The Society for the Prevention of Slanderous Grammatical Errors

[Doc Rocco]

Introducing...

The Society for the Prevention of Slanderous Grammatical Errors
Motto coming soon!

The Society for the Prevention of Slanderous Grammatical Errors will be a place TFF members can come to enjoy discussions about various books, texts, English and other languages.

Entry requirements
Prospective members must PM Doc Rocco, Gobble Vamp and Tiger Lily. The PM must contain a 100-150 word piece on one of the following topics;

1. Your favourite Final Fantasy game
2. How English impacts your life
3. How a text has impacted your life
4. Favourite book?

This is just to get to know about your style of writing, and see how good your English skills are. They'll be looked over by myself, Lily and Froggie and we'll PM you.

Club Activities

The Society for the Prevention of Slanderous Grammatical Errors will
-Talk about various books, plays and texts.
-Discuss languages, whether it's good old English or other languages.
-Perhaps in the future, help other members seeking to improve in various areas of writing.

Rules
RULES
-All posts must obey TFF rules
-In this thread, member's posts should be the best they can be. However, we're not going to kick you out for one little mistake.
-Haitch is the devil. WE MUST EXORCISE. Anyone who shows signs of being possessed/being a witch will be trialled and hanged. Salem? Ohhh, yes.

Members
Doc Rocco
Anachlirium
Tiger Lily
Fishie
Zeromune
Mistress Sheena
Final Fantasy Fan Cid
Martin
Nick
Refieth
Halie
Govinda
Lunasa

[Zeromune]

Ah, I guess I shall do the first post then.


Entire post was edited due to how bad it was.

Some of you guys do know when people use chat speak throughout an entire conversation but then call you a nerd for using grammar? I honestly think that's...kinda annoying. I mean, how does using grammar and correct spelling make you a nerd? IMO, typing like this is easier, but as said, that's just me. The instant labelling of being a 'nerd' for using such just seems ridiculous to me. What do you guys think?

[Mistress Sheena]

-Colloquialisms are discouraged.
-You may NOT make negative statements about a text WITHOUT evidence to back it up. For example "Movie Y is a substandard movie because the dialogue, film techniques and acting are all terrible" is preferable to "Movie Y sucks."
-ALL posts outside the club (where applicable) are to be of a high standard.

Point #1 - People have to be formal, arrogant, and stuffy with every post in this thread? I don't think so. Informal =/= chatspeak and/or idiot talk. Granted, I admit I had to look up what Colloquial meant. All I'm saying is that I do not agree with this rule. I can see it becoming a fault. Though at the same time, discouraged =/= not allowed.

Point #2 - While the latter sounds more intelligent, it means the overall message of the prior, because both do not say why Movie Y sucks ass. I know I'm just being a smartass with this one, though. I just like to point out technicalities.

Point #3 - I'm sorry that I'm going to have to annul this rule. Your rules do not extend outside of this sole thread and into the whole entire forum. You are not TFF staff members nor are you administrators of any kind. Outside of this thread, people can talk and type however they wish. Let me reiterate that you cannot extend your rules outside of this particular thread.


Thank you. Resume about your business.


PS: You may want to change your club name. No offense, but it sounds rather pompous and arrogant, and not very friendly. That's just my opinion, though, and I've already talked to Lily about this.

PPS: Oh, by the way. Why do you have two member lists? I think the latter is just redundant.

[Doc Rocco]

Point #1: I get where you're coming from. When talking about colloquialisms, we are talking about words that aren't actual words, but are used in mainstream society. Words like "Hellos", or "gay" referring to something bad.
And no, no one has to be pompous. Zeromune's post is perfectly okay and what we want to encourage.

Point #2: Rectified.

Point #3: Sorry, we didn't realise we were contravening Forum rules. Is it okay to say we would like our members to set an example outside of here?

We don't plan to change the name of the club. We feel it is perfectly fine, and is really just tongue in cheek anyway. The name also gives a fairly accurate description of the club as well!

Onto business then! I'd like to announce our first contest: Come up with a slogan or motto for the club! Lily will be judge for the contest, and the winner shall be promoted to Aristocrat of Adjective Adherence. Each member can submit up to three of their own slogans.

Also, I'll be absent for a week, so Lily and Froggie shall be your masters until then. Bye for now! And may grammar be with you!

[Mistress Sheena]

Yes, it is fine to set examples on the outside forums. And thanks for clearing up which colloquialisms you meant. That explained a lot.

Edit: Whoa.. I was talking to Lily and I found out I got denied invitation because my grammar is horrible? Wow. Isn't the whole purpose of the club to help people with grammar problems? Ah well. Whatever. ... Hey, are smilies banned, too?

[Zeromune]

Smilies? As in the 'lol' smilies? No, they are not banned. I asked Rocco about that earlier on. They're pretty much well allowed in here, thankfully. Personally, if they weren't, I'd think that's a step too far. I don't really see why they should be banned either. Oh well, at least we can use them.


EDIT: I've got my entries for the contest ready here now:

"Bringing grammar into a new light."

