Do grammatical errors bother you? - Page 20

Hellmark · 11-02-2010, 07:26 PM

Grammar I am not as nit picky about as I am with. Spelling and punctuation is what drives me batty.

As far as the "hone in on". Well, that doesn't really make sense. To hone is to make sharp. Yeah, I'm going to sharpen in on something. WTF. "Home in on" is to point or locate. Like, what homing pigeons do.

TGS · 11-03-2010, 06:50 AM

It is possible that both "home in" and "hone in" are metaphorical extensions of their original respective literal meanings. To home in is to become focused and approach ones target, possibly extended from the actions of animals that have a homing instinct. To hone is to remove excess material, to pare away such material so that the object becomes sharp and well-honed. By extension the use of "hone in" as distinct from "home in" seems to suggest a paring away of superfluous or irrelevant concerns so as to focus on what is more important or significant in some respect.

It my be a newish development in language use, but that doesn't make it wrong - even if some people don't like it.

SneakySnake · 11-03-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGS

It is possible that both "home in" and "hone in" are metaphorical extensions of their original respective literal meanings. To home in is to become focused and approach ones target, possibly extended from the actions of animals that have a homing instinct. To hone is to remove excess material, to pare away such material so that the object becomes sharp and well-honed. By extension the use of "hone in" as distinct from "home in" seems to suggest a paring away of superfluous or irrelevant concerns so as to focus on what is more important or significant in some respect.

It my be a newish development in language use, but that doesn't make it wrong - even if some people don't like it.

Good point. That is probably why it has become more accepted. It still sounds a bit like mongrel term. We also accept bought and brought as being interchangeable because sometimes using either one will be correct. eg. 'I bought this cake' can easily be 'I brought this cake', and both be correct. People have accepted it because it is not incorrect, even if the speaker meant something else. Therefore ignorance reigns (rains, reins

)

And I still don't like it. I will accept it from someone less educated, but I think people of the standard of Dennis Lehane should know better.

WT Sharpe · 11-04-2010, 12:49 AM

All this talk on "home in on" vs. "hone in on" has made me hone-y.

SneakySnake · 11-04-2010, 12:56 AM

hone-y Maroney. Stick of macaroni? how about boney? Hey that's a bit foney!
Show me the mone-y riding on a pone-y.

GeoffC · 11-04-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

All this talk on "home in on" vs. "hone in on" has made me hone-y.

yekim54 · 11-04-2010, 04:52 PM

I was reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and came across the following passage:

Quote:

The tracker jackers begin to buzz and I hear them coming out. ... A stabbing pain shoots through my knee and I know one has found me and the others will be honing in.

I wouldn't have taken notice of the phrase "honing in" if I hadn't read this thread.

Joebill · 11-04-2010, 04:55 PM

'The Hunger Games' line you quote sounds like a slang talk/verbiage of some sort. So I wouldn't expect proper grammer.

Metal Mick · 11-04-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

My pet peeve is "try and" instead of "try to". Try to get it right, folks

Hi,

yes, yes, yes!

I also annoy people by correcting them when they use "less" when they should use "fewer".

But that's just me.

I expect writers to know and use the language with skill, but give an exemption to television journalists.

Cheers,

SneakySnake · 11-04-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yekim54

I was reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and came across the following passage:

I wouldn't have taken notice of the phrase "honing in" if I hadn't read this thread.

Another step to acceptance. D'oh!

Under the Covers · 11-04-2010, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal Mick

I expect writers to know and use the language with skill, but give an exemption to television journalists.

I, on the other hand, cringe when I hear the complete disregard for the English language that so many professional TV talkers now have.

I expect that soon we will begin to hear "me Tarzan, you Jane" with the increasing on-air usage of things like "Me and him did ..."

mrscoach · 11-04-2010, 07:45 PM

I corrected a girl at work orientation today because she said something about her soon-to-be 'brother-in-laws'. I said "Sorry, but there are more than one brother, but only one law that makes them kin to you, so it is brothers-in-law" I also apologized and told her I had been working in an English classroom and didn't want her to sound dumb.

