Gay doesn't bother me, but it annoys me when someone uses the word queer to describe a homosexual because I like the word queer and quite a few people think I mean someone is a homosexual when I just mean they are weird.

 

Rofl, no. You were completely clear, he's apparently just wit retarded.

The worst one of them all: Hary.

 

So... it annoys you when the rest of the world doesn't conform to your personal lexicon?

 

No, I got that it could be sarcasm, but when there's a new-ish member posting like that, I just couldn't take that chance.

 

Sure, the word "decimate" comes from the Latin word which describes killing every tenth man, but frankly you're not looking at the context.

The word used today is synonymous with destroying or annihilating an enemy, which in fact was the original spirit of decimation. The Romans killed every tenth man to make a point, and that point is that you're fucking ruined.

Simple.

I enjoy using the word outside of it's literal, Latin definition.

 

His sig pretty much guaranteed that he was literate - and therefore being sarcastic.

 

If I recall correctly, he didn't have a sig at the time. And plus, his previous posts I had found had random BOUTS OF CAPITAL LETTERS, but what do I know?

 

Oh I see what you did there...


The through/thru thing?

That is not a spelling error. That is being LAZY.

 

Er...
Yeah, but they didn't do it to their enemies, they did it to their own men when they fucked up. Right? The message isn't, "Hey, opposing army, you're fucking ruined." it's actually, "Hey, soldiers, you fucked up, now it's spanking time."

So while I agree that nitpicking the meaning of the word 'decimate' two millennia later is a bit anal, the fact it was done to your own army, not the enemy, does make the current usage even further from the original.

Fuckin' signed.

 

I was under the impression that "to decimate" meant "to leave only a tenth alive," not "to kill a tenth". That would bring it closer to its currently accepted meaning...

On topic: then/than.

It fucks up grammatical construction so thoroughly that it makes me cry tears of blood. It's not just a misspelling, it's replacing a word by another of a completely different nature. I've even seen someone say "Oh well, I was never able to tell when than should be used instead of then."

-_-

 

The Romans would have been pretty fucked if that were the case, so no - not originally. I've heard that before though, so it's might be used that way as well.

Decimation to mean total annihilation is stupid. And false, imo.

 

I'll do it then <--- Reference to time

I'd rather have apples than oranges <--- Everything else

^Correct usage?

 

Yep. In summary, 'than' is used for comparisons, like "greater than you," "guns are better than knives," etc.

'Then' is either a reference to a point in time, or a word for when something logically follows another thing. "I'll do it then" could mean either one, depending on the context. e.g., I'll do it then [point in time later than now] vs. I'll do it, then [since nobody else will]

 

My biggest pet peeve in writing is seeing authors who don't know how to use your vs. you're or there vs. they're vs. their.

 

Luscious. Luscious fucking Malfoy. It isn't that hard to spell "Lucius" correctly, and if you're that reliant on your spellcheck, then add the name to the dictionary.


Also:

I'd rather have apples than oranges.
I'd rather have apples, then oranges.

Because commas do make a difference in the homophone arguments of the world.

 

Reminds me of a fun phrase.

Grammar is the difference between "I helped my uncle, Jack, off a horse" and "I helped my uncle jack off a horse".

 

To be honest, I've never actually seen it, but having heard it mentioned many times, I assumed it was for real. Well, a quick Google search didn't turn up any places to buy it at the present time, so the jury is still out on whether it was ever real or not. Without more time to search I can't say for sure, but I have to think that at some point, someone made it happen.

As my luck usually goes, the search came up with things even... funnier? definitely stranger than word-a-day toilet paper. Check a few of these out:

Mind Trainer Toilet Roll - Brain Training Toilet Paper - tries to be sort of the be-all, end-all for your brain-teaser TP needs. Who has time to complete a Sudoku while taking a poop? Unless we're talking a beginner-level one, I'm afraid I don't have the time or the inclination to try writing through a number puzzle on a piece of two-ply shit-paper.

Justtoiletpaper.com - this place is pure win; if only I'd thought of this before Christmas, my relatives and in-laws would've been much more disappointed in their gifts than they ended up being.
There's monogrammed tp for the narcissist on your list;
nazdak tp for everyone (yes, including me) whose 401(k) tanked over the past year or so;
something for Oz and there was one for Virail (the maple leaf tp sold out);
even Beavis & Butthead and Monty Python tp.

/thread derail, but that was too odd not to share.