The English Major in me can't TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!
I admit sometimes I fail to use the proper form of your (/you're) or their (/they're/there). I mean, there are multiple spellings and meanings and they all sound the same. But one misuse that I see everywhere - and I mean everywhere - is of lose and loose.
Aargh!! It drives me crazy! They don't even mean close to the same thing. They're not even pronounced the same way! And yet SO many people use them incorrectly.
Ok, so my friend used the wrong word in an email to me. No big deal. Alright, so one of the people I blog-stalk doesn't seem to know the difference either. Fine. How embarrassing, my classmate used the wrong version in a note the teacher posted to the whole class. Bummer. But when I'm reading lecture notes by my college professor and I see, "Have an emergency savings account in case you loose your job or have unexpected expenses."... I. Have. HAD IT!!
Let's go over this:
From good ol' Merriam Webster himself -
LOSE: (verb) to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place; to part with especially in an unforeseen or accidental manner; to fail to keep in sight or in mind; to fail to use, win, gain, or obtain
LOOSE: (adjective not rigidly fastened or securely attached; not tight-fitting; free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation; being flexible or relaxed
The first one is a verb. Lose, lost, losing. As in, "I need to lose weight." Not loose. I doubt one's excess weight is any more attractive when it's free to move about.
The second is an adjective. Loose, looser, loosest. As in, "I can't wait to be thinner, so all my clothes will be loose." Funnily enough, no one ever uses this word for what it is. It takes twice as many 'o's to type and yet everyone prefers it to the word they're all looking for - which is lose.
I just had an epiphany. Maybe people don't use it because they've loosed it. I mean, lost it. ;)
*Disclaimer: I have most likely offended the two people who actually read this blog, and I’m sorry. It was nice having you here. But really – people need to know. And if you happen to be one who has made this mistake, “Go thy way, and sin no more”!*
2 comments:
I sure hope it wasn't me that made that mistake. I can't stand poor use of the English language. Please tell me if I messed up and I will fix it immediately!
Ha! I mix those two up consistently. Like when I returned a dvd box set one of the discs had come loose I had to print out a form for Amazon.com. I printed lose. Hee, hee. I corrected my mistake on the hard copy and mailed it in anyhow.
Also on my list of shame: past and passed. I'll rephrase sentences to avoid the possible error.
On my list of peeves: further and farther. If someone or something is distanced in space it's farther. Saying further doesn't make you sound more distinguished just lame. /end rant.
For the record, I'm betting 99.6% of people misuse capital and capitol given the opportunity.
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