Word Snob

11111

I am a word snob.  I like words to be used properly and I like them to be spelt correctly.

Tragically, I usually write words out in full when texting.

I don't like it when people make nouns into verbs, such as turning 'impact' into 'impacted on', rather than 'the impact on'.

I don't like the (newish) verb 'to diarise'.  It sounds too much like diarrhoea.

It's 'one fell swoop' not 'one foul sweep' (from Macbeth).

I prefer English/Australian spelling to American, although I accept that 'programme' has become 'program'.

I am amused every time I read of someone 'pouring' over a book instead of the correct 'poring'.

And why do people write 'past-time' instead of 'pastime', a hobby?

At school I learnt that sentences should not begin with 'and' or 'but'.

And I do that all the time.

But I shouldn't.

Do you have pet hates when it comes to grammar and spelling?  What are they?

Postscript: A reader reminded me of one of my biggest pet hates, the misuse of apostrophe's. (Yes, that error was intentional!)


Just for the record, simple plurals NEVER require an apostrophe.  Thus it's ponies not pony's and 1990s not 1990's (we would write nineties not ninety's).

Just had to get that off my chest.