Sunday, June 10, 2018

Dangly Bits – A Walk Down Memory Lane & Major Pet Peeve

The best traits passed on to me from my dear departed mother revolve around the arts. She read to me as a child, procured my library card at the earliest age allowed, and encouraged my overall creativity. My father bequeathed me her (sadly) unused sketch book and box of pastels purchased in the early nineties.

Mom also shared my persnickety approach to language. We often discussed linguistic pet peeves, debating if we missed our calling by not getting into teaching English literature. Odd as it may sound, I don’t think either of us had the patience to work with children every day.

Today, one of my biggest annoyances with the media is dangling participles, hence the goofy title opening. While I’ve noted an increase in that as the Internet increases civilian participation (by the way, I support free speech for all even if it is poorly expressed), most talented writers I know make the mistake now and then. Some are dear friends, too, not that I would call them out on it.

I’m concerned that editing seems to have fallen by the wayside. The lame (main) stream media perpetrates this crime on a regular basis. The writing quality on a favorite television show, “Mysteries at the Museum”, caused me to pause the video stream yesterday to jot something down.

Check this out: “Founded in 1791, visitors to the Albany Institute of History and Art…”

Really? Current visitors are as aged as this oldest among United States museums? Perhaps it’s time I take a trip to Albany.

Any idea why we call it a pet peeve?

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23 comments:

  1. Pets are dear to our hearts. Favorite peeve? Most obsessed upon peeve? Most blood pressure raising peeve? Peeve that creates an instant physical and/or emotional reaction?

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    1. You read my mind, dear. ~hugs~ I may have to look up the origin of this saying. Many times, they have very different origins than modern folks suspect. Be well!

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  2. I try not to listen to the media. They aren't reporting news anymore, just whatever agenda they are trying to put out there. This is not a recent thing either. It's been going on for years. I know this is off your topic, but every now and then I have to get on my soapbox.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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    1. No worries, my dear. My mind went on the same tangent, but I feared taking the blog post there would make it too rambling. Heh... Take care!

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    2. How do you stay informed? Just curious, as I've heard others say the same about the "news" not reporting "news" just an "agenda." I read online news from a variety of sources, and even read the ones on both ends of the "right" and "left" to see if they report anything different. Usually not, just the comments change.

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    3. Good for you on trying to keep up. I've left an answer on your blog, my dear.

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  3. Most of what I read on the major news sites seem to be well written for the most part, though I've seen some very bad writing on other so called news sites. My biggest pet peeves are the common ones: their, there, they're, you and I vs you and me, and of course using words incorrectly because you think they mean something else. But they don't. I didn't major in English either (history) but I should've!

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    1. I know what you mean. Like its versus it's. Annoying. Be well!

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  4. HAHA....I worked for years in the printing industry and I spent many times helping out with proof reading and yet I am the worst one about reading over what I write. Esp...in a text from my phone. Big fingers, letters next other letters that should NOT be side by side. I have made some really big mistakes! I just laugh about it! If you have not figured out, I can be flighty, off in the ozone layer somewhere, in my own world....haha get it. I don't always pay attention! Thanks on the comment about the stick frame! I think it turned out well. Keep in mind, I make a lot of this just cause I think it is cute, normally I give them away. Check out fb and see what I did to the washer and drier today! BORED ARTIST...

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    1. Oh, boy! I look forward to seeing what you've done. Take care, my dear.

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    2. haha....bored artist creating.....Amber (daughter) says I have too much time on my hands!

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  5. My pet peeve is misused, misplaced, and unused, apostrophes. I've been known to email large corporations to inform them their signs are wrong!
    I think they're "pet" peeves because we like them so much! We play too much attention to them, and fuss over them.

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    1. That is so true about apostrophes. And that's an excellent summation on the term. Well thought out, my dear.

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    2. Well, I made a typo! I meant "We pay to much attention," not "play!" It's easy to make errors...

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    3. So true! I caught this but found a dangling participle during my very own story rewrite yesterday. ~shakes head~ Be well!

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  6. Yeah, I'm guilty of this. The professor in my college level writing class caught quite a few of those. Alas, the lessons didn't stick as well as they could have. It's the next thing I need to work on.

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    1. Interesting! I figured you would be really good considering you are both a substitute teach and a writer. But we can't all be good at everything, and you have many tremendous attributes. ~nods~ Be well!

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  7. It sounds like you had a wonderful mother. I agree about editing, I find errors in newspapers and books all the time.

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    1. Thanks! I did. ~grin~ Isn't finding errors frustrating? SO always complained about a favorite radio host having a terrible website for errors. Ugh. Be well!

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  8. Yes, sounds like a wonderful time. I also hate finding errors.

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  9. Darla~ on your comment on the blog, no I did not forget to post a pic of The Bright Place, I just wanted to leave you with the image in your head of what sort of place would be a photographers dream. I will blog more on that tomorrow.. When you see the pics, you will understand.

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    1. Oh, that's brilliant. Thank you. That post will be a treat, for sure. And I'll be envious, I've no doubt. ~grin~ Hope you are well today!

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