Words that irritate me when people misuse them, part 1

[druidspell]

Okay, so I read a LOT. Sometimes I'm reading things so well-written they'd make you weep with the beauty of their syntax and grammar; sometimes, I'm reading things so mangled and poorly-written that I want to rip my hair out because they've butchered the English language.
Here are a few examples of words that get on my nerves when they're misused:

1. Taut and Taunt and Taught
Taut: adjective, 1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack. 2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves.
Taunt: verb, to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock.; noun, an insulting gibe or sarcasm; scornful reproach or challenge.
Taught: verb, past and past participle tenses of "teach."

2. Breath and Breathe
Breath: noun, the air inhaled and exhaled in respiration.
Breathe: verb, to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.

3. Accept and Except
Accept: verb, 1. to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: to accept a present; to accept a proposal. 2. to agree or consent to; accede to: to accept a treaty; to accept an apology. 3. to respond or answer affirmatively to: to accept an invitation. 4. to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of.
Except: preposition, with the exclusion of; excluding; save; but.; conjunction, only; with the exception (usually fol. by that).

4. There and Their and They're
There: adverb, in or at that place (as opposed to here).;
Their: pronoun, a form of the possessive case of "they" used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.
They're: contraction, meaning "They are."

5. Its and It's
Its: pronoun, a form of the possessive case of "it" used as an attributive adjective, before a noun.
It's: contraction, meaning "It is" or "It has."

6. Ect. and Etcetera and And etcetera/ect./etc./...
Ect: Incorrect abbreviation.
Etcetera: Incorrect spelling--Et cetera is two words.
And etcetera/ect./etc./ and so forth: "And" is a part of the phrase "et cetera" (it's what "et" means in Latin); placing "and" before the word or abbreviation (which, fyi, is correctly abbreviated "etc.") is redundant.

Comments

[amplifiedstatic.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I AGREE. Especially with numbers 1, 2 and 5. The breathe/breath one bugs me the most, I think. /o\

[druidspell.livejournal.com]

Whenever I see people misusing breath/breathe, I want to reach through my computer screen and strangle them, and then explain to their purpling faces "When my hands are around your throat, you cannot breathe. When I let go, you can take a breath."

[slashxmistress.livejournal.com]

OMG I LOVE you! Can we do a whole series of these and post them EVERYWHERE? You think anyone would pay attention?

The breath/breathe one is big for me- and it happens SO often.
Also site vs. sight and tail vs. tale and wow- I really could make a long list of these.
(But I would overlook them ALL if people would just PICK A TENSE! O_O)

[druidspell.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I couldn't even get to Site/Sight and the rest; the computer lab was shutting down! But I'm more than willing to xpost these grammar police PSAs EVERYWHERE, if only people would learn to use the language!

[mardahin.livejournal.com]

You know, I can totally get behind most of those pet peeves. Especially the et cetera one.

Also, thought I'd let you know that Meet the Novaks (http://miriel.livejournal.com/449570.html?mode=reply) is now finished, thus completing the Memoirs universe. I'm hoping to have the whole Memoirs page revamped in the near future, but I need to get my Torchwood universe closed out, first.

Aside from the grammatical challenges in your life, how has it been treating you?