Thursday, March 06, 2008 The Grammar Cop By Jess Saplala
MINOR infractions? Big billboards at bridge construction site: “This is where your taxes is going.”
Right: “This is where your taxes are going.”
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Grammar Cop’s beat takes him to the world’s biggest burger (BURger, not BUR jer. The BUR rhymes with GUR in gurgle.) peddler where a new sign reminds junk food lovers to: “Please demand for a receipt.”
Right: “Please demand a receipt.”
The Law: Better and more polite, use the idiom “ask for”: “Please ask for your receipt.” As a transitive verb, “demand” needs no preposition to establish its relation with its direct object “receipt”. When used as noun and synonym of “need or clamor for”, then this is correct: There is a demand for truth in governance.
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TV anchorman to field reporter: “I’ll get back at you after this break.”
Right: “I’ll get back to you after this break.”
The Law: If you mean you will get in touch with someone, use “get back to”; but if revenge is eating you up, then “get back at” is correct. If so, don’t fly off the handle (lose your temper or go ballistic). Watch your b.p.
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Speaking of lovebirds, fiancee (engaged female) and fiance (engaged male) are pronounced in the same way – fç an SAY.
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Webster says a bitch is a female dog, and evil means the absence of good. What’s an evil bitch then? An out-and-out immoral female dog. But dogs have no morals. (Help, Mr. Webster, help!)
