Ebayers??

[johnakay]

do any of you guys get ask question which are already stated in the add.
I keep getting punters is this or that when it is all in the add. can't they F**king read?
just got one guy does this fit the 82 model? the add state Models from 1981 to 1988 .

 

[Beemerphile]

We appear to be at that point in the downward spiral of humanity where the average person cannot read and comprehend simple words.

My auctions always state "There is no 'Buy It Now'. Please do not ask me to end the auction early." The first email I always get is "Would you end the auction early for $X"

 

[Juggler]

Don't you remember they are all 98ers around us, on the roads, in the stores etc...
Urban Dictionary: 98

 

[kpinvt]

It's not just the buyers. I keep an eye out for Aerostich Roadcrafter suits and have many times run across items listed as Airo Stitch, Road craft, Aerocrafter, Aero crafter, or absolutely no mention of the name of the products manufacturer when the name is plainly visible in the photos included in the ad. I took pity on a seller last week who had an Aerostich Roadcrafter jacket listed as a Gore-tex nylon motorcycle jacket listed in a women's apparel section for three weeks unsold. I messaged the seller that they should use the words Roadcrafter, Aerostich & Aerostitch in their ad if they wanted people to actually be able to find the item. They updated the ad and the item sold a day later.

Gor Tex Jacket Roadcrafter Aerostich Aerostitch Small 38 | eBay

 

[Beemerphile]

Incorrect spelling isn't nearly as entertaining as complete misnomers, especially homophones. Every time I come upon one I add it to my list. Most are bilaterally abused. I may need a larger hard drive soon...

a piece = apiece
accept = except
ad = add (hello johnakay!)
adverse = averse
affect = effect
alot = a lot
axe = ask
barley = barely
base = bass
bear = bare
bless = bliss
blew = blowed
board = bored
boarder = border
bread = bred
break = brake
buy = by
capital = capitol
chord = cord
coarse = course
complementary = complimentary
confirm = conform
cue = queue
disburse = disperse
fair = fare
form = forum
gaiters = gators
greatful = grateful
hardy = hearty
hay = hey
heals = heels
hear = here
herd = heard
hole = whole (I couldn't believe it either)
jam = jamb
knights = nights
later = latter
learnt = learned
less = fewer
loaner = loner
lose = loose
maybe = may be
meet = meat
mute = moot
neal = kneel
new = knew
paired = pared
past = passed
peace = piece
pedal = paddle
pen = pin
perspective = prospective
petal = pedal
plane = plain
polls = poles
pour = poor
presents = presence
principal = principle
que = queue
quite = quiet
rain = reign
ran = run
reserve = preserve
ring = wring
road = rode
roll = role
sale = sell
saw = seen
seemless = seamless
shore = sure
sided = sighted
sole = soul
spoilt = spoiled
stationary = stationery
strait = straight
symbols = cymbals
tale = tail
tare = tear
taut = taught
the = thee
then = than
there = their = they’re
threw = through
thru = threw
to = too
very = vary
warn = worn
waste = waist
weather = whether
wears = wares
worst = worse
would of = would've
you’re = your

 

[kpinvt]

Incorrect spelling isn't nearly as entertaining as complete misnomers, especially homophones. Every time I come upon one I add it to my list. Most are bilaterally abused. I may need a larger hard drive soon...

a piece = apiece
accept = except
ad = add (hello johnakay!)
adverse = averse
affect = effect
alot = a lot
axe = ask
barley = barely
base = bass
bear = bare
bless = bliss
blew = blowed
board = bored
boarder = border
bread = bred
break = brake
buy = by
capital = capitol
chord = cord
coarse = course
complementary = complimentary
confirm = conform
cue = queue
disburse = disperse
fair = fare
form = forum
gaiters = gators
greatful = grateful
hardy = hearty
hay = hey
heals = heels
hear = here
herd = heard
hole = whole (I couldn't believe it either)
jam = jamb
knights = nights
later = latter
learnt = learned
less = fewer
loaner = loner
lose = loose
maybe = may be
meet = meat
mute = moot
neal = kneel
new = knew
paired = pared
past = passed
peace = piece
pedal = paddle
pen = pin
perspective = prospective
petal = pedal
plane = plain
polls = poles
pour = poor
presents = presence
principal = principle
que = queue
quite = quiet
rain = reign
ran = run
reserve = preserve
ring = wring
road = rode
roll = role
sale = sell
saw = seen
seemless = seamless
shore = sure
sided = sighted
sole = soul
spoilt = spoiled
stationary = stationery
strait = straight
symbols = cymbals
tale = tail
tare = tear
taut = taught
the = thee
then = than
there = their = they’re
threw = through
thru = threw
to = too
very = vary
warn = worn
waste = waist
weather = whether
wears = wares
worst = worse
would of = would've
you’re = your

Nowzadayz thet'wil kepe u buzy.

