendall Sears said:
    Then there's the movement to allow txtspeak as a recognized form of grammar...

    Knowst thou not languages evolve? ;)

  • cridgitcridgit Posts: 1,757
    edited May 2022

    Redacted

    Post edited by cridgit on
  • Mari-AnneMari-Anne Posts: 363
    edited December 1969

    I hear politicians and even radio announcers using the incorrect verb tense after "have" or "had" - as in "He had broke the vase" - or after "is" as in "if it isn't broke..."

  • Kendall SearsKendall Sears Posts: 2,995
    edited December 1969

    cridgit said:
    My pet peeve is "your" instead of "you're", as in "your late". WAKE UP PEOPLE, ITS "YOU'RE NOT TALKING PROPERLY"!!!

    Ugh.

    Then again, contractions are not supposed to be used in written communications. At least that is what used to be taught. These days, I wonder at the excuses that are used as acceptable language.

    As for the use of Middle, or Old English, I would welcome some of that. Though I daresay many wouldst have one difficult meanest attempt at understanding the tenses used.

    Kendall

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,711
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    And let's not mention Firefox's habit of wanting me to correct what it considers as incorrect spelling of some words, such as colour, catalogue, neighbour, etc etc.

    Firefox has a British dictionary, and I would think a Canadian one too.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited October 2012

    Ac ni fyddwn yn sôn am yr iaith hen iawn o Ynysoedd Prydain, sydd bellach yn ei ddefnyddio yn unig ar y cyrion.

    Which translates as And we won't mention the really old language from the British Isles, now only used on the fringes.

    Post edited by Chohole on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,711
    edited December 1969

    Liverpudlian? Glaswegian?

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    Ac ni fyddwn yn sôn am yr iaith hen iawn o Ynysoedd Prydain, sydd bellach yn ei ddefnyddio yn unig ar y cyrion.

    Which translates as And we won't mention the really old language from the British Isles, now only used on the fringes.

    Looks like Cymraeg to me...

    But to change your Firefox dictionary...

    http://blog.sudobits.com/2010/06/16/how-to-change-firefox-spell-checker-language/

    You can also set the 'base' language in FF, too.

    BTW, Cho, according to the FF Cymraeg dictionary, everything is correctly spelled...

  • KhoryKhory Posts: 3,854
    edited December 1969

    Remember English speakers may still have dyslexia or similar issues, in fact there’s an increased likelihood of people with dyslexia being involved with graphics because of their enhanced ability to ‘think in 3D’.

    More than a little true. As a learning disabled person myself I often see spelling errors on these forums that are common among the learning disabled. And while spell check is a god send all it really tells me is that I was wrong and not which choice would be correct. Grammar mistakes tend to go hand in hand with us as well. Its code and not always a code we grasp fully because the rules can be strange uneven at times. Poor spelling and/or grammar are not indicative of a lack of education or intellect among the learning disabled. Trust me when I say that if a learning disabled individual is able and willing to write in open forums in a reasonable manner they have worked harder to get there than most people will ever understand.

  • CbirdCbird Posts: 493
    edited December 1969

    My favourite is the "prostate/prostrate" confusion.

    I read a story where the hero repeatedly stepped over the "prostate body of his fallen enemy." I was laughing hysterically by the end.

    The one that makes me want to cry is a sign for "bokays" of flowers.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    Cbird said:
    My favourite is the "prostate/prostrate" confusion.

    I read a story where the hero repeatedly stepped over the "prostate body of his fallen enemy." I was laughing hysterically by the end.

    The one that makes me want to cry is a sign for "bokays" of flowers.

    And not 'bare with me'?

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    mjc1016 said:
    Cbird said:
    My favourite is the "prostate/prostrate" confusion.

    I read a story where the hero repeatedly stepped over the "prostate body of his fallen enemy." I was laughing hysterically by the end.

    The one that makes me want to cry is a sign for "bokays" of flowers.

    And not 'bare with me'?

    Ooh, that one hits home. My website had "Please bare with us while we update the site" for a week or two, due to my son (webmaster) being dyslexic. We laughed it off by saying that we also had a pic of V4 in her undies, selecting what to wear, so it was a deliberate play on words :coolsmirk:

  • SpyroRueSpyroRue Posts: 5,020
    edited December 1969

    Haha! There was method to his madness lol (I mean NO he totally did plan that didn't he? LOL)

  • SlimerJSpudSlimerJSpud Posts: 1,453
    edited December 1969

    I've seen this quote somewhere, and love repeating it without proper attribution: :red:

    "English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleyways, knocks them down, and then sifts through their pockets for loose grammar."

    I believe Cho's mutterings were in Welsh, which is clearly the most unpronounceable language on Earth. :lol:

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Welsh is not really all that hard to pronounce (she says with tongue firmly in cheek) I can even pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch

  • SlimerJSpudSlimerJSpud Posts: 1,453
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    Welsh is not really all that hard to pronounce (she says with tongue firmly in cheek) I can even pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch

    Now, now, let's not frighten the masses, shall we? :lol: Besides, we know the Welsh deliberately invented that place name as a publicity stunt. (Wikipedia)
    In the movie, Barbarella, that name was used as a password. Talk about strong encryption!
  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    chohole said:
    Welsh is not really all that hard to pronounce (she says with tongue firmly in cheek) I can even pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch

    Now, now, let's not frighten the masses, shall we? :lol: Besides, we know the Welsh deliberately invented that place name as a publicity stunt. (Wikipedia)
    In the movie, Barbarella, that name was used as a password. Talk about strong encryption!

    Not all of it was invented as a stunt, part of the name did used to exist before they did that. It is actually usually said as LlanfairPG when they talk about it on the radio. Even the Welsh do think it is a bit pretentious nowadays.
  • cridgitcridgit Posts: 1,757
    edited May 2022

    Redacted

    Post edited by cridgit on
  • cridgitcridgit Posts: 1,757
    edited May 2022

    Redacted

    Post edited by cridgit on
  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited October 2012

    Slimer_J_Spud said:
    I believe Cho's mutterings were in Welsh, which is clearly the most unpronounceable language on Earth. :lol:

    The last I heard, Welsh was going two falls out of three with Finnish. A long time ago I came across a translation of the old Finnish heroic sagas, and some of those names almost sprained my larynx and pretzeled my tongue.
    Post edited by SpottedKitty on
  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449
    edited December 1969

    Sometimes a spelling error is just the brain and fingers not communicating. I am pretty sure I typed 'know' when I meant 'no' to a reply last night.

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