I’m not an extreme language prescriptivist, but I think two phrases bear inspection since, for both, the correct form makes more sense than the other one. Here they are:
It’s “toe the line,” not “tow the line.”
And it’s “Give the person free rein,” not “Give the person free reign.”
I can’t recall how Steve Pinker comes down on these in his excellent new book The Sense of Style, but I hope he’s on the side of the better angels.
I’m sure readers have pet peeve phrases as well, so put them below. And no language policing, for if a phrase bothers you, it’s your LIVED EXPERIENCE.
When were adverbs abolished? I must have missed that announcement.
Sorry, but I didn’t have the time to read all 400+ prior posts. So if this has been said, my bad.
I just read this, having forgotten it was a pet peeve” “One in the same.” NO, it’s “one AND the same.” Doesn’t anyone think anymore?
Another disturbing trend I’m seeing all over the place is the use of “lead” as the past tense of “lead.” The past tense is “led,” folks.
I thought ‘leds’ or ‘led lights’ were the little lights on the front of computers. Not to be confused with ‘lead lights’…
cr
Just read something was “nipped in the butt”..