Errors in everyday phrases

[Deleted]

Nutrax posted this on the Thorn Tree and when I first began the test, I thought it was pretty ridiculously easy since just about every reply seemed to obvious to me. Nevertheless, I only scored 18 out of 21.

Everyday phrases

[Deleted]

21 out of 21. But then again, I thrive on correcting other peoples' mistakes and am really annoying.

[mich64]

I did not do well on that one at all.

[lagatta]

Got them all, but I am annoying.

I am dreadful at math, and hopeless at many other things.

[Deleted]

lagatta, I think you and I would get on tremendously. We could annoy each other endlessly.

[bjd]

20/21 I thought the one I got wrong seemed weird, but it was a set expression so I just clicked there. I was always crappy at math too.

[patricklondon]

I never did quite understand about begging the question.

I thought "could care less" was so well-established in America now (but not in the UK) that it had come to be regarded as OK; but we (well, I) usually say "TO all intents and purposes".

I thought some of the other errors were stretching credulity a bit - do people really say some of those things? But I do think the concept of a suppository of information may be quite useful - I can think of quite a few people who could do with having various items of information inserted one way or another.

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[bjd]

The begging the question one was the one I got wrong.

[questa]

Did you all check the answers against your scores? It scored me as 19 but when I checked the answers mine were all correct.
I would say that 'begging the question' is an old form of 'raising the question'. Most common usage is 'that begs the question' which implies the speaker wants more information on a subject already raised.

I'm having a spasm of pedantic fervour, it will pass.

[Deleted]

It's being very precise in its definitions of "proper" usage. The "begging the question" is one I've run across before.

"Begging the question" is a form of logical fallacy in which a statement or claim is assumed to be true without evidence other than the statement or claim itself. When one begs the question, the initial assumption of a statement is treated as already proven without any logic to show why the statement is true in the first place.

A simple example would be "I think he is unattractive because he is ugly." The adjective "ugly" does not explain why the subject is "unattractive" -- they virtually amount to the same subjective meaning, and the proof is merely a restatement of the premise. The sentence has begged the question.

What is it Not?

To beg the question does not mean "to raise the question." (e.g. "It begs the question, why is he so dumb?") This is a common error of usage made by those who mistake the word "question" in the phrase to refer to a literal question. Sadly, the error has grown more and more common with time, such that even journalists, advertisers, and major mass media entities have fallen prey to "BTQ Abuse."

While descriptivists and other such laissez-faire linguists are content to allow the misconception to fall into the vernacular, it cannot be denied that logic and philosophy stand to lose an important conceptual label should the meaning of BTQ become diluted to the point that we must constantly distinguish between the traditional usage and the erroneous "modern" usage. This is why we fight.

[fumobici]

Jul 12, 2014 12:06:32 GMT @lizzyfaire said:

It's being very precise in its definitions of "proper" usage. The "begging the question" is one I've run across before.

"Begging the question" is a form of logical fallacy in which a statement or claim is assumed to be true without evidence other than the statement or claim itself. When one begs the question, the initial assumption of a statement is treated as already proven without any logic to show why the statement is true in the first place.

A simple example would be "I think he is unattractive because he is ugly." The adjective "ugly" does not explain why the subject is "unattractive" -- they virtually amount to the same subjective meaning, and the proof is merely a restatement of the premise. The sentence has begged the question.

What is it Not?

To beg the question does not mean "to raise the question." (e.g. "It begs the question, why is he so dumb?") This is a common error of usage made by those who mistake the word "question" in the phrase to refer to a literal question. Sadly, the error has grown more and more common with time, such that even journalists, advertisers, and major mass media entities have fallen prey to "BTQ Abuse."

While descriptivists and other such laissez-faire linguists are content to allow the misconception to fall into the vernacular, it cannot be denied that logic and philosophy stand to lose an important conceptual label should the meaning of BTQ become diluted to the point that we must constantly distinguish between the traditional usage and the erroneous "modern" usage. This is why we fight.

Begging the question is really a poor descriptor of what it describes though.

"A simple example would be 'I think he is unattractive because he is ugly.'"  Where's the question there being begged?  there isn't one.  If they can't find a better name for what they are trying to describe, the phrase "begging the question" should probably be put down as the inelegant and confusing mess it is. It's a stupid construction frankly.
And yes, I got that one correct, so not sour grapes.

[patricklondon]

Where's the question there being begged? there isn't one.

The question that the original statement is intended to answer - in this case, how either "attractive" or "ugly" is being defined and measured.

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[bixaorellana]

21 out of 21
You are the master of language usage. You always speak correctly and people should bow down in the presence of your greatness.

Yes, yes -- that is true!

I totally agree with Fumobici's assessment here regarding the sloppy dismissal of grammatical rules:
While descriptivists and other such laissez-faire linguists are content to allow the misconception to fall into the vernacular, it cannot be denied that logic and philosophy stand to lose an important conceptual label should the meaning of BTQ become diluted to the point that we must constantly distinguish between the traditional usage and the erroneous "modern" usage. This is why we fight.

However, I disagree with F's reading of the meaning of "begging the question". I've always thought that it was a possibly archaic way of saying that a question was left unanswered after a putative answer.

[Deleted]

I only got 14 out of 21. This came as no surprise to me as I am notorious for malapropisms and chided for it (in good fun) by many.
God forbid there be a quiz on punctuation. I think I must have had mononucleosis during the time (weeks) they were teaching that in grammar school.

[mossie]

18 out of 21. I never was a major, just a sergeant.

[anshjain97]

14/21 Hardly use most of them in day to day usage, so...