[Ads-l] Top peeves

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yes, anybody could but nobody did until now.

Gemini's stated sources were posted complaints on Internet sites.  I
don't know how that compares in extent with Garner's. Or Fowler's, for
that matter.  I asked only for the top fifteen by frequency.

The list is quite consistent with my own impressions over some sixty
years, and those of many others, I assume.

Is there anything listed that is not widely complained of? The biggest
surprise may be that there's so little "new," namely "Whatever!"
(about 40 years old) and "Expresso" (if that one really is "new.")

Am surprised, though, that "ain't" is missing.  Is it too blatantly
infuriating to be complained about online?  (Am also surprised that
"online" isn't in there .)

Such a list, regardless of source, should be taken as no more than a
loose approximation and a conversation starter.

Obviously, one would think.

JL


On Fri, Nov 6, 2026 at 11:34 AM Dennis During
<00001bcaf94bd005-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> These and more can be found in Garner's, with their search-based grading of
> acceptability at present. They have a daily email. What were Gemini's
> sources, especially quantitative, for relative frequency?
>
> Dennis C. During
>
> On Fri, Nov 6, 2026, 10:21 Jonathan Lighter <
> 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > According to Gemini AI, these are the linguistic peeves most
> > complained about on the Internet, sometimes passionately:
> >
> > "I could care less"
> >
> > "Should of / Could of / Would of"
> >
> > "Irregardless"
> >
> > Misuse of "Literally"
> >
> > Erroneous Apostrophes (Greengrocer's Apostrophes)
> >
> > "Supposably"
> >
> > Filler "Like" and Discourse Markers (e.g., "It was, like, totally, you
> > know...")
> >
> > "Less" vs. "Fewer"
> >
> > "Between you and I"
> >
> > "Loose" vs. "Lose"
> >
> > "They're/ Their/ Their" errors
> >
> > "Whatever!/ Whatevva!"
> >
> > "Expresso" for "Espresso."
> >
> > "Axe" for "ask."
> >
> > "Affect" vs. "Effect."
> >
> > JL
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org