Hey, I taught argumentative writing to college freshman at a big state school. NOTHING can tax my patience any more!
My favorite were the students WHO MISSPELLED THEIR OWN NAMES!!!!
I mean, what do you do with that?
Actually, I take that back: one thing taxes my patience. I cannot stand it when people put quotation marks around things with the apparent intention of stressing them, not realizing that it has the exact opposite effect. For example, when I was dating my husband (ah, the salad days!), I drove past a sign that said the following:
"Jesus" is coming
It made me nuts every time I saw it. What's with the utterly inappropriate quotation marks? Is some guy named Hey-sus on his way here?
After that, I seemed to see quotation marks for no reason everywhere, on signs all over the place. I wanted to teach a grammar course just for people who put up signs to try to combat it. I'm over that dream, but I still grind my teeth whenever I see stupid, pointless quotation marks used.
"Eats, Shoots and Leaves," anyone?
