Loosing It

[Hudson Boy]

I've noticed lately, on a daily basis, that more and more people are using the word "loose" for "lose".

Is this a new phenomenon, or was I just not noticing it much before? Maybe I chalked it up to typographical errors in the past, but it's obviously not that because people must actually believe they are spelling it correctly.

Apparently, I'm not the only one - there are web pages that point it out, such as this one: http://www.edcollins.com/lose.htm

There are many more examples of common grammatical and spelling errors in society, some of which I use myself, but this one seems to be really widespread.

[Chris D]

I wouldn't lose my cool over such loose usage.

[Scott Dolan]

I try to cut lose at least once a day.

[Gary Sisco]

When I was a youngster I wanted a tatoo that would have read "Born Too Loose."

Now, I hope to find an artist I can trust to use clean needles, or better, new ones, so I can get the Rounder motto -- Bound To Lose -- tatooed under the howling coyote on my right bicep.

[Tom Storer]

Originally Posted by Hudson Boy

I've noticed lately, on a daily basis, that more and more people are using the word "loose" for "lose".

The frequency of this has been increasing for several years. I itch to correct it every time I see it, but refrain because there's no point. That and the confusion of "it's" for "its" are sure proof that our civilization is in decay.

[Hudson Boy]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

When I was a youngster I wanted a tatoo that would have read "Born Too Loose."
Now, I hope to find an artist I can trust to use clean needles, or better, new ones, so I can get the Rounder motto -- Bound To Lose -- tatooed under the howling coyote on my right bicep.

I don't know much about tattoos, but was looking into it a couple of years ago. I believe I read that they now use disposable needles.

I first heard the Rounders around 1970 on their reissued Fantasy/Prestige albums, and Bound to Lose was one of my favorite songs of the collection. I haven't seen the documentary Bound To Lose, released last year, but I'm sure I will in the near future.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

When I was a youngster I wanted a tatoo that would have read "Born Too Loose."

Now, I hope to find an artist I can trust to use clean needles, or better, new ones, so I can get the Rounder motto -- Bound To Lose -- tatooed under the howling coyote on my right bicep.

Most artists these days use a new disposable needle. They made them much cheaper over the years.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

I increasingly see the word "artesian" used instead of "artisan" or "artisanal". I recently saw a food product (can't remember what) with the word "artesian" actually printed on the label to describe the product within. When I showed it to my wife she said I was being too picky. She said although it was the wrong term everyone will know what they mean. Why do I bother.

[Enforcer]

This one bugs me more than most, because it takes longer to figure out what the person really means. With its/it's and there/their, I identify the syntax error instantly. The misuse of loose and lose, for some reason, really slows me down.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

The misuse of loose and lose, for some reason, really slows me down.

Hey that's a good thing!

The Slowskys

[groover]

A friend of mine whom I've been working on original songs with used the mispelling of "lose" as "loose" on the lyric sheet that he wrote up for a song we're recording. When I sang it, I pronounced it as spelled. If he ever asks me why I pronounced it that way, I'm going to tell him "because that's the way you wrote it, moron!"

[groover]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

This one bugs me more than most, because it takes longer to figure out what the person really means. With its/it's and there/their, I identify the syntax error instantly. The misuse of loose and lose, for some reason, really slows me down.

I understand, and I think it's because the meanings are not that far apart. If you want to lose something that's attached to you, you might first loosen it.

[Brian Olewnick]

archtypical instead of archetypal.

conversate instead of converse.

[Scott Dolan]

Conversate?

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Conversate?

That hasn't made it to Missouri? It's an epidemic here. "I was conversating with my boss." You guys will probably get it sometime after they begin installing sewer lines out there.

[groover]

How about success used as a verb, instead of succeed? I heard this usage on a radio interview yesterday with a police chief from somewhere, who was doing something "to success this operation".

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

That hasn't made it to Missouri? It's an epidemic here. "I was conversating with my boss." You guys will probably get it sometime after they begin installing sewer lines out there.

Sewer lines?

[groover]

How about this post from the kid in my area who just got caught planning a school massacre?

"I am pretymuch," he wrote in a badly spelled post on his MySpace page, "the posterboy for the person that rests upon the line between Geineus and Madman/Pycopath."

It's pretty clear which side of that line he's on, at least for anyone who can spell.

[Pedantic Wretch]

Up there with the illogical 'could care less' (which actually seems to be more common than 'couldn't care less' in US usage).

Another one I notice among the least literate class of abusive internet teenager is the inexplicable confusion of 'then' and 'than' (e.g' 'im better then u').

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Pedantic Wretch

Another one I notice among the least literate class of abusive internet teenager is the inexplicable confusion of 'then' and 'than' (e.g' 'im better then u').

*Clasp*

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Pedantic Wretch

Up there with the illogical 'could care less' (which actually seems to be more common than 'couldn't care less' in US usage).

When somebody says that they could care less about whatever it is I want to say, "could you?"
Saying you couldn't care less means that it would be impossible for you to care less than you do.
Saying that you could care less leaves the situation you are commenting on open to another degree of concern which is not what people mean when they say it.

[Alastair]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

That hasn't made it to Missouri? It's an epidemic here. "I was conversating with my boss." You guys will probably get it sometime after they begin installing sewer lines out there.

Why don't they just say "talking"? or is it some hipster thing I'm missing?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Alastair

Why don't they just say "talking"? or is it some hipster thing I'm missing?

And why don't people say "now", instead of "at this point in time?"

[Scott Dolan]

The "could care less" bit drives me up a wall as well.

Though my response is always "how much?" That often gets me some pretty puzzled looks.

[Sandi22]

Originally Posted by patricia

And why don't people say "now", instead of "at this point in time?"

That too leaves it open. Like down the road you could, might, or will be open to what ever it is. Seems like we've been here before.

At this point in time, I can't, but might, could, or will, later on.

[Mike Goodbar]

The use of the incorrect word before a restrictive clause is something which drives me crazy.

[GoodSpeak]

Hell....I lost it a long time ago.


Just ask anybody on this BBS.




It's over for me....save yourself if you can.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Sandi22

That too leaves it open. Like down the road you could, might, or will be open to what ever it is. Seems like we've been here before.

At this point in time, I can't, but might, could, or will, later on.

As opposed to "now?" Absolutely no difference, technically, except that "now" is standard usage and "this point in time" is Watergate usage.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Cantiello

I increasingly see the word "artesian" used instead of "artisan" or "artisanal". I recently saw a food product (can't remember what) with the word "artesian" actually printed on the label to describe the product within.

Was it water?

[Tom Storer]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Cantiello

I increasingly see the word "artesian" used instead of "artisan" or "artisanal". I recently saw a food product (can't remember what) with the word "artesian" actually printed on the label to describe the product within. When I showed it to my wife she said I was being too picky. She said although it was the wrong term everyone will know what they mean. Why do I bother.

I would not have know what it meant. I would have wondered where Artesia is.