I received an email from guy with whom I am in another set-up situation. He's a horrible typist and wrote, "i just returned from colorado. I could really live their."
Now, we all know that my spelling is terrible, but as an English major I do have certain pet peeves around the Enlgish language. Some of these might even be considered "deal breakers." He doesn't capitalize anything. Periods and quotation marks are used in odd places and several words that should be separated are not. Repeatedly. As though he thinks "have a goodday" is supposed to be like that - as if he's from New Zealand.
So, I sent the message to jdoc with this comment:
"Ugh! Look at how he writes! This can't go anywhere. Anywhere but "their" - I'm such a snob...."
Only, I DIDN'T SEND IT TO JDOC.
I sent it to HIM.
11 comments:
Hee hee. It's a blessing really. Best to end it now, burning bridges willy-nilly, because it really can never go wherever 'their' is.
I am guilty of certain of these slips, however, because I compose in my head as if I am talking and it's only if my self-editor is sufficiently aroused that I catch 'to' when it should be 'too,' or 'their' when it should be 'they're.' Oh well.
There are grammar mistakes and then there are DEAL BREAKERS - I'm with you JM, this one is a DB.
But how hilarious - I MEAN, how terrible that you had to go through this. I think everyone has one of these stories.
Thanks for the laugh anyway!
If spelling had been an issue between your mother and me, you would not be here.
What does he look like?
Is he a nice guy?
Does he have any cash?
Would he be a good dad?
You could always teach him english.
Love,
Terr-Dogg
Oh, you just put a smile on my face! Have you heard back from him?
Last week I sent a personal email to a media list that was supposed to go to a friend who's email is media@....
Luckily for me it was a pretty generic email about thinking she was out of town and asking if her band played last night.
One of the newspapers wrote me back to ask if I had meant to send them the email. How embarassing.
I think I was able to recall some of the emails that hadn't been opened yet.
Another great: One time I was talking to bdoc about a "friend" that had really pissed me off, and my phone had actually dialed her number in my purse and she overheard the whole conversation. Thank god I now have a flip-phone so that can't happen again!
Speaking of grammar mistakes: who's should have been whose.
Oops!
You do have worse luck with email than anyone else I know! As a fellow English major I had the same thoughts that you did. Why waste the time with him?
Your dad humbled me though. His comments reminded me of my own father sitting with a dictionary every night making sure that his reports were correct for the next day. He was doing this to better himself and to better support his family. Thanks Terr-Dogg
AZ
I am also curious to know if you heard back from him.
I am a communication major and am sometimes hesitant to tell people this, lest they should think to themselves, "Communication? She can barely put together a sentence."
Of course, I am not at all saying I wouldn't have judged him on his email peccadilloes!
as a teacher who works like a maniac on the
they're - their - there distinction, i have to say...i've finally come to accept that this trio really stymies people. i'll keep trying, but i can offer no guarantees.
i'm way curious about what happens next in this story.
OUCH! As a person who accidently wrote many letters to pubic water supplies or about pubic water supplies insted of public water supplies, I kind of feel for the dude. I was even quoted in the paper once as saying "he kept on not keeping records." We try to be writing/talking smart, but some of us are just better at math and science.
I can't wait to hear the status - did you hear back from him?
Thanks, All, for your hilarious comments. Love the "pubic works." And Dad's comments shame me. How did such a generous man end up with such a snobby daughter? Really, where did all the NICE genes end up?
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