Food Terms We Loathe/Misuse

[babyluck]

How about the lack of proper punctuation? When referring to words such as "palate" or "palette" they should be quoted.  Another pet peeve: "1990s" shortened to "90's" rather than "'90s".  Yes, my wife has a master's degree in English and has beaten me into grammatical submission.  Help me, please, help me....

I thought so too until I read this (scroll down to section 23)--now you know something she doesn't! Personally, I omit the apostrophe unless it is necessary to prevent confusion, as in ccs vs. cc's.

There is one very good reason to be careful about spelling in particular--if I misspell the name of a restaurant or ingredient, the post won't show up when someone later searches the archive (unless they misspell it the same way). Aside from that, there is no real reason to be overly formal or to go back and edit an inconsequential typo or grammar mistake. Unless you are like me and have a reputation to uphold, that is.

I think the evolution of netspeak is a natural phenomenon and find some of it useful/charming and some of it incredibly irritating. But I could say the same for the people I meet! I am usually too uptight to use netspeak or omit punctuation/capitalization, but I don't hold it against other people. It's a good use of the medium--form follows function.

1 SP3cuL@T3 +h4T SoME 0f +HE RE$1S+4Nc3 +o N3w pH0rm5 of L4n9U@9E, E5PecI4lLy h@Ck3R5PeAk, M4y bE 4 G3N3R4tI0N4L Th1nG. gIv3 U$ @ Br3AK--we'v3 b33N OVERl04dED W1+H T3cHnOLo9y 4Nd M3D1A 51Nce 81RTh, @nD 0uR Br@1n5 4Re 4 l1T+lE 5Pl1n+ered.

[fresco]

For what it's worth, the quality of writing on eGullet--and I do include spelling, grammar, punctuation, diction and usage--is higher than on any other site I've seen. Some of the content is ok too.

[tommy]

I thought so too until I read this (scroll down to section 23)--now you know something she doesn't!

i didn't even want to bring this one up.

one of the problems with people knowing all of the "rules" is that they rarely know all of the rules, and even if they do, they might not know the exceptions, which come in the form of accepted usage, as in this case.

[beans]

. . . so people will think i'm stupid.

It's working.

eeeexcellent.

I'm hearing this in very, umm, relishing/exaggerated "Newman" voice (weird description but I think you'll get it) from Seinfeld.

[Fresser]

Add to that the innumerable posts and e-mails I receive daily with no capitalization. When I asked someone why they don't capitalize appropriately, I was hit with the reply "it's too much work to hit the shift key." I had to lay down with a cold cloth over my eyes after that response.

People who write this way graduated from the e e cummings School of Punctuation.

[Bux]

I could go on ad nauseam, just throwing up

My pet peeve is seeing words quoted taken out of context.

[hjshorter]

I will not say anything to people who use pseudo baby talk in an effort to regain their lost cuteness, but, note the following:

ellipsis, plural ellipses (e lip seez)

ellipse, plural ellipses (e lip sez)

Ellipsis: ...

Ellipse:

So sorry, I must have been thinking of the large green space in front of the White House.

[cakewench]

Yes, growing up in DC, I learned 'ellipse', as well as the fact that it is District of Columbia, NOT Colombia.

That's one of my personal favorite mistakes, btw, especially when made by people who live here.

Also, I am reading tommy's 'eeexcellent' in a Mr. Burns' voice. Visualize tenting fingers. eexcellent

[Bux]

How about the lack of proper punctuation? When referring to words such as "palate" or "palette" they should be quoted.  Another pet peeve: "1990s" shortened to "90's" rather than "'90s".  Yes, my wife has a master's degree in English and has beaten me into grammatical submission.  Help me, please, help me....

I thought so too until I read this (scroll down to section 23)--now you know something she doesn't! Personally, I omit the apostrophe unless it is necessary to prevent confusion, as in ccs vs. cc's.

There is one very good reason to be careful about spelling in particular--if I misspell the name of a restaurant or ingredient, the post won't show up when someone later searches the archive (unless they misspell it the same way). Aside from that, there is no real reason to be overly formal or to go back and edit an inconsequential typo or grammar mistake. Unless you are like me and have a reputation to uphold, that is.

I think the evolution of netspeak is a natural phenomenon and find some of it useful/charming and some of it incredibly irritating. But I could say the same for the people I meet! I am usually too uptight to use netspeak or omit punctuation/capitalization, but I don't hold it against other people. It's a good use of the medium--form follows function.

For the most part I couldn't agree more. This line from the site to which you refer is absolutely to the point.

Mainly your goal is to be as clear as possible and avoid confusion.

I'm a great proponent of language as a living thing that's constantly evolving. I'm also a great fan of using language for communication. Spelling is neither key not absolutely critical, but I believe it facilitates communication.

I certainly had no expectation I'd see the reaction I've seen in this thread where a member threatens to quit if someone decides the word "sammiches" can't be used. I certainly didn't suggest enforcement of correct spelling and the number of users who raised objections to other things were not calling for anything but respect and mutual understanding. We should certainly be able to listen to others and endeavor to communicate our thoughts without feeling threatened or threatening others.

