The purpose of grammar is to aid communication. It is a set of rules and standards that help the reader or listener understand what is being read or said. We all laugh at the silly mistakes made on signs (“Hunters use caution when hunting pedestrians, use the the walk trails”) but how often do we misinterpret what someone is writing or saying because of the grammar? Unfortunately, grammar, like all sets of rules, is slow to adapt to evolving circumstances; so it is often out of step.
Grammar saves lives; it is the difference to Granma between “Let’s eat Granma” and “Let’s eat, Granma.” And don’t even get me started on “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” (And for the record, do not trust your Spell Check features unless you are content with your writing to come out as if composed by only a modestly impaired chimpanzee. I exclude, of course, the mythical chimp of an infinite number who randomly pecked out the complete words of Shakespeare.)
I once saw a readerboard outside a restaurant/lounge that said, “Dinner special, $10.99 Bill Coleman’s back!” Much later I met Bill in a music store. He appeared reasonably intact.
awgiedawgie Premium Member over 6 years ago
…followed very swiftly by the first use of blood as a type of paint.
Argythree over 6 years ago
@AWGIEDAWGIE: I was gonna say ‘followed swiftly by the first murder’, but your post is funnier…
matjestaet over 6 years ago
Plus his wonderful nasty avatar…
Bilan over 6 years ago
It was actually followed by the invention of the boot.
So that the artist can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
Strod over 6 years ago
The first grammarian or the first… uuuh… spellarian?
gammaguy over 6 years ago
I thought Ian was grampar’s name, not grammar’s.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 6 years ago
Compulsive Grammarians never are interested in your thoughts, just the grammar of them.
keenanthelibrarian over 6 years ago
Pedantic old bastards win!
ptnjbrown over 6 years ago
Ahead of his time. Graffiti as art to be misinterpreted for centuries.
Nuliajuk over 6 years ago
And then thousands of years later, they found a human skull with a blunt force trauma injury on it…
suv2000 over 6 years ago
Richard S Russell Premium Member over 6 years ago
I think it’s human after ox, but lion after human.
Ignatz Premium Member over 6 years ago
“Grammar” is the attempt to find the rules in something that developed with no rules.
“i” before “e” except after “c.” Anything else is weird.
When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
GreenT267 over 6 years ago
The purpose of grammar is to aid communication. It is a set of rules and standards that help the reader or listener understand what is being read or said. We all laugh at the silly mistakes made on signs (“Hunters use caution when hunting pedestrians, use the the walk trails”) but how often do we misinterpret what someone is writing or saying because of the grammar? Unfortunately, grammar, like all sets of rules, is slow to adapt to evolving circumstances; so it is often out of step.
Qiset over 6 years ago
I think I’ll call him Noam.
the lost wizard over 6 years ago
Now I get the picture.
Vilyehm over 6 years ago
Boustrophedon:
The prehistoric beast that over time evolved into the pushme-pullyou.
Red Ruffensor over 6 years ago
There were grammar Nazis before there were even Nazis.
Bookworm over 6 years ago
Grammar saves lives; it is the difference to Granma between “Let’s eat Granma” and “Let’s eat, Granma.” And don’t even get me started on “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” (And for the record, do not trust your Spell Check features unless you are content with your writing to come out as if composed by only a modestly impaired chimpanzee. I exclude, of course, the mythical chimp of an infinite number who randomly pecked out the complete words of Shakespeare.)
Honorable Mention In The Banjo Toss Premium Member over 6 years ago
I once saw a readerboard outside a restaurant/lounge that said, “Dinner special, $10.99 Bill Coleman’s back!” Much later I met Bill in a music store. He appeared reasonably intact.
sandpiper over 6 years ago
Grammarian keeps that up, later someone will find those drawings with a human artifact stuck in the middle
Lablubber over 6 years ago
It’s not his fault. Auto correct keeps inserting the hand prints.
Ed_Bickford creator over 6 years ago
just like back then, Grammarians have no friends.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 6 years ago
One can be nice about it.
Ka`ōnōhi`ula`okahōkūmiomio`ehiku Premium Member over 6 years ago
The Grammar Police: To Correct and Serve.
GaryCooper over 6 years ago
That’s actually orthography, not grammar.
sarah413 Premium Member over 6 years ago
Why does this remind me of one of the opening scenes fro History of the World, Pt.1?
The first art critic.
Fuzzy Kombu over 6 years ago
Hand before ox except after horse…that’s right, isn’t it?
jbruins84341 over 6 years ago
My ultimate ancestor!
wakagi22 over 6 years ago
hitchhiker’s guide series: oh, you think time flows THAT way……