A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section.
I’ll admit to being on the grammar police squad. My mother instilled it in me early in life.
“Ain’t isn’t proper English.”
It’s “they were” NOT “they was.” And “was you?” No way. No how.
“I seen it” makes me cringe.
I beg you on bended knees, for the sake of my bleeding ears, refrain from committing such grammatacide.
***
- Dictionary.com defines a portmanteau word as one that combines the form and meaning of two other words. Hence “grammatacide” is mine. 😉
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
I’m with you Rochelle. I can’t help but shout at the TV or radio whenever my ears are assaulted by bad grammar!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Keith,
I remember having this conversation a couple of years ago when I posted a similar rant. 😉 Although many of my closest friends and relatives are the ones who assault my ears and there ain’t nuthin I can do about it. Thank you for your understanding and commiseration.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle,
Good choice on the use of portmanteau – how the hell this word came to mean that, is beyond me, but still…
Shalom and lotsa properly expressed love,
Dale
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Dale,
I’d never heard the word before this weekend, However when I looked it up, I knew which direction to take. 😉
Shalom and lotsa well articulated hugs,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always fun to take the other way, I say.
LikeLike
I didn’t realize the full meaning of portmanteau until I looked it up. You used the meaning well without actually using the word. Ain’t that just a kick in the pants? You was writin real good when you done this one. (love you). Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Jan,
I’m glad you picked up on the fact that I didn’t use the actual word in the story. Sometimes it works that way, don’t it? Thank you my favorite committer of grammatacide. (I still say your English teacher hung herself. 😉 )
LikeLike
Hey Rochelle,
Daughter was 12-ish and next to me a football game. I yelled, “Ain’t no way!” at the errant game official. Julie looked up at me and proclaimed in that superior voice that she was shocked, “DAD!?!” My first clue she was her mother’s daughter.
Very clever and well told, my friend.
Peace,
Bill
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
Brilliant! I must employ your coinage as soon as possible. “Madam,” I will say to the offender. “Refrain from your grammaticide! It is a high crime and misdemeanor and I shall report you to . . . Rochelle Wisoff-Fields!!!” That will shut the grammar criminal up or nothing will. :>)
Yours in a righteous cause and shalom,
Dora
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Dora,
Your comment makes me smile. 😀 Feel free to use the word. It fits, doesn’t it? There are some who should have their tongues imprisoned. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to tell my students that “something was off” with their grammar; of course, I had no idea if my participles were dangling, or flapping in the wind. Grammaticide sez it all. Twitter deserves to have the book thrown at it — such as Strunk and White’s elements of style, or the Chicago Manual of Style (it’s bigger and heavier). What a grammar killer social media is (2 say nuffin bout spelling)
A very righteous rant on your part.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Lorraine,
I’m with you re social media. Nothing irritates me more on Facebook than the memes with bright backgrounds, bold letters and misspellings, not to mention, blatant grammatical errors. Does no one edit? A rhetorical question at best. 😉 Thank you for your affirming comments. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Answer to your rhetorical question (oops, is that grammatically correct, lol): no, the editors are the first to go. I find balant errors in the New York Times, of all places! Copy eiditing positions (be that in print or “on the ‘net”) have gone the way of the dodo . . .
LikeLike
Good grammar has its place and is so enjoyable. You can’t spell articulate without c u t e
LikeLike