I've learned a lot on eGullet and if I don't let others correct me when I'm wrong, I'm going to stop learning here. One of the things I've learned is that some people just want to patted on the back and told they're correct. It ain't gonna happen, but each of us is free to post as he, or she, wants. I've only offered the opportunity for those who came to a site where "palate" is misspelled more often than it is spelled correctly, to learn the correct spelling if they cared to do so. Members are always free to communicate or choose not to communicate as they wish in posts. There's nothing inherently threatening in seeing the correct spelling posted.

[Bux]

I think of you people as friends I'm conversing with, and I would no more correct your grammar here than I would if I were I were speaking to you!

I do think Bux is bringing up some issues in a totally neutral way. I think of the issue as yet another chance to learn.

Rather than respond to the incorrect spelling of "palate" in the thread in which it appeared, I though I would start a new thread. It seemed pretty neutral at the time. It's hard to control the direction of a thread and although I agree with many of the other sentiments expressed, they are not necessarily germane to my point. By the way, I'm a terrible speller and sometimes forget to use a spellchecker when I post, but in the case of homonyms, a spell checker is worthless.

If "palate" is so often misspelled, it means that few of us know how to spell it. Thus many are likely to come to the site not knowing the correct spelling and learn the wrong thing here. I don't like to see eGullet setting an incorrect example.

I have not been critical of those who use cute language. Whether or not those who spell "palate" incorrectly care about learning the correct spelling, those who do not know how to spell it are owed a correct example. That was my purpose in starting this thread.

[Mayhaw Man]

. . . so people will think i'm stupid.

It's working.

eeeexcellent.

I'm hearing this in very, umm, relishing/exaggerated "Newman" voice (weird description but I think you'll get it) from Seinfeld.

That's funny. I heard it as Homer's boss, Mr Burns.

As in:

" Ahh, the hounds seemed to have chased off the rabble nicely! Eexcellent!

Edited November 15, 2003 by Mayhaw Man (log)

[elyse]

Yes, growing up in DC, I learned 'ellipse', as well as the fact that it is District of Columbia, NOT Colombia.

That's one of my personal favorite mistakes, btw, especially when made by people who live here.

Also, I am reading tommy's 'eeexcellent' in a Mr. Burns' voice. Visualize tenting fingers. eexcellent

Me too.

Mayhaw Man, me too too.

[Mayhaw Man]

Ugghh, sorry, I scrolled down after I typed. My bad on the repeat.

[tommy]

Also, I am reading tommy's 'eeexcellent' in a Mr. Burns' voice. Visualize tenting fingers. eexcellent

bingo. with a bit of jon stewart (doing burns) and newman thrown in. i'm amazed anyone picked up on that. that italicks is a good thing.

[elyse]

Mayhaw Man, I just have to be a smarty pants.

[beans]

I didn't even think of Mr. Burns, but wow! Spot on! Guess, I've been seeing too much Seinfeld lately....

[pjs]

The palette

of my palate,

is wooden,

like a pallet.

Sorry.

PJ

[babyluck]

Whether or not those who spell "palate" incorrectly care about learning the correct spelling, those who do not know how to spell it are owed a correct example. That was my purpose in starting this thread.

I feel the same. The comment from fresco about the quality of discourse on this site is well taken, too. Clearly, that is why we feel it is possible to discuss fine points like this one, and why we feel a responsibility to make it even better. It's worth it.

[Peter B Wolf]

I very often end my posts with "I stand corrected".

This does include my grammar (remember I am a Krauthead)

But nobody 'aks' me.

[elyse]

On Sandwiches That You Will Like, one guy said he dips the sandwiches in the au jus. Am I crazy?

[fresco]

He does get his meaning across. That's something.

[tommy]

He does get his meaning across. That's something.

that's, actually, everything.

it's very unfortunate, i know, that not every american knows french. this, of course, is something to laugh at, as it's hiliarious (helarious?). much more funny than, say, a coen brothers movie or a night at a comedy club with friends. but like it or not, "au jus" is somewhat of a noun in "american", and i don't look twice when someone says "the au jus" in a casual situation. i also say it myself occasionally, depending on my audience.

Edited November 17, 2003 by tommy (log)

[fresco]

That "au jus" has come to be used as a noun is one of the delights, not the annoyances, of the American language. For me, anyway.

[tryska]

1 SP3cuL@T3 +h4T SoME 0f +HE RE$1S+4Nc3 +o N3w pH0rm5 of L4n9U@9E, E5PecI4lLy h@Ck3R5PeAk, M4y bE 4 G3N3R4tI0N4L Th1nG. gIv3 U$ @ Br3AK--we'v3 b33N OVERl04dED W1+H T3cHnOLo9y 4Nd M3D1A 51Nce 81RTh, @nD 0uR Br@1n5 4Re 4 l1T+lE 5Pl1n+ered.

+|-|3y \/\/177 |3 4551/\/\174+3d.

[cdh]

I am much more comfortable with the 1337 H4X0r 5p33|< than I am with people who post here with all the instant messaging shortcuts. The phrase "Can u recommend a good wine 4w/ my burger ..." bugs me much more.

The 'leet haxors are using geeky code speak in a geekily ironic sort of way... whereas "2 b w/ u 4ever" seems like lazy shorthand applied to an earnest thought... perfectly intelligible shorthand, but the connotations of expressing that thought in such a half-assed manner is jarring... similarly conversations here seem generally earnest and use of shorthand seems is similarly jarring...