Sometimes I have to repeat stuff. Nobody listens to me (cep you guys).
I wish I could remember what I was reading yesterday morning. It was an interview with a military officer or university official or something…blah, I can’t recall. Anyway, I was reading through his comments, and stopped dead when I read, “And all the sudden…”
After that, I lost interest. Does that make me a bad person? I honestly don’t think I suffer from elitism here. I just mourn the death of our national grammatical conscience is all. Doesn’t anyone care anymore? Does no one care that horrible grammar makes one sound stupid? *sNiFfLE*
Then I had a thought (sometimes I do that). There are movements and causes everywhere. We are a nation of causes. Save the Whales. Save the Donkeys. Save the Butterflies. Save Route 66 (yay!). Save the Old Jail downtown. Save the Outer Mongolian Tree Spider. TWITTER, fuh cripesake (aka Save the Random, Inconsequential Thoughts).
Well then, how about:
I mean, really. What defines a nation *first*? Its language; its primary form of communication. I know of no other language that is so routinely and indiscriminately mangled. Yes, yes, we’re a melting pot — a tossed salad — e pluribus unum, blah, blah. No excuse, sorry. Especially for native speakers. And I’m not talking about slang, or accents and regional idiosyncrasies (for instance, in Milwaukee, where I went to elementary and middle school, a water fountain was called a “bubbler”). Those are fine, and in many cases, interesting and fun.
RtB fiends know what I mean. I won’t go into it at 5:58 a.m. But listen. If we’re going to champion this cause (notice I’ve dragged you all into this), we need a way better slogan. I love the “Bad Grammar Destroys Nations” thing — but I can’t steal someone else’s gray matter.
So come on. What can fit on the front of a t-shirt? Certainly not the above logo, which I slapped together in 45 seconds. I promise to come up with something better. I’m willing to throw money at this, swear.
Sixth grade choir had better be fabulous first thing this morning…
Fink, in a mood
Mavis
/ 23 September, 2009How’s this for a T-shirt slogan:
If You Have No Grammatical Conscience – SHUTUP!!!!!! :0)
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PKPudlin
/ 23 September, 2009Are you saying we speak ‘Manglish’?
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Mathew
/ 23 September, 2009(cep you guys). . TWITTER, fuh cripesake (aka Save the Random, Inconsequential Thoughts).
After that I lost interest.
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 8:56 am
September 23rd, 2009
Kids…such a short attention span.
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Mathew Reply:
at 9:08 am
September 23rd, 2009
Hey now, I resent that. Just because we have to be overcafinated in order to get through morning classes doesn’t mean tha— OHMYGOSHLOOKIT’SASQUIRREL.
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Ross
/ 23 September, 2009One of Texas Monthly’s better features is called “The Horse’s Mouth” where they interview people in various fields. In the current issue, the title is “Being a Grammarian” and it focuses on Bryan Garner, well-published writer on topics of grammar. His best line:
“Proper grammar will always be important to those who care to have credibility with others.”
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 9:08 am
September 23rd, 2009
Precisely! Barring conversational slang where it’s acceptable (like in an informal, personal weblog, MATHEW
), I think it’s totally a credibility issue.
I mean, look at what the whole “potato/potatoe” thing did to Dan Quayle. For good or ill, he was never allowed to live it down (Didn’t he say he was just reading a cue card? But still…). He probably gets ridiculed for it to this day. George Bush and his “nukular” gaffe continues to be a source of cringe comedy. Both instances eroded their credibility (as if they needed any help as politicians), AFAIC.
All right, back to work. Have a great day, Ross.
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Lars
/ 23 September, 2009How about “The Grammar Hammer”?
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 11:53 am
September 23rd, 2009
HAA AWESOME
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BoomR
/ 23 September, 2009“Grammer Got Run Over By A Reindeer”
Oh, wait… what were we talking about? OHMYGOSHLOOKIT’S**ANOTHER**SQUIRREL
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Mathew Reply:
at 10:45 am
September 23rd, 2009
AAAHHHHHHH *runs after squirrel*
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 11:56 am
September 23rd, 2009
LOL
Ya ding-dongs
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Artilius Merchclod
/ 23 September, 2009A nation is defined by its language? Sounds boring.
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 11:54 am
September 23rd, 2009
And yet…it’s true. Would you rather it be defined by Pixie Stix? Why yes, I think you would.
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Artilius Merchclod Reply:
at 2:14 pm
September 23rd, 2009
Ha! Pixie Stix isn’t bad. If I had to choose I would probably go with Fun Dip!
http://thedomesticdiva.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/fundip.jpg
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 6:57 am
September 24th, 2009
I adore the FunDip!
Suzanne
/ 23 September, 2009Confound it I had an articulate and compendious reply but I lost it. Was laughing at some of the silly responses.
Dutch is also mangled but I think there’s a good reason. With words like chocoladapasta and verblijfsvergunning (and those are short words) people don’t really care. Also, people are upset that so much English is coming into the language. I don’t mind that, you see.
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Old-man-bones
/ 23 September, 2009I mean, really. What defines a nation *first*? Its language; its primary form of communication.
Something which is primary shouldn’t be policed as though it has concrete rules… No, it doesn’t. Concrete rules are grounded in ontology. Grammar is not grounded in ontology. Its beauty is in its fluidity. In three years ‘all the sudden’ might be ‘correct’, and people will be blogging about you.
I don’t want to do it all over again, so:
http://fakepalindrome.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/grammur-lessin/#comments
You’re entitled to your opinions about grammar but PLEASE don’t assume we’ve ALL got our undies on too tight.
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 2:16 pm
September 23rd, 2009
Respectfully, OMB…”Something which is primary shouldn’t be policed as though it has concrete rules”???? WTH???
Grammar is, in fact, not grounded in ontology. It’s grounded in etymology. No one is saying you can’t have your opinions. You’re just as entitled to be wrong as anyone else.
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Old-man-bones Reply:
at 2:39 pm
September 23rd, 2009
Can you police language?? Good luck with that. My beef isn’t with language, it’s with grammar, which I believe is ever changing and serves as a general structure, in order to help people convey their thoughts within a particular language. Within that, though, is the right of each person to ignore certain rules, in the interest of ‘correct expression’. We should be slaves to expressing ourselves properly, maybe, and not slaves to practically arbitrary rules which are as fleeting as what’s happening on TMZ.
As I said before, this pet peeve of yours with grammar is just fine by me, but it doesn’t go beyond that in scope.
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 3:21 pm
September 23rd, 2009
We will agree to disagree, then. Interesting points you make.
Stein
/ 24 September, 2009The Grammar Slammer?
If y’ain’t gone speak none good a’talkin’, don’t be opnin’ dat mouf!
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Rat Fink Reply:
at 3:30 pm
September 24th, 2009
Sentence Gaol!
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