Last week we did movies. We’ve since added two movies to our DVD collection!

This week, I’ll be sharing a few links about writing - spelling and words in particular. A quick glance through my archives will show that I am incredibly passionate about proper spelling and grammar, and thankfully, I’m not the only one!

• How To Spell Its - Thank goodness SOMEONE said something! People are forever adding apostrophes into this word at the wrong time or leaving them out when they need them… It’s so annoying!
• D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y - Another pet peeve word of mine, this is one that’s constantly being spelled incorrectly. If you’re unsure how to spell it, go there!
• Spell Checker Blues - A cute little poem with very funny wordplay. I’ve read it before, but it’s always worth another read!
• Dead Words - They put it best on the site, so I’ll just copy what they wrote: “Some words in the English language tend to be overused and therefore lose their power. These are called Dead Words. Below is a list of dead words and more interesting alternatives that should be used in their place when you are writing.”
• Commonly Overused Words - Another list of overused words, along with replacement words. Check this out when you’re writing a paper and find yourself saying “also” every other sentence!
• 23 Words You Can Use to Impress Your Friends - This is a list of words that include words I’ve never even heard! Bonus points to them for using conundrum as one - I love that word!
• Origins of Words and Phrases - Ever wondered why people say they’re “stumped”? Or where the phrase “wrong end of the stick” came from? Find out these and more here!

Got any other interesting grammar/spelling sites that I didn’t mention? Make sure to tell me! I read these things for fun, you know!

For more information about Weekend Wrap-Up, click here. To suggest a site, email me with your suggestion and why you think it should be included!

you type
like this,
thinking it makes
you look profound…
or something.

really, it makes you
look like you
never went,
to school…

if you add in
a bunch of punctuation;
you think it makes:
your point more valid

but really
the line breaks–
do not help,
your case.

Use the shift key. Form complete sentences. Paragraphs are your friend. It won’t break your computer if you type more than four words on a line, really. I promise you, it’ll just make you look like less of an idiot. Try it!

Why do people take normal words and make them crazy just for fun? I just saw “laffed” and it cracked me up. But for a while, my sister typed “wif” constantly. WIF. Or wait, maybe it had two Fs, I’m not really sure. That’s not the point.

How is “dun” a word now? I admit, I’ll use “I dunno” when I’m being silly or something. I don’t like it, but I do sometimes anyway. Typing out “I don’t know” in an extremely casual conversation is strange to me. But when you say something like “I dun have one” do you even say that out loud to yourself as you type it? You sound like an idiot! Do you think it’s cute or something? I can’t figure it out. Not cute, not cute at all. Just stupid.

First of all, stop making up words for your convenience just because you’re too lazy to say or type the whole thing. “Ima” is not a word. It really isn’t! I promise! Try using “I’m going to” instead. You’ll look more intelligent.

Also, seen isn’t a verb on its own. It’s part of a bigger, better verb! “I have seen…” sounds (and is) so much better than “I seen…” in every single case. I can’t think of any exceptions, can you?

And please, please, please stop using the entirely-too-commonly-used excuse of “I’m not in school, why do I have to use proper English?” to make your butchering of the English language acceptable. News flash: it doesn’t work! It just makes you look even less intelligent, if that’s possible.

PS: “Your a dum ass” really isn’t much of an insult. It makes you look much worse than the person you’re insulting. Really.

cheep

–verb (used without object)
1. to chirp; peep.
2. Chiefly South Midland U.S. to reveal or tell a secret (usually used in the phrase cheep it).

–verb (used with object)
3. to express by cheeps.

–noun
4. a chirp.

cheap

–adjective
1. costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive: a cheap dress.
2. costing little labor or trouble: Words are cheap.
3. charging low prices: a very cheap store.
4. of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy: cheap conduct; cheap workmanship.
5. embarrassed; sheepish: He felt cheap about his mistake.
6. obtainable at a low rate of interest: when money is cheap.
7. of decreased value or purchasing power, as currency depreciated due to inflation.
8. stingy; miserly: He’s too cheap to buy his own brother a cup of coffee.

–adverb
9. at a low price; at small cost: He is willing to sell cheap.

—Idioms
10. cheap at twice the price, exceedingly inexpensive: I found this old chair for eight dollars—it would be cheap at twice the price.
11. on the cheap, Informal. inexpensively; economically: She enjoys traveling on the cheap.

They’re entirely different, not interchangeable.

Also, what’s up with people using “chanter” instead of “enchanter” in World of Warcraft? Is it laziness on their part? Are they so terribly exhausted that the extra “en” is too much work to type out? Or do they really think that they’re chanting when they put that extra spell damage on a weapon?