Bad Grammar

More on what you do with a degree in Literature. You make fun of the stupid things that other people say.

Today's pick is:

I honestly believe... Is it possible to dishonestly believe? The last time I saw a person who was calling himself a liar was on a street in downtown San Francisco. As I remember, it was a quite animated conversation. Ah, the days before cell phones, when you could truly tell if someone were nuts, as opposed to just being rude.

Old Stuff:

Can I be Honest with you... Is there a choice? I mean, why start now?

I was thinking... Did you stop?

Not un.... As in, not uncommon, not unlikely, not unnecessary, or in this case, totally unnecessary. Grammarians have a fit over double negatives, such as "dont' want no..." but they let "not un" slide right on by. How is "not uncommon" different than "common"? It's ungood. Don't use it.

Extraordinay. It's a word we use every day without thinking about it in the least. It's a compound word, no matter how you may pronounce it, made up of the two words "extra" and "ordinary." How can anything be "extra-ordinary"? Why would anyone want to be "extra-ordinary"?