Friday Funnies: I Could Care Less

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

"I literally could care less."

While I have loved XKCD for years, and I knew that this was a comic that I had to post here, I'm a little on the fence about Munroe's message in this particular instance. Perhaps not quite as much as Michael LeSauvage from Geek Dad, but I think along similar lines. What do you think about correcting other people's language?

Comments

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

I could care less...

...by not even bothering to comment. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[susan5124.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on how well you know the person you are correcting. I would never correct a stranger, but my family and friends know I am the quintessential grammar police and accept it and are even amused by it at times. If I do correct someone, it's usually in a joking way and never in front of a lot other people. My best friend graduated valedictorian of her school and can use proper english if she needs to, but in everyday life her english is truly awful. She tends to just roll her eyes if I correct her. However, I did manage to cure her of saying "irregardless", which is truly a pet peeve of mine. Just because irregardless is more accepted now, since so many people say it that way, doesn't mean we shouldn't say regardless, which has always been correct. lol

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

I often see people quoting the descriptivist line that it doesn't matter if people get it wrong because language is evolving. I really like that Munroe very explicitly states here that the best language is the clearest, most easily understood language—communication is what language is for. And also that grammar nerds who are only scolds to be know-it-alls are jerks. :-)

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

I would never correct a stranger and only people I know in certain circumstances or unless they know they've made a mistake and can't quite grab at the correction they're looking for.

However, that doesn't mean to say I don't rant and rail at the loss of our language as a means of communication, in a world where more and more is written and not said, I feel it's even more important to get things right. I so wish for the time when authors looked for correction, wanted to know where things were wrong and why their written words weren't making sense, took pride in getting things right rather than 'hits' and 'squees'. Mostly because by being exposed to good writing is the best teacher, that's how you absorb a language and it's grammar without really knowing you're learning. I fear for youngsters today, in their own solitary head space, proud they only read in their own fandoms, some reading the most appalling written language and praising it, where tropes and misuse of words run rife, the oddest words are common and never corrected, once they step out of that comfort zone they might find their lack of communication skills severely restricts their future.

I know - grumpy old woman here - fanfic should be fun - etc. However, I feel communication is a skill that should be honed at all levels and whenever possible, words evolved for a purpose far beyond the smiley face emoticon.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

No, XKCD got this one right.

Look, I read six different languages. I have more literary knowledge than most people on the planet.

You know what linguists know? Correcting people doesn't correct their language. That's not how language acquisition works. There is a difference between a language exercise on paper and a conversation between friends. The difference does not reside in levels of knowledge.

The difference resides in STATUS. Social status.

When you says, 'Actually, couldn't care less means--' you're taking on the higher status role. Taking. Literally.

What began as a discussion, a flow, a conversation, becomes a stratified equation. Teacher and student.

It's the teacher who's decided it's a teachable moment, not the student.

Where have I primarily seen this played out? Oh, you know, about a million times between someone lower class and someone upper. Someone with a Northern accent and usage versus a Southern accent and usage. Someone with upperclass suburbs versus inner city.

Correcting like this is a social status move that reiterates the traditional social structure, and it will come across as such.

If someone has 'poor language skills', they know it. Believe me, they do.

If a person with poor language skills wishes to be corrected, they will tell you. Then, and only then, is it acceptable to offer correction. It is not uncommon for ESL students to make such requests, for example. But most of the time, people don't say, "Please, for the love of all that's holy, I really desperately want to know if I misuse an adjective!" So, you know, take it as read that they don't especially want pedantic pearls of wisdom about their adjective usage.