 

[bamamate]

You do have to remember that the population is growing older........

 

[Brillot2000]

Incorrect spelling isn't nearly as entertaining as complete misnomers, especially homophones. Every time I come upon one I add it to my list. Most are bilaterally abused. I may need a larger hard drive soon...

Also texting aberrations are starting to find their way onto e-mails. The younger generations are getting more and more lazier when it comes to typing.

Here are a few examples:

u - you
u2 - you to
btw - by the way
dk - don't know
idk - I don't know

Both my 17 son and 32 year old nephew use these and a few more when they text me, its like receiving encrypted code.

 

[Beemerphile]

Also texting aberrations are starting to find their way onto e-mails. The younger generations are getting more and more lazier when it comes to typing.

A lady I used to work with used to get text messages from her elderly mother. Her mother thought "LOL" was shorthand for "lots of love" and she ended each text with "LOL, Mom". Then one day she got a text that read...

"Just wanted to let you know that your Aunt Juanita died this morning. LOL, Mom"

 

[L.B.S.]

Wait until you guys find out what those little symbols ("emojis" I think they're called) in texts are *really* meant to portray by the younger generation...

Hint: the eggplant does not mean food.

 

[Brillot2000]

Wait until you guys find out what those little symbols ("emojis" I think they're called) in texts are *really* meant to portray by the younger generation...

Hint: the eggplant does not mean food. View attachment 28129

Some might call that a phallic charm...

The banana can be used universally in it's place.

 

[Beemerphile]

I am too old for all of this. I was lost a long time ago when "bad" came to mean "good". Now "sick" is somehow something desirable. I remember a spaced out hippie from my college days who use to say that something good was "tubular".

It has been hopeless for a long time, but the rate of decay is now exponential.

 

[gidipajer ils]

this may make you smile, imagine a non american selling on ebay and trying to understand
with google translater what the buyer means.....
and all of that with no glasses and poor eye site.
i wish thay had a speller on the coments and posts

 

[MichaelJohn]

I am too old for all of this. I was lost a long time ago when "bad" came to mean "good". Now "sick" is somehow something desirable. I remember a spaced out hippie from my college days who use to say that something good was "tubular".

It has been hopeless for a long time, but the rate of decay is now exponential.

I am an old hippie and tubular is definitely post-hippie jargon. Tubular is surfer slang. Now if he had said groovy or far out that would have been more accurate hippie lingo.

I am also an old language teacher and to say that language is in a state of decay is really just saying that language is in a state of flux. What is incorrect today can become correct through repeated usage over time. There is no use in lamenting, that is the way language works. It is a living thing that constantly changes and adapts. It is no better or worse than it was 20 years ago, 100 years ago or even 1000 years ago...it's just different. There will always be speakers who adhere to current grammatical rules...and those who don't. I love watching the evolution of language, especially now in this fast-paced speed of light world of ours where language has to race to keep up. If someone says my bike is sick (and that actually happened once) I'm OK with that.

That being said, I still want to scream when I hear people say "I could care less" when they mean "I couldn't care less". That will NEVER be correct!

 

[Beemerphile]

..That being said, I still want to scream when I hear people say "I could care less" when they mean "I couldn't care less". That will NEVER be correct!

...What is incorrect today can become correct through repeated usage over time. There is no use in lamenting, that is the way language works. It is a living thing that constantly changes and adapts.

You are contradicting yourself.

...It is no better or worse than it was 20 years ago, 100 years ago or even 1000 years ago...it's just different. There will always be speakers who adhere to current grammatical rules...and those who don't.

