Listening to NPR on my way to campus this morning, I stumbled across a discussion between a self-proclaimed “Grammar Cop” and the author of a book asserting that “errors” in usage are often culturally-bound and/or indicate the evolution of the English language.
The discussion was way too short and seemed to oversimplify the issue a bit for my taste. For instance, I wish they spent more time discussing how we consciously and unconsciously adapt our language to purpose and audience. I tend to think of these “errors” as using language intended for one purpose and audience in the incorrect context.
What do you think? What “errors” in one setting are not really “errors” in another setting? Which “errors” bug you the most?
