Stephen Fry on grammar Nazis

Red Hand wrote: »

Lets!

Let's

mitosis wrote: »

Let's

Lettuce

Brain Stroking wrote: »

Littbarski

Literal.

Red Hand wrote: »

Literal.

Light Your Farts On Fire.

steddyeddy wrote: »

Spot on to be honest. The word he used that summed it up best imo is "sneering". I dont think grammar bullies have the slightest wish to improve grammar in general. My grammar isn't great but it wasn't someones "sneering" at my use of it that made me pay more attention to it. It was my belief that if I practice I can get better at it.

I dont see why grammar bullies are given a free ride so to speak. If I bullied people about their knowledge of biology or someone else took apart another persons use of maths without prior provaction, we would be thought of as d1cks and rightfully so.

Fry was a Grammar Bully in the past himself, he is now at present a self-confessed Grammar Bully.

Enjoyed that and agree with some of it but it's still a bit smug and 'right-on'.

What are the 'loser' pedants Fry sneers at here really guilty of?

Are they really doing any harm?

I'd say their motivation is little different than what motivated Fry to write/vocalise this piece.

Mainly, it's an attempt to separate themselves from those they feel they can look down upon, and win the approval of those whose approval, they hope, will make them feel better about themselves.

Don't think the 'development' of language, whatever that means, is actually being stymied by pedants.

In fact, pedants, just like 'innovators' have always existed, and if they have any effect at all, then, surely, they must have contributed to this 'development'.

The King of Moo wrote: »

The schwa is the most common vowel sound, like "uh," so I mean pronouncing the word like "tuh" and not to rhyme with "too."

Thanks for explaining it to me. I have always found grammar to be interesting, though I freely admit to having problems with "too" and "to", and "there" and "their" etc throughout the years.