"Stopping incorrect grammar since 2008."

"Because it just had to happen."

Mmhm...

[FF Ace Cid]

As the newest member of The Society for the Prevention of Slanderous Grammatical Errors, I feel that it is expected of me to introduce myself in the most presentable way possible, nice to be here with you all.

Now that the address is out of the way, I would like to perhaps come up with a slogan. Here are some of my ideas.

"Putting the grammar back in grammatically correct speech."

"Constructively criticizing and correcting common errors, while using alliteration."

I just came up with them, so I might have some more at a later time.

[Govinda]

I have one, it's stolen: 'Eats, shoots and leaves.'

I always liked that. Just removing the comma makes it 'Eats shoots and leaves.' All came from an entry about a panda in a wildlife book which a writer was particularly offended by; so much so that she decided to write a book about incorrect grammar in modern society.

[Doc Rocco]

Welcome Final Fantasy Fan Cid and Pablo Honey! Great to see you here! These entries are all looking good so far.

I'll throw my two cents worth in.
-"Chat speak's worst nightmare"
-"Home of the overly long club name"
-"Valde dictis" which translates Great in words. Latin mottos are always nice.

What book is that? I must read it. It's funny how a single comma can turn a harmless sentence into one talking about a homicidal restaurant goer.

[Mistress Sheena]

The book's name actually is Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Pretty interesting, though I haven't read it myself. I'll probably check it out at my work sooner or later.

[Martin]

As a new member I thought it sensible to produce this, my first post in what will hopefully be one of the most productive and expressive clubs. I also look forward to working with you, my colleagues and friends to establish a better standard of linguistics throughout this and the whole of the forum.

Now to business at hand. The competition.

How about:

Dotting the I's and crossing the T's one sentence at a time.
Restoring the forgotten art of correct spelling.
Only through deep-seated thought... and the right lexical choices may we move forward.

Not brilliant but I had to think of something I guess.

Also I'm currently reading the book Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence, often referred in popular culture as Lawrence of Arabia. Although it's a particularly difficult read I shall peruse it further as I have only really breached the first few chapters. The scenery set is pretty fascinating though. I should come back with a full review of the book soon.

[Doc Rocco]

Lovely and wordy, FF Guru. Oh, and welcome to the club! Hopefully the club will be all you have said.

As of late, I haven't been reading as much non-school based literature as I would like to. Exams tend to do that. The last book I read was The Strawberry Picker by Monika Feth. It tells the story of a serial killer and three girls. One of the the three ends up murdered by said killer, and prompts the other two to go about finding her murderer. In the process of finding the killer, however, one of the girls actually ends up going out with him. This leads to all sorts of drama and what not. It was a very good read. In fact, typing this has made me want to read it again. Strange how writing about a text can make you want to read or see it again...

[Dimi]

Originally posted by Doc Rocco
The Strawberry Picker by Monika Feth. It tells the story of a serial killer and three girls. One of the the three ends up murdered by said killer, and prompts the other two to go about finding her murderer. In the process of finding the killer, however, one of the girls actually ends up going out with him. This leads to all sorts of drama and what not. It was a very good read. In fact, typing this has made me want to read it again. Strange how writing about a text can make you want to read or see it again...

This book sounds really interesting, Rocco. You think they would have it out here in the states? I tend to like books that have this suspenseful feel to it. I also like how some books can be extremely climatic in one part of it.

And welcome to the club, FFGuru.

And as for the quotes, I'll edit in mine a bit later. I can't think of any at the moment, but I'll fill them in.

[Martin]

Thanks for the warm welcome. It's very much appreciated!

I find that a lot of the books I want are either very rare or have to be pre-ordered specifically for me, so I usually refrain from doing so. As a result I use eBay shops and Amazon, although I err towards eBay. It's because I have a collection of the Expanded Universe books regarding the Star Wars Universe and they are particularly hard to obtain cheaply over Amazon, whereas I have a rappor with several shop owners who not only discount me but dispatch relatively quickly. That is not to say you won't find it in your local shop Fish, but it's always a fairly reliable back-up if necessary

I would like to ask, have any of our members ever read any published works of James Luceno? He is an American author who is perhaps most prominent in the Expanded Universe collection. If so, I just wondered how you found his writing style? I must admit that although he writes about subject material I'm particularly interested in within the SW Universe, I find his work a little overbearing, in that he cannot seem to write particularly free-flowing pieces. I refer to the recent book Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader in that not only does he seem to get bogged down in a more.. not so much irrelevant, but perhaps unnecessary storyline (the pursuit of the rogue Jedi after Order 66 and less on Vader), he also seems to take liberties in the SW canon itself in that he seems to indicate the plot to destroy the Jedi was Vader's idea - a stark contrast to what I've read from other Expanded Universe authors.

Please feel free to contribute if you've read the book or any of his work.

