Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Spell checker vs proper English

Impressing people on here is not my goal. miles

I never got to read the article, so I still don't know what this headline meant �

TEXAS FIRM WANTS MiGS USED IN AIR FORCE TESTS

It could mean either
that firm would like for MiGs to be used
or
that firm wants the MiGs that have been used.

The headline gives ne'er a clue. Nor do these tell just what their articles are about �

BLACKS MARCH IN BROOKLYN; BEAR JEERS

RETIREMENT WORRIES HIT MAN

For years, I used a line from an article in TV Guide to illustrate the need for the serial comma � "Major risk groups for AIDS are male homosexuals, intravenous users of drugs and Haitians."

Then I heard of this one, which I like better �

"Major influences on my life are my parents, the Pope and Mother Teresa."

What I'd like to know is what size of a needle you need to IV the average Haitian through?

By the way, if you've spent any time with miles (as some of us have) you'd know that he is quite impressive without trying.

Amen!

YEP!

Not Getting Any Better Come Home

Above is a widely known telegraph from Jane to her serviceman husband. Wonder what it says?

If ever two exact opposites crossed paths on the internet.... this would be it.

Nobody has ever called Miles a Kook.

Lots of guys have met Miles in person.

Miles has a lot of hunting, shooting, and general outdoors experiences to share.

I'm sure I've overlooked other differences.

I understand what this says, understand this type of thinking, and am not taking any personal shot at the person who wrote it. However, this post indicates a position taken by way too many public school/college teachers (including teachers of English and writing, which position inexorably leads to the dissolution of skills in writing, reading and overall communication in out populace. A bad downhill dive for many, and degrees of such skills will separate the skilled and economically successful wheat from the less-fortunate chaff over time. This is not good.

Do you ever wonder why we, less and less, appreciate and admire those who wish to use proper English and good writing forms? I certainly admire anyone who tries to grow in this area - and in many others - for such growth is an important life factor.

This leads me to speak of Miles - whom I admire greatly, and who is immediately able to deal just fine with the smart-alecks here without any help from others - and to note that I liked his inquiry a lot. I wish that many would do just that, and much appreciate the constructive answers that were given.

Do you really need to ask this, and why?

I must be one of the worst offenders here as far at typographical errors, pitiful spelling, and poor grammar. That said I often catch errors in others posts where I would miss them in mine. I try my best to just read what the poster was intending to say and look for content rather that perfection.

You do just fine, Scott. We ALL make typos.

Our current school system doesn't even teach English any more. Is it a wonder that many of us can't read and can't write? Is it a surprise that many of us believe in such fake science as global warming? That we can't compete with countries that do teach language?

While having no dog in this fight... I still think it is ridiculous how downhill the use of the English language has gotten....our society abuses the hell out of slang anymore.. and then the slang itself seems to change every 6 to 12 months....

ebonics being a good example, but that does not preclude local trailer park slang ( that we hear around here)..... and even Mexicans I know locally, tell me when I ask them why so many hispanics refuse to learn English, they tell me that their Spanish is pretty poor also....

another thing that they don't teach in school anymore, is penmanship.....while my son is an advanced student with a 4.0 GPA, and has a very extensive vocabulary and spelling ability, along with good command of proper English...

give him an ink pen and ask him to write something down, and then compare it with something he might have written in second grade with a crayon... you'll see no improvement in his penmanship... yet he can carry on a conversation with you, and look at you, while at the same time be typing something on his computer keyboard 3 times faster than I can type with no mistakes and mine would be more mistakes than not....

yet he and many of the other scouts in our scout troop are 'amazed' at my penmanship... shows what is or was important in school at the times we went thru it...

No worse than I do Scott, but I would never advocate not trying to better myself. Thanks to all that put in a good word for me. That means a lot. miles

I'm amazed at some of the outdoor TV folks that can't come close to meshing pronouns and verbs. We/they was, he seen etc. That's pretty much 4th grade stuff.

Sew who kneads a spell Czech??? Eye no how to beet that thing. Dew yew no two?

Its to, knot two.

There are several quiet, extra-decent gentlemen around this "fire" whom I'd hate to have to tangle wits with � APDDSN0864, CCCC, Curdog4570, DARBY, krp, Rocky Raab, Scott F, THOMAS MAGNUM, to name a few examples. It's kinda hard for me to tell from this far down the slope � if Miles isn't right at the top, he's awful close!

I am, of course, a Czech speller!

While we're on pet peeves, the two that drive me nuts are the misuse of the word "unique" and the pervasive "me and blank did something."

There is no degree of unique; nothing can be "very unique" or "more unique". It does not mean unusual; it means one of a kind.

If you wouldn't say "Me went fishing" then don't say "Me and Joe went fishing." If you would say "I went fishing" then say "Joe and I went fishing."