The One Where The List Touches a Nerve

Here's the list I'm trying to complete. It is going to take me 9 years.

I saw this next item on the list a couple days ago and thought, "Oh boy. This one's going to be fun." Note: This is exactly how it appears on the list. The misspellings and gross usage of acronyms is NOT MINE. And I apologize in advance for getting ranty.

Day 12 - something your OCD about

Well, there are two things in the question itself. For one, I CAN! NOT! STAND! when people don't know the proper usage of different forms of words.

Your = Something that belongs to you

You're = A contraction. A combination of "You" and "Are"

Yore = Times that have passed by long ago

Example: Quincy, if you're not going to quit talking about your yore, I'm going to punch you in your face. (I threw in an extra one for you. You're welcome.)

It's the exact same thing with the different forms of "they're."

Their = Something that belongs to them

They're = A contraction. A combination of "They" and "Are"

There = Where something is

Example: Look over there! They're kicking their dogs. You're going to call your uncle, the sheriff, aren't you? (It's a 2-for-1!)

The last one is "its" versus "it's."

Its = something belonging to something

It's = A contraction. A combination of "it" and either "is" or "has"

Example: It's a shame that the kicked dog had its leg broken.

Maybe it's because I was an English major, but I don't think this stuff is that hard. It doesn't really matter to me whether or not you grasp the concept of it (because they all sound the same when you use them verbally), but when you write something down, or you have a misspelling on a sign out front of your store, or whatever, I judge you. You should understand the basic rules of grammar before publishing anything.

(Note: Not to say I've never had a typo, accidentally typed the wrong version of one of these words. . .but I know the difference. It's a mistake, not ignorance.)

The second thing that's wrong with that question is actually something that bothers me so much it makes me angry, and for some effed up reason, people think it's really funny to make me angry by using this.

I've made reference here before regarding my rampant OCD. It's not a fun thing to live with. It's especially difficult when people think that needing to be organized = OCD. I've ranted about this before, so I won't do it again, but that bugs me.

However, saying something like, "I'm being SO OCD about this!" Doesn't. Make. Any. SENSE. It's another sign of English Language Ignorance. (ELI?) If you stretch out the acronym to what it actually means, what you're saying when you say that is "I'm being so Obsessive Compulsive Disorder about this!" OCD is not an adjective. It is a noun.

As part of the aforementioned OCD, I can't stand (CAN NOT STAND) butchering of English like this. It makes me angry and frustrated and I don't know what to do with myself. On my list of things like this people do that make me inexplicably angry are:

1. Using "OCD" as an adjective.

2. Saying "machine" after "ATM" or "number" after "PIN." (What you're basically saying when you do that is "Automated Teller Machine Machine" or "Personal Identification Number Number." It does not make sense.

and

3. Adding -oholic or -aholic to things (shopaholic, chocoholic, workaholic, etc.) That doesn't make sense, either. If you're addicted to alcohol, you're an alcoholic. "-ohol" is part of the word "alcohol." You're not addicted to workahol or chocohol. You're addicted to work and chocolate.

So, in conclusion, the "thing I am OCD about" is misuse of the English language, and when people just don't get how words, word endings, and acronyms are supposed to work.

I realize this one went a little bitchy, but I can't even tell you how much these things bother me. I don't know what the next item on the list is, but I really hope it puts me in a better mood than this one did.