I couldn't help myself, I had to correct her.

SneakySnake · 11-04-2010, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrscoach

I corrected a girl at work orientation today because she said something about her soon-to-be 'brother-in-laws'. I said "Sorry, but there are more than one brother, but only one law that makes them kin to you, so it is brothers-in-law" I also apologized and told her I had been working in an English classroom and didn't want her to sound dumb.

I couldn't help myself, I had to correct her.

This is how we learn. How lucky she had you to help and not some ignoramus who may have 'incorrected' her.

WT Sharpe · 11-04-2010, 10:55 PM

I welcome correction. Correct me once, and I'll sound ignorant once. Never correct me, and I'll sound ignorant a thousand times.

Bittybye · 11-06-2010, 07:35 AM

It really bothers me. I am in no way good at grammar myself so when I notice it, it stands to reason that an editor should find it. I am after all paying for the book, I want something that looks professional.

I was reading this book and the error was a clinical term for a person's, well bum.

The sentence was supposed to read 'He crossed his arms over his chest.' instead it came out something that is both gross and physically impossible.

11-04-2010, 12:49 AM	#289
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	All this talk on "home in on" vs. "hone in on" has made me *hone-y. Last edited by WT Sharpe; 11-04-2010 at 12:52 AM.*

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11-02-2010, 07:26 PM	#286
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	Grammar I am not as nit picky about as I am with. Spelling and punctuation is what drives me batty. As far as the "hone in on". Well, that doesn't really make sense. To hone is to make sharp. Yeah, I'm going to sharpen in on something. WTF. "Home in on" is to point or locate. Like, what homing pigeons do.

11-03-2010, 06:50 AM	#287
TGS Country Member Posts: 9,058 Karma: 7676767 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.	It is possible that both "home in" and "hone in" are metaphorical extensions of their original respective literal meanings. To home in is to become focused and approach ones target, possibly extended from the actions of animals that have a homing instinct. To hone is to remove excess material, to pare away such material so that the object becomes sharp and well-honed. By extension the use of "hone in" as distinct from "home in" seems to suggest a paring away of superfluous or irrelevant concerns so as to focus on what is more important or significant in some respect. It my be a newish development in language use, but that doesn't make it wrong - even if some people don't like it.

11-04-2010, 12:56 AM	#290
SneakySnake I'm watching you! Posts: 6,113 Karma: 22344652 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sunny Coast Qld, OZ Device: Sony PRS-900(unused lately) iPadAir2, want me Kindle Oasis	hone-y Maroney. Stick of macaroni? how about boney? Hey that's a bit foney! Show me the mone-y riding on a pone-y.

11-04-2010, 04:55 PM	#293
Joebill Fanatic Posts: 517 Karma: 459442 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Alpha Centauri's Library of Alexandria Device: Pandigital Novel	'The Hunger Games' line you quote sounds like a slang talk/verbiage of some sort. So I wouldn't expect proper grammer.

11-04-2010, 07:45 PM	#297
mrscoach Guru Posts: 767 Karma: 4837659 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Angelo Texas Device: Samsung Galaxy tab	I corrected a girl at work orientation today because she said something about her soon-to-be 'brother-in-laws'. I said "Sorry, but there are more than one brother, but only one law that makes them kin to you, so it is brothers-in-law" I also apologized and told her I had been working in an English classroom and didn't want her to sound dumb. I couldn't help myself, I had to correct her.

11-04-2010, 10:55 PM	#299
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	I welcome correction. Correct me once, and I'll sound ignorant once. Never correct me, and I'll sound ignorant a thousand times.

11-06-2010, 07:35 AM	#300
Bittybye Addict Posts: 262 Karma: 505124 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-T2	It really bothers me. I am in no way good at grammar myself so when I notice it, it stands to reason that an editor should find it. I am after all paying for the book, I want something that looks professional. I was reading this book and the error was a clinical term for a person's, well bum. The sentence was supposed to read 'He crossed his arms over his chest.' instead it came out something that is both gross and physically impossible.

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