23rd Annual SF_Express "Stamp Out Respective/Respectively" Campaign

These amateur writers! If you want to say nothing about the dog, don't mention it!

 

I've been taking that out almost all the time lately.

Since this thread has devolved/evolved (take your pick) into something beyond my crusade against respective/respectively, here's something you might find interesting. I do freelance editing on the side, mostly for a fitness site. All sorts of different freelance writers work for this place, some really good, some not very good, and everywhere in between.

There's an error that's so repeated it shocks even me in this environment, in which you know what you're getting into. But I'll bet fully half or even more, until I explain it to them, write "exercise" or "fitness regime," without the n on the end.

It's so pervasive, it's almost like an odd little usage joke. Definitely not a typo. More than half these people think the word is "regime" and not "regimen."

 

I expect young people to be respective toward their elders.



So there.

 

Thanks. I'll make sure to better fact-check my posts on a message board. I happen not to cover or ever write about Alabama football, so I do hope you'll forgive me for spelling the backup running back's name incorrectly. I still don't think "not to mention" is ever good. It might not be incorrect in all uses, but I'd like to see an instance where it is the best phrase for the job. I can't imagine one, which is why I think it's similar to "irregardless" in its never being right.

 

I think it's a stylistic thing, usually misused, but properly used when you're describing a set of things relevant to the topic, usually in a column, and there is another thing that is arguably also relevant to the topic but less important. E.g.:

Coach Smith says his team is close to breaking through in big games. He cites close-game losses against Oklahoma and LSU as examples. But that fails to account for the blowout losses against LSU and Arkansas, not to mention trailing Duke at the half and needing a last second field goal to be Utah State.

 

This is a response to the topic entitled ... Oh, it's titled? I wouldn't know by the copy I see at a place that certainly feels entitled at times.

 

Bad example. Replace "not to mention trailing" with "or trailing."

 

Really, really fucking hate: "myriad" used as a noun instead of as an adjective.

Just hate: "renown" used as as an adjective instead of as a noun.

Just lame: spelling "renown" as "reknown."

 

There is a myriad of people who believe in Albert Pujols, the reknowned home run hitter.

 

Now I hate you, too. But I "just" hate you.

 

Darn. I was hoping for just lame.

 

No sweat. I couldn't figure out how to turn "lame" into a noun. (Lah-may doesn't count, w/no accent aigu on my keyboard, that I know of).