Drive-by Grammar

[keelywolfe]

It is throes. As in convulsed in his death throes. Writhed in the throes of ecstasy.

Not throws. No. Throws of ecstasy? I imagine people getting smacked with giant squishy Nerf balls and collapsing in orgasm.

So yes. Repeat after me. Throes, not throws. No throwing in the house.


(and FAZE, dammit! He was fazed, not phased!! Faze- to cause to be disturbed or disconcerted; Phase-- Star Trek.)

Comments

[chele681.livejournal.com]

*meekly raises hand*
Unless you're writing Twific, in which case phased means you turned into a giant wolf.
*runs away*

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Unless you're writing Twific, in which case phased means you turned into a giant wolf.

Always an acceptable alternative. *G*

[shusu.livejournal.com]

FAZE!
FAZE FAZE FAZE

...yes, it drives me crazy as well.

[bluetaelon.livejournal.com]

I just realized I have never seen throes spelled that way. Learn something new every day:)

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

I admit, throes vs throws isn't exactly a normal grammar nitpick. *G* I'm fairly sure I can go weeks if not months at a time without seeing it.

But every time I do, I end up snickering madly and thinking about Nerf balls so I just had to get that one off my chest. ;)

[blueraccoon.livejournal.com]

See, you say "throws of ecstasy" and I'm thinking blankets. Now that's a bizarre image to have...

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

ROFL!

That's even better. Cuddly, knitted warmth of ecstasy!

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's my mental image, too.

[femme4jack.livejournal.com]

Promise me if you ever see one of these homophone travesties in my righting you'll let me no.

*snickers*

Seriously, though, I really appreciate it when someone points them out to me. I wrote "faze" recently and thought of you. At least I hope that I did, and not "phase"

Damn...now I need to check.

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

I find homophone errors to be endlessly amusing, even if I make them. The throws -vs- throes one I've seen several times recently though and I finally had to speak out. *G*

[linnet-melody.livejournal.com]

I hear you. Some of my worst head-desking moments were from reading phrases like you've just described.

Examples:
"bare with me"
"can pore your heart out"
"with baited breath"

I have an extremely vivid imagination. Very image-oriented. You can see why these phrases would either send me into stitches or shudders of revulsion. :D

[l0stmyrel1g10n.livejournal.com]

Especially baited breath. What, they've been munching on nightcrawlers? Makes me really want to get that character a bottle of mouthwash.

Faze and throes are two of my biggest pet peeves, and probably the ones I see most often misused in fic. Also "drug" as a past tense for "drag." The word you're looking for is "dragged," sweetie. If you think "drug" is the preterite, what would the participle be? "Draggen?"

[mad_maudlin]

People who know what preterites and participles are tend not to make this mistake in the first place. :-D Though my intuition would be participle "drug"--that's a separate analogical process, modeling irregular paradigms on regular ones (walk : walked : walked :: take : took : took).

(As a linguist, this kind of analogical error is always fascinating, because it means that somewhere in the writer's reptile brain that vowel mutation still has autonomous morphological life.)

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Baited breath cracks me up. I also love, "wrapped his arms around his waste."


Ewwwww!

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Also, you can't loose an argument, though you can lose one. That in particular gets me out of a story every damn time. It's right up there with "prostrate gland."

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Prostrate gland is a great one. *G* And jeez, yes, I see people 'loose' their keys all the time.

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Hee! Nope, it was perfect. *G*

[rainjewel.livejournal.com]

Man, I wish Nerf DID make Squishy Orgasm Balls. I'd never leave the house.

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Nerf would be the richest company in the world.

[outofthisplace.livejournal.com]

♥

[shalom]

use any of those with "irregardless", and I'd fall down in agony.

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Irregardless is the bastard child word of grammar evils everywhere.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

"Withering" for "writhing" always bugs me.

[tainry.livejournal.com]

YES!
And it's hangar where you park your Autobots. Hanger is for hanging!

[keelywolfe.livejournal.com]

Now, that one'll get me. I have to pay close attention when I write that one.