We need to have a talk.

  • Thread starter Deleted member 28227
  • Start date
Semantically "home in" is correct. Think about homing pigeons, or a homing missile.

That said I think more people say "hone in." (Probably because it's easier to say.) And the "rules" of a language are really defined by its users anyway.
When the rule of "common usage" replaces a correct word with one of an entirely different and unrelated meaning as a result of laziness or more likely just plain ignorance I have to pick up my lance, mount my steed and continue to tilt this windmill.
 
When the rule of "common usage" replaces a correct word with one of an entirely different and unrelated meaning as a result of laziness or more likely just plain ignorance I have to pick up my lance, mount my steed and continue to tilt this windmill.
Yup, and tell Sancho to "get thee aside and pray" when he tries to stop you
 
When the rule of "common usage" replaces a correct word with one of an entirely different and unrelated meaning as a result of laziness or more likely just plain ignorance I have to pick up my lance, mount my steed and continue to tilt this windmill.
I feel like this directly applies to the thaw/defrost/unthaw usage today. I only accept thaw/defrost. However unthaw has been incorrectly used so much that the definition has gone along with it. Unthaw should mean “freeze” …in a roundabout way.
 
I feel like this directly applies to the thaw/defrost/unthaw usage today. I only accept thaw/defrost. However unthaw has been incorrectly used so much that the definition has gone along with it. Unthaw should mean “freeze” …in a roundabout way.
...*thusly, re-unthaw is coined. (and an excuse to use an informal adverb)
 
...*thusly, re-unthaw is coined. (and an excuse to use an informal adverb)
Re-unthaw: when you bring home a boned out elk quarter and toss it in the freezer, pull it out a week later let it sit on the counter long enough to be able to debone and then place that meat back into the freezer; then you pull out a steak, but change plans for dinner and toss it back into the freezer.
 
Wanna get hot and heavy about the hyphen, en dash, and em dash?
I love to mix in dashes with complete abandon where commas and periods should be. (As you have already taken note I am sure.)

Had a buddy who was the law review type (pouncing on every misplaced comma or misused apostrophe of others) who once said, “for such a smart guy, you never seemed to learn basic grammar.” My reply was to give a similar monologue as OP about some obscure grammar/writing style point and ended with, “don’t confuse not knowing and with not giving a f*ck.”
 

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