[Doc Rocco]

I've never read it. Hehe. I have started my re-read of The Strawberry Picker. It really is a fantastic book, especially after being translated. It must have been even more gripping in its original German. The characters are very real, and Feth gives them such distinct personalities that you can predict what they are going to do next. Yet, she manages to keep you hooked, wanting to keep reading. Also, the way she changes perspective from character to character also helps you get a real feel for the character, and see the story from a different perspective. She really captures the context of each and every character. When I first bought the book, I read the entire thing in a single afternoon.

Now for some official business. Lily, Froggie and I decided on a total ban of "haitch." No one is to mention it unless they slander it! It is up for discussion. In fact, we welcome the debate! This is all about English, and "haitch" could prove a very interesting topic of discussion. Each side has very avid supporters, and both sides can come up with evidence. Anyway, there you go. Also: If you get the chance, promote the club! We would love as many people as possible to know good grammar and coherent posting is GOOD!

[Mistress Sheena]

Okay. Here's a discussion on "haitch." ....What is it? I've never heard of it before.

Edit: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=haitch Says it's an incorrect spelling/pronunciation of "H." ....Wtf? I've never pronounced it like that before.

Edit 2: Lily confirmed it. I texted her. >_>; We pronounce it "eytch", "ey" sounding like "hey" but without the "h". I guess it's pronounced either way, but over here "aitch" sounds like it is from a southern accent.

[Refieth]

Okay, introduction time... I'm Refieth, eleven-year-old slayer of the millions of eBayers who can't spell. "this s a anticue clock perfict for puting on ur mantlepece im sellin it cos it dosent fit on min"... What the heck?!

Anyway, I'd better have a go at that motto competition...

Because l33t and c00l aren't.

Slaying bad grammar since 2008.

Where attenuated asseverations are encouraged even where uncomplicated vocabulary will suffice.

Mine're pretty bad, but I try my best.


As for "haitch"...

"Haitch" is most definitely incorrect. Admittedly, some of the people in my school pronounce it "haitch", but the people in my school... to put it nicely, you wouldn't think English was their first language. Most people pronounce it "eytch" or "aitch", which is undoubtedly the correct pronunciation. Unlike "haitch", which is only used by those with the cranial capacity of an average mouse.

On the subject of books... like FFGuru, most of the books I want are almost impossible to find anywhere. At my school, they used to award you a book (usually a rare or expensive one) if you won the English prize (which I usually did by default, see what I previously said about the others at school), but nowadays the prize for everything is a £15 book token. None of the books I want can be bought with a £15 book token. I don't even try to win anymore. I just let the human embodiments of illiteracy win, because there's no point in me winning anymore.

[Faith]

Introduction? Okay... Hi, I'm Halie.

I don't really know what else to put up there aside from that. Oh, and also, n00bs annoy me. ^^;;

Anyway. All these slogans are great...I can't think of any, myself. I might have a go at it later. But I liked this one:

Because l33t and c00l aren't.

As for pronounciation of the letter H, in my country, we pronounce it 'Haytch'. Either that, or 'Aytch'. Everyone does...whether that's wrong or not, I don't particularly have a clue. But you never know, different countries and origins, different pronounciations. Like Yoghurt for example. In the UK, we pronunce it as 'Y-ogg-hurt', and in America, most people refer to it as 'Y-oh-gurt'.

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Pablo Honey

The books I read come from charity shops or are gifts. If I really want to buy one, I buy it in a proper bookshop. I know it's more expensive, but I don't want bookshops to disappear from the high street. Borders and Waterstones in Glasgow are my little dry libraries on rainy city days, just as the Old Aberdeen Bookshop and the Oxfam Bookshop are when I'm back in the north.

I understand where you're coming from on that front but to be honest I think your usual Waterstones is making enough business; I know mine is. I don't know, to me they seem to be the corporate side of bookselling and I much prefer the smaller backstreet bookshop or market stall. I've bought many a book at two for £1 for example. That's not to say I haven't shopped at them though because let's face it they have a wide range and they are keeping the industry going after all. And they are fairly nice places to relax, get yourself a coffee and while away the hours.

I've just started reading The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton and it will be quite a herculean read by all accounts. I do like my Sci-Fi books and although the rest of his work is rather dire if I may so, the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy has stood out so far. It's not that they're particularly difficult reads, but they are very lengthy and hard to get into. But this seems to be rather simplistic so far, and I hope I'll finish it by the end of next week so I can return to Seven Pillars. I've had to stop that because I can't give it the time it deserves at the moment.

Regarding the 'haitch' debate, I'm atypically English and will pronounce it as such.

And welcome Dystopia and Refieth

[Dragoon_Nick]

Hello everyone, I'm a grammar adept since 19 years already, and i look forward into partaking this fight against faulty grammar.

I'm Nick, and I'm honored to be a disciple of Froggie...one of the biggest net word-o's out there.

As far as the slogan goes, i thought about a few;

"Word! To your sentence..."

"I got two words for you. Grammar rules!"

As for the "Haitch" sound, i also pronounce it as "Haitch" although i was raised as a french mothertongue boy. Quite frankly, it should be accepted at oxford...