This is how I feel about Awe vs Awww

Ex: SM post of adorable child or pet—Comments: “Awe!!”

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mostly in jest/ venting, but I actually find this thread quite helpful. I grew up in the rural south and got a crap education. I studied STEM at a public university and never had to take English at the college level. Even though I’ve thrived professionally and make very good money, my grammar and spelling remain below where I’d like to be. I rarely have imposter syndrome because I am very good at my job, but this is one area that gets me and still makes me feel insecure.

Be careful, as many of these "corrections" are incorrect.

Go get a dictionary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mostly in jest/ venting, but I actually find this thread quite helpful. I grew up in the rural south and got a crap education. I studied STEM at a public university and never had to take English at the college level. Even though I’ve thrived professionally and make very good money, my grammar and spelling remain below where I’d like to be. I rarely have imposter syndrome because I am very good at my job, but this is one area that gets me and still makes me feel insecure.

Even with a STEM education, you should have had a course on technical writing. Technical writing is less tolerant of the ambiguities we tolerate in regular communication.

That's not how it works. I have two undergrad degrees in Eng & Math and a grad degree in Eng, and have never had to take a technical writing course. I'm not the PP and have no problem with grammar and spelling (avid reader and multilingual, I think that helps), but it is not a requirement at most universities.

Should have had it, though, even if the university failed to provide a complete education.

Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous

https://www.dictionary.com/e/supposedly-vs-supposably

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
[b]Comprise does not need the "of."[/b]
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous[/quote]

I am going to expand on this. Big things are COMPOSED OF smaller things. Smaller things COMPRISE the bigger things.
EX: Pate, foie gras, and sweetbread comprise organ meat foods.
Organ meat foods are composed of things like pate, foie gras, and sweetbread.[/quote]

Living and learning! Thanks for this as I don’t think I have ever come across “comprise,” or if I did, I don’t remember it.[/quote]

PP is wrong, though. Look it up.

Anonymous wrote:Trouper vs. Trooper!

If you are complimenting someone on his tenacity, you may call this person a trouper, NOT a trooper!

I met a young child with the nickname Trooper because, Mom explained, that was the nickname given to him in PICU; “the nurses said he was a real trooper (sic).” Guess parents never thought to check the correct spelling.


Trouper originates from one who is part of a theatre troupe and thus realizes the show must always go on. Trooper originates from the designation given to soldiers and police officers, who are also no strangers to difficult conditions in the line of duty.

Troupe and troop are from the same root (French vs English versions). They diverged on theatre vs military, but converged on the personality characteristics common to both.

TLDR: don't be pointlessly pedantic. Pedantry is good for getting tricky things right. It also works for convincing the world you are a jerk, but that's not good for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous

I am going to expand on this. Big things are COMPOSED OF smaller things. Smaller things COMPRISE the bigger things.
EX: Pate, foie gras, and sweetbread comprise organ meat foods.
Organ meat foods are composed of things like pate, foie gras, and sweetbread.

Wrong![b]

"Comprise" means "consist of; be made up of", or "embrace" (in a metaphorically sense).

Also that's a weird use of "composed of", because organ meats is a category, not something made of parts.

You are composed of organ meats.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Home in on something not hone in on.

Rein someone/thing in, not reign in.

These two I’m not quite sure👆

The. Second one is correct. The first is not.

In different contexts, one is correct and the other is not.

https://prowritingaid.com/home-in-vs-home-in

It seems like “hone in” is only acceptable because it’s been misused frequently for so long. If you’re honing a skill, why wouldn’t you just say that? I like the suggestion to use “zero in on” to avoid the home vs hone confusion entirely.

Trouper vs. Trooper!

If you are complimenting someone on his tenacity, you may call this person a trouper, NOT a trooper!

I met a young child with the nickname Trooper because, Mom explained, that was the nickname given to him in PICU; “the nurses said he was a real trooper (sic).” Guess parents never thought to check the correct spelling.


Trouper originates from one who is part of a theatre troupe and thus realizes the show must always go on. Trooper originates from the designation given to soldiers and police officers, who are also no strangers to difficult conditions in the line of duty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous

I am going to expand on this. Big things are COMPOSED OF smaller things. Smaller things COMPRISE the bigger things.
EX: Pate, foie gras, and sweetbread comprise organ meat foods.
Organ meat foods are composed of things like pate, foie gras, and sweetbread.

Living and learning! Thanks for this as I don’t think I have ever come across “comprise,” or if I did, I don’t remember it.