When a sales clerk at McDonald's reduces "May I help you?" to "Meh heh?" it is not just different, it is just lazy. When I hired someone, I would expect to have to teach them about hamburgers, but I would not expect to have to teach them how to talk, or that they should look at and show interest in the customer. It all runs together as part of the same package - lazy speech, lazy posture, lazy grooming. It loudly speaks "I do not care." The obvious answer that organizations with higher standards than McDonald's use is to hire selectively. So there is often an economic impact to those who adhere to grammatical rules and those who don't.

 

[Ackme]

I am also an old language teacher and to say that language is in a state of decay is really just saying that language is in a state of flux. What is incorrect today can become correct through repeated usage over time. There is no use in lamenting, that is the way language works. It is a living thing that constantly changes and adapts. It is no better or worse than it was 20 years ago, 100 years ago or even 1000 years ago...it's just different. There will always be speakers who adhere to current grammatical rules...and those who don't. I love watching the evolution of language, especially now in this fast-paced speed of light world of ours where language has to race to keep up. If someone says my bike is sick (and that actually happened once) I'm OK with that.

Daddy-O, you are one hep cat.

 

[670cc]

Incorrect spelling isn't nearly as entertaining as complete misnomers, especially homophones. Every time I come upon one I add it to my list. Most are bilaterally abused. I may need a larger hard drive soon...

a piece = apiece
accept = except
ad = add (hello johnakay!)
adverse = averse
affect = effect
alot = a lot
axe = ask
barley = barely
base = bass
bear = bare
bless = bliss
blew = blowed
board = bored
boarder = border
bread = bred
break = brake
buy = by
capital = capitol
chord = cord
coarse = course
complementary = complimentary
confirm = conform
cue = queue
disburse = disperse
fair = fare
form = forum
gaiters = gators
greatful = grateful
hardy = hearty
hay = hey
heals = heels
hear = here
herd = heard
hole = whole (I couldn't believe it either)
jam = jamb
knights = nights
later = latter
learnt = learned
less = fewer
loaner = loner
lose = loose
maybe = may be
meet = meat
mute = moot
neal = kneel
new = knew
paired = pared
past = passed
peace = piece
pedal = paddle
pen = pin
perspective = prospective
petal = pedal
plane = plain
polls = poles
pour = poor
presents = presence
principal = principle
que = queue
quite = quiet
rain = reign
ran = run
reserve = preserve
ring = wring
road = rode
roll = role
sale = sell
saw = seen
seemless = seamless
shore = sure
sided = sighted
sole = soul
spoilt = spoiled
stationary = stationery
strait = straight
symbols = cymbals
tale = tail
tare = tear
taut = taught
the = thee
then = than
there = their = they’re
threw = through
thru = threw
to = too
very = vary
warn = worn
waste = waist
weather = whether
wears = wares
worst = worse
would of = would've
you’re = your

Here's another one for your list, Lee: peaked = piqued.

Another issue with "moot" is that people commonly use the word to mean that a topic is no longer relevant or needing debate, when in fact the word means that the topic is undecided and open for debate.

I tend to use the your/you're usage as a basic indicator of a person's intelligence and/or education level (above or below 2nd grade).

 

[Beemerphile]

I tend to use the your/you're usage as a basic indicator of a person's intelligence and/or education level (above or below 2nd grade).

You might say that it is the difference between knowing your crap and knowing you're crap.

 

[670cc]

jonakay, you need to brush up on the "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" series.

Who's old enough to to remember these?

 

[MichaelJohn]

You are contradicting yourself.



When a sales clerk at McDonald's reduces "May I help you?" to "Meh heh?" it is not just different, it is just lazy. When I hired someone, I would expect to have to teach them about hamburgers, but I would not expect to have to teach them how to talk, or that they should look at and show interest in the customer. It all runs together as part of the same package - lazy speech, lazy posture, lazy grooming. It loudly speaks "I do not care." The obvious answer that organizations with higher standards than McDonald's use is to hire selectively. So there is often an economic impact to those who adhere to grammatical rules and those who don't.

I contradicted myself on purpose. It was tounge-in-cheek. "I could care less" might very well be accepted one day no matter how I feel about it.

Also, just how correct do you want to be? Your second sentence has some grammatical errors, does that make you lazy? My standards come from teaching language at UC Berkeley and also abroad. I see mistakes everywhere all the time. I am always mindful of my language but I try not to be overly judgemental of how others express themselves. I know some very good people who speak very bad English.