Am I the only OCD sufferer out there with grammarphobia? I don't know if that is a real word, but I assure you it is a real issue for me....
I become enormously anxious/agitated when I read poorly written material. By 'poorly written' I mean copy with numerous spelling errors, grammar errors, sentence structure irregularities, incorrect capitalization, etc.
Sloppily written texts, emails, facebook posts, etc. dismay and upset me. I feel judgemental and angry. I find myself asking why people don't check their writing for accuracy before hitting 'post' or 'send'. It seems so disrespectful to send off a message to someone riddled with grammar errors.
Does anyone else fee or react the same way? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks. Sheila
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cambridgeborn
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I suppose there is a Greek-derived word for it, but it might more properly be called -badgrammarphobia or poorusagephobia!
I too get irritated by sloppy English, but it doesn't have a part in my OCD. On the whole I accept that not everyone's written or spoken English is correct though in some cases it can be funny, particularly if it is unintentionally rude!
I am one of those pedants' pedants who jump to the defence of usage that many people think incorrect, such as split infinitives and provincial usage. How are you on split infinitives? There is one in Shakespeare!
My parents always came down on us like a ton of bricks when we made grammatical errors, so I suppose that is where I got it from! I remember a Minister of Education saying, I think, 'fed up of' instead of 'fed up with'!
I'm not bothered by text speak. It's not new. Eighteenth-century letter are full of abbreviations, which makes sense when you consider the slowness of a quill and ink!
Good to hear I'm not the only one who values well-written/spoken English. My aversion to heavily flawed text is strong, not unlike an aversion to another's bad breath or stained clothing. It just seems socially incorrect, to me, to present oneself without at least making an effort to "tidy up". The discomfort I feel is palpable. That's why I think it might be a part of my OCD. Perfectionism is not always welcome or comfortable --- for the one who seems to need perfection and/or the ones who are being judged by the perfectionist. But, you're right to relate this abhorrence to childhood experience of parental standards. My father was an absolute stickler for correct grammar and my way of vying for his approval was to be flawless in this area. Ours was not an affectionate father/daughter relationship, but I did come to value our English language! Writing this post has given me some insight. Sheila
Thanks for posting! It's an interesting question. I suppose it's good to bear in mind that not everyone has had the education that enables them to use language correctly. That isn't necessarily their fault.
I love language and the forms it takes. It's a fascinating subject. It is always in flux and that's one of the things that makes it interesting.
I admit I do cringe at misplaced apostrophes and wrong prepositions. I don't think it's OCD in my case, though it may be in yours. It's good to remember that whatever form language takes, it has an underlying structure in our brains that makes all languages valid.
The best written and spoken language has clarity and intelligibility at its core. Good speakers and writers make themselves understood!
Perhaps what I find most offensive is carelessness or sloppiness with one's writing. I have received texts/emails at work from colleagues that I absolutely cannot decipher! Rambling, misspelled, unedited and unchecked. Many of these people have a university education! It's a pet peeve, I know, but it just seems so disrespectful -- of one's own self, and others -- to post carelessly written copy. Would one answer the phone with a mouthful of marbles? Probably not, yet sloppily written posts sound just as garbled. I guess it boils down to personal pride. Thanks for letting me vent. Sheila
Go ahead and vent! I feel the same. It's so annoying when people who have had a university education, and in some cases have a postgraduate degree, can't put a sentence together! There's no excuse. Fair enough if one hasn't had much of an education. But I've often wondered how these people ever got a degree!
Language that lacks clarity is usually the result of thinking that lacks clarity. And I agree, it's only good manners to take the trouble to make sure people can understand what you're saying. Sally
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