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buzzycrumbhunger

(1,489 posts)

10. I'm a BIG reader

Wed Oct 8, 2025, 08:41 PM

Oct 8

… and I’m sad to say that this ignorance even includes “writers”—though I think it’s a stretch to call everyone with a book that. Self-pub has really decimated the book world because ANYone can publish a book, and many people think they can have ignorant family and friends read their “masterpiece,” declare it a wonder, and off they go to Amazon to have it foisted off on an unsuspecting public without paying a proper editor to proofread and make corrections, full of wrong homonyms (“but spellcheck says it’s spelled right!”), tenses that jump from past to present in the same sentence, ditto genders, characters, names, places, and OMFG, the punctuation drives me up the wall! It’s depressing.

The most common mistake I can’t believe I have to keep bitching about is that no one seems to grasp that you “wrack” your brain. They’re all putting them on shelves, apparently. Virtually everything that would have made my fifth-grade English teacher pull his hair out is happening out there. Seriously, being able to bypass a publishing house has done readers no favours.

Sadly, I read so much and can’t afford to be picky, so I subscribe to a couple book lists every day and take my chances on freebies. The biggest thing it’s taught me is that I’m not obligated to finish every book I start if ignorance is out of control. Once, I would have been uncomfortable bailing on something I’d started but I no longer feel obliged to finish a book that has me making notes (I use Goodreads) to bitch about something every other page. *sigh*

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Oeditpus Rex

67 replies

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Highlight:

Any thoughts on why so many people misuse apostrophes? [View all] Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 OP

Its a mystery to me. n/t CincyDem Oct 8 #1

I see what you did there markodochartaigh Oct 11 #56

I have to admit i'ts pretty infuriating. unblock Oct 8 #2

I see IT'S used incorrectly here a lot (when it should be ITS) Skittles Oct 11 #51

Not even then unblock Oct 11 #55

ooh I didn't know that Skittles Oct 11 #59

😳 Rebl2 Oct 12 #63

Ignorance posing as correctness The Blue Flower Oct 8 #3

. yellow dahlia Oct 8 #5

One of my pet peeves. yellow dahlia Oct 8 #4

I'm an AP Stylebook guy Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #18

I'll check them out. Thanks! yellow dahlia Oct 8 #21

I've rid my writing of a few Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #22

I am a fan of the Oxford comma. yellow dahlia Oct 8 #24

As am I Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #25

Same here! bif Oct 12 #65

Ooohh, those sound like fun. I'll look for them. 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #26

I've owned a copy of it for over 30 years LogDog75 Oct 8 #33

Many times it's auto complete and they just leave it Blues Heron Oct 8 #6

That's the crux of the biscuit! JoseBalow Oct 8 #7

Maybe Nanook could rub 'em out (n.t.) Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #19

There is a pediatric dental practice in a business complex near our neighborhood named... 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #8

Yeah, that's my gut reaction Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #28

Another jaw clencher for me is "your guyses" for the plural possessive. 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #29

I'd imagine Rachel does that Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #41

I hope you're right, but I've heard her say it many times without... 3catwoman3 Oct 9 #44

illiterate people see an apostrophe in an abbreviation or the singular possessive DBoon Oct 8 #9

No, thank's Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #32

I'm a BIG reader buzzycrumbhunger Oct 8 #10

And you toe the line, not tow the line. 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #27

This is something I dislike heartily. biophile Oct 11 #54

My eyes don't like it either! 3catwoman3 Oct 11 #58

Hell, you don't even need a vanity press Oeditpus Rex Oct 8 #35

MAGAs tend to be as sloppy with their grammar as their facts. Doodley Oct 8 #11

And speaking of inappropriate apostrophes, this grammatic atrocity makes me grit my teeth... 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #12

I'se The B'y fargone Oct 8 #17

I think people write sloppier on their phones womanofthehills Oct 8 #13

Yeah, phones are a big part of it Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #37

My elementary school level stuck for me. Apparently the MAGAts didn't care, didn't "get" it. UTUSN Oct 8 #14

'70s for a time period Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #38

Some of it anyway, is that people don't read much anymore. CrispyQ Oct 8 #15

a combination of those that do not know - and those that do not CARE stopdiggin Oct 8 #16

Refuse, found in waterfront bars JoseBalow Oct 8 #23

And 'Meh, you know what I meant' Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #39

I suppose everyone should proof carefully before submitting, but I'm cool as long as point is worthwhile. Silent Type Oct 8 #20

And understandable? (n.t.) Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #40

This post on FaceBook has me howling with laughter. 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #30

As a violist (musician who plays the viola) I find the sub of "viola!) for "voila'" to be pretty funny. fierywoman Oct 8 #31

Seems like I've seen that a couple of times, too Oeditpus Rex Oct 9 #43

It's vs Its LogDog75 Oct 8 #34

I read further into the list of pet peeves from the link I posted in my reply #30... 3catwoman3 Oct 8 #36

That's f'n funny. nt Prairie_Seagull Oct 9 #45

Drives me nut's. Chipper Chat Oct 9 #42

"It should be easy to see WestMichRad Oct 9 #46

This message was self-deleted by its author Intractable Oct 10 #47

Because they are tiny and easily misplaced. Intractable Oct 10 #48

One of my favorite cartoons. area51 Oct 11 #49

I've seen this one before... 3catwoman3 Oct 11 #50

No, it isn't Raven123 Oct 11 #52

They no teacha grammar no more. bucolic_frolic Oct 11 #53

One especially annoying misuse markodochartaigh Oct 11 #57

I've seen that many times Oeditpus Rex Oct 11 #61

Sometimes I get lazy and dont use them Figarosmom Oct 11 #60

Well, a sizable number of people learned how to spell by using apps. OldBaldy1701E Oct 12 #62

While there's certainly much in what you say Oeditpus Rex Oct 12 #66

Yes, that is my point. OldBaldy1701E Oct 13 #67

They were Rebl2 Oct 12 #64