misnomer 'misconception'

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yes, this comes from reading too many student papers, which (aside from those by English majors) regularly and almost without exception use "it's" for "its."  And English majors do it too, though less often.

To put it "another" way, "its" is now usually substituted by "it's."

I mentioned the epidemiological view of linguistic change.

Now I too am infected.

WHO will be NEXT ???

Will it be...


YOU ????????????

JL


"Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Douglas G. Wilson"
Subject: Re: misnomer 'misconception'
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JL:

>.... language-focused people" have been around for a long time and have
>never been shy about calling attention to what they perceive as errors.

True enough. Just watch.

JL:

>So the (oh God, I can hardly write it) "normal" use of "is is" in speech
>may not be very much older than it's first observation.

There's "it's".

AZ:

>i suggested before that it's opacity actually facilitates its spread ....

There's "it's" again.

[This is for Dennis:] That really gives me the reds, and the mulligrubs,
and the collywobbles! That really sinks my boat! Yuk! Argh!

(^_^)

-- Doug